Monday, March 5, 2018

Old books

II've been methodically going through my library, winnowing it down. Right now I'm dealing with "old and rare" books. This is a particularly interesting category, and also one that presents challenges. Do any of these books have value? How should I dispose of them? And, they are often inherently interesting. Some are in fragile condition, broken spines, brittle pages, sometimes missing pages. But others are in good condition. 

Take this encyclopedia of Success and Happiness. It's a fascinating collection of facts and advice on how to succeed in life, as it was at the end of the 19th century:


Or this nicely bound edition of William Makepiece Thackery's The Adventures of Philip, part 2. I've never read Thackery. Not even Vanity Fair. Should I read this?



One of the old books is a volume of issues of Peterson's Magazine from 1855. It is a magazine for women, filled with information on the day's fashions, stories, poetry, household hints, knitting patterns, etc. it includes full color plates of the latest Parisian gowns:


Or a copy of The Spy, by James Fenimore Cooper, with a nice portrait of the author. 


They all have to go. But go where? 




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