lyra elegantarium

butters

High on a Hill
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Jul 2, 2009
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i acquired this old book today - not the 1860something version but the revised and enlarged edition printed 1891, edited by Frederick Locker-Lampson, assisted by Coulson Kernahan.

it's no. 109 of only 250 printed (the 109 and his name entered by hand), and is all edge-chewed thick paper and wonderful. its hardback cover bears a wide dark red panel, heavily embossed with the stamp 'Ilford Public Libraries', and inside there's an intricate black and white print sticker denoting Borough of Ilford Central Public Library... on further once-plain sheets there's stamped 'withdrawn, Redbridge public libraries' and 'Sold for Redbridge public libraries'. there's even a b&w print of freddy, and what feels like a real ink signature beneath that with the sentiment 'Yours very truly/Frederick Locker'. the raised surface of the ink might mean it's printed, though, as the hand-filled edition number and signature are a much paler shade of ink and feels different to the other. maybe different inks at different times, maybe one's handwritten and one's print. i don't care - it's such a chunk of history with so many poets included in this anthology.

the price it sold for from redbridge? one english pound.


that would've made him laugh, i am sure. :D
 
looking it up, i found a bookseller had one of these (no.48) for around £30, and the first ink sig under the print no is real. but i just love the book in its 7 and 3/4" x 9 and 3/4" glory, and that's without even reading the poetry inside. some great names :D
 
Happy for you... went to bing ...sounds ... interesting

i love me some old books, they have such character :) and when that old book is an old poetry book, with some excellent names included in it - it's got to be a winner!
 
Yeah, I have an old Kippling ...what a voice! '...thin red line of 'ero's when the band begins to play'
 
cakes? It seems I haven't studied my 'Kippling" Laughs at this obscure joke
 
today our shop had a donation that consisted of three not-so-great men's sweaters, two pairs of ladies' slacks, a colander and these

good condition, no foxing, small wear to spine edges and with plastic cover sleeves - also someone used a binding tape around the edges of the plastic to hold it onto the books :(

still, should fetch a few hundred pounds; seen others on e-bay ranging from £150 (no dustjackets) to £785 (down from £850).

bloody amazing what gets donated. :cool:

full information
http://www.tolkienbooks.net/html/ru_edition.htm
 
today our shop had a donation that consisted of three not-so-great men's sweaters, two pairs of ladies' slacks, a colander and these

good condition, no foxing, small wear to spine edges and with plastic cover sleeves - also someone used a binding tape around the edges of the plastic to hold it onto the books :(

still, should fetch a few hundred pounds; seen others on e-bay ranging from £150 (no dustjackets) to £785 (down from £850).

bloody amazing what gets donated. :cool:

full information
http://www.tolkienbooks.net/html/ru_edition.htm

Yes, it is.

It is also amazing how much slips past the volunteers. In the past I have rescued several reasonably valuable books from the pulp boxes. Now they know. If in any doubt, ask Og. I do have to sort some dross that they have left for me, but now very little of any worth goes into the pulp boxes - but I do sample checks anyway.
 
The most exciting thing - for me anyway - is finding notes etc. either in old books or on inserts. I once found a letter from someone to the previous holder of the book asking for it back. :confused: It was dated 1972, I wrote to the address but never heard back. The letter is still in that book.
 
The most exciting thing - for me anyway - is finding notes etc. either in old books or on inserts. I once found a letter from someone to the previous holder of the book asking for it back. :confused: It was dated 1972, I wrote to the address but never heard back. The letter is still in that book.[/quote.]

interesting Tess. I have an embroidered handkerchief, folded with the faint scent of vanilla in a copy of Roget(1977). The inscription on the page opposite, although recent still makes me cry. Chipper, you must have some of my earliest posts here. did not remember them.
 
When I worked in a charity shop I got a book that was brought in it was written in French and seemed to be about fish dated 1700 and something. I've moved house since and am not sure where it is now or if it is even worth anything
 
I had a wonderful collection of old books, including old (well for America) readers and books about grammar and writing that I collected. And my father gave me a multi-volume biography of Washington Irving that was a first edition. Now comes the sad part. When I was in the midst of my divorce, my ex managed to "lose" the box I had packed the collection in and the Irving set was mysteriously damaged beyond saving.

I try to channel my inner Buddhist and let my attachments go gracefully. :cool:
 
got me an oldie yesterday - condition about as poor as most i own :rolleyes: - Dante's Divine Comedy/Notes on the translation by C B Cayley, B.A, published by Longman, Brown, Green, And Longmans. 1855.

it's cute :cool:
 
A little strange for this thread, but it seemed the best place for it.

Christmas Day by Charles Kingsley c 1886

Discovery

Abandoned on an age dusty shelf
found by boredom and curiosity
searching for my Ku indiscriminately
unearthed among the oddities,
dominoes and xactos

Perusal

Pitiful excuse for a book
more a postcard with pages
stacked with other imagined treasures
garnered by generations past
worth only a hasty look
returned to dust stenciled home
walk away

Contemplation

Unforgotten relic why trouble me
thoughts of holidays and waste
You are/were just an excuse to write
no sense dwelling on the past
acid rotted pages, no christ save man
nor devil

Conclusion

No resolution, confusion
maybe peace gained
some Christmas day
 
perfect place for your poem, harry... you know i've already spoken to you about it but wished to respond here as well.

a piece that makes me contemplate. uh huh.

:heart:
 
perfect place for your poem, harry... you know i've already spoken to you about it but wished to respond here as well.

a piece that makes me contemplate. uh huh.

:heart:
..
My father passed his love for books and reading on to me one of our favorite pastimes growing up was to take the vocabulary test in each months Readers Digest... 20 words to define for a score.
He started a library in the basement of our house for the little community where I live and was instrumental in building a larger one at the county seat. Many of the books that were donated are still here; the one that started me writing that poem is one of the I came across recently.
More?
 
..
My father passed his love for books and reading on to me one of our favorite pastimes growing up was to take the vocabulary test in each months Readers Digest... 20 words to define for a score.
He started a library in the basement of our house for the little community where I live and was instrumental in building a larger one at the county seat. Many of the books that were donated are still here; the one that started me writing that poem is one of the I came across recently.
More?
always more

:kiss:
 
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