I really enjoyed visiting the Book Fair, and talked with many of the vendors. I really enjoyed the alchemist and magic books at one booth. Nice group of people all around.
The worst part was leaving the Armory. A sign roughly 20 feet away from the door said, "Watch your step." It wasn't clear that the step was the one I was about to step down. I nearly fell on my face.
4
Why touch them with bare hands?
2
@Gió
Clean, dry hands are preferred to gloves which hamper dexterity. Tears are more likely with gloves.
7
I used to work in the "Special Collections" section in the college library. NO ONE was ever given a book to review or peruse without putting on a pair of gloves first. I am shocked to see so many rare books being touched and handled with bare hands. Just how "rare" are these books anyway?
8
@Marge Keller
They are indeed rare books and generally folks at the Book Fair know what they are doing. I work as a Conservation technician, almost exclusively with rare books, and in the collections (excluding photography) I’ve worked with, clean dry hands are preferred over gloves which hamper dexterity. Most likely someone is supervising the handling as they would in any collection with rare materials.
11
@DBSNYC
Good intel. I appreciate the comment. The gloves I used to wear where surgical ones which helped reduce the dexterity issue.
1
@Marge Keller
Anti-bacterial wipes are usually available as well
1
the author is correct when he says that a trip to a book fair like this is like a "trip to an exhibit or museum", only more fun and interesting because you can handle most items, and the dealers are willing (and sometimes eager) to chat...also, sometimes things can be more affordable (I bought a lovely book on Maine art signed by all three authors for $150 at such a fair ---the author is right in mentioning that items you may not normally purchase because of price suddenly seem to be bargains compared to sometimes rarified prices surrounding them)...
12
How fun it must be to view this exhibit/fair. Lovely article.
14
Granted, the price of rare books is steep, but the cost of a new book is a small fortune as well.
4
@Marge Keller "a small fortune"??
3
Those East Indies fish illustrations look like they were lifted from the movie "Yellow Submarine"
14