New York International Antiquarian Book Fair: Five Rare Books for Collectors

Highlights from the Bernard Quaritch, Whitmore Rare Books, and Langdon Manor Books dedicated catalogues 65th New York International Antiquarian Book Fair running April 3-6 include:

Denckmal der Freundschafft by Gottlob Ehrenfried Knothe (mostly Leipzig, Löbau, and Zittau, 1778–1780)

An 'album amicorum' kept by the Zittau bookbinder Gottlob Ehrenfried Knothe, with a full-page illustration of a bindery showing eight figures at work, and numerous entries both decorated and lettered with finishing tools. Offered by Bernard Quaritch.

Pepsi 1977 Black Community Marketing Handbook 

An unrecorded, heavily illustrated handbook produced by the Pepsi-Cola company, detailing their 1977 marketing campaign aimed at African Americans, plus laid-in introductory letter providing a wealth of information about the campaign. Offered by Langdon Manor Books.

The New Song Book of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority by Julia Brogdon Purnell and Geraldine Ophelia Banks Mosley (Chicago, Alpha Kappa Alpha Office, 1966) 

A rare book of sheet music that includes the national hymns and ceremonial music, along with songs written by members of the first historically African American intercollegiate sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), founded in 1908 at Howard University and the first Black sorority to nationally incorporate in 1913. This book contains not only the national hymns of AKA and other Black fraternities and sororities, but also “songs for special days, regional, chapter, devotional, action, and pep songs.” It holds the musical notation and lyrics for 34 songs, plus the “Words Only” for 79 more. Offered by Langdon Manor Books.

Nye Eventyr by Hans Christian Andersen (Kjøbenhavn, C.A. Reitzel, 1845-48)

First editions, complete, two volumes (collections) bound together, of Andersen’s second series of fairy tales, the first issue of Collection Two, the second issue of Collection One. Nye Eventyr (New Fairy Tales) was Andersen’s second collection of stories, containing some of his most significant original texts including The Nightingale, The Ugly Duckling, The Snow Queen, The Red Shoes, and The Little Match Girl. Offered by Whitmore Rare Books.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (New York, Ballantine Books, 1953)

Bradbury's most famous work in the asbestos limited edition, number 80 of 200 copies signed by the author and specially bound in Johns-Manville Quinterra, a textile made from fire-resistant chrysotile asbestos. Offered by Whitmore Rare Books.