Shakespeare to see tomorrow

FYI --

There are three lovely Shakespeare prints on offer in the upcoming Christie's auction. Three watercolor illustrations by Arthur Rackham: "The Meeting of Oberon and Titania," Midsummer Night's Dream and The Tempest.

Cheers, ASH

Hurrah, indeed!

Hi Parisa:
When do you leave for L.A.?!!!!
Good luck! And yes, bean casserole always wins. ;)
We HAVE to come up with a cool "Am Shakes" catch-phrase for you to use, that won't make you seem to odd or weird.
"Bean casserole" might be too strange for you to repeat a lot... (You DON'T want to be known as "bean casserole girl"...) :)
We will be thinking of you, and toast you in our last session on the 15th!
Cheers,
ASH

Hooray for Comments!

I just want to say how nice it was to read everyone's posts and Aly's comments; I think we all deserve pats on the back for being so openminded and generous enough to share! That's my two cents :)

all the best,
Parisa

Buying Culture, or a morning at Christie's...

I planned my outfit for weeks.

And COULD NOT believe that I woke up late on the day.
As I dashed in the brisk morning air to catch the BDVF from West 4th to Rockefeller Center, I had no idea what to expect on the other end. Although my life has been far from sheltered or mundane -- I know which fork to use, and have had morning coffee with Prince Charles -- yet, I have never attended a live auction before. So, still, debutante that I am, I was giddy, yet apprehensive. (Would it be like CLUE? Or these really odd country auctions you see on TV, where the auctioneers mumble loudly, rapid fire, sounding like evangelical preachers on speed, speaking in tongues?)

Then, I remembered, "Its Christies!" And realized all would be well. And indeed it was.
I whizzed past direction-less tourists looking for the "NBC Rainbow Room," and sprinted -- in heels -- through the revolving doors. The chaos of a bustling and brimming NYC morning gave way to the serenity of Christies. I was met by the very friendly staff who assured me I wasn't late. I sighed relief, caught my breath, and enjoyed every minute of sashaying up the Christie's grand staircase...

I sauntered into James Christie auction room, acting like I belonged there. Upon finding a seat in the back row, and glancing around the room, I realized I did in fact belong there. Of course there were the "usual suspects": well-dressed, well-heeled, older men... But on the whole, the small, but enthusiastic, crowd was a vivid array of collectors, book dealers, tourists, students and general bibliomaniacs. There were in fact far more women present than I had expected, both as buyers and as auction staff. I found this very encouraging. One does not have that impression generally.

As I took my seat next to a rather distinguished looking gentleman, I sudden realized that this was one of the most thrilling events I have ever witnessed! The energy is incredible! Part theatre, part temple: the atmosphere is like nothing I have ever experienced before. The symbolism is uncanny and quite powerful. The auctioneer (our friend, Francis Wahlgren) stood high above us at the rostrum, like a great master delivering a lecture or a sermon to his faithful followers. This iconography is not wasted, in many ways, Christie's is a temple, a great temple of Art and Culture. Where "culture" is bought, sold, and arguably preserved.

In contrast to his appearance and fraught state in the "First Folio auction" video that he shared with us, Francis was this morning completely at ease. He had an affable and amiable style that exuded charm and professionalism. He had a relaxed, jovial rapport with the buyers and his staff, and smiled and joked with them throughout the auction. Despite the quicksilver pace of the proceedings, it was remarkably lighthearted.

I was gleeful as "familiar friends" such as works by Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte appeared on the auction screen. These works were familiar to me not just as treasured reads from adolescence, but I was actually personally familiar with these particular texts being sold, as I had come to Christie's two days before this auction for the "pre-sale viewing." And yes, what they say is absolutely TRUE! You are free and able to touch, hold, sniff, look at whatever items you like that are up for auction. This concept had of course seemed "too good too be true" to me, so when I came for viewing on Saturday, (I channeled my inner "Parisa") (SMILE) and asked to see what I thought was the most "untouchable" item available. An edition of Izaak Walton's Compleat Angler (1667). [The Shakespeare that was up for auction was a 19th C. edition. Ended up selling for $8K.] And true to their word, when I asked to see the Walton, the case was opened and the treasured little volumes placed in my warm little hands...It was a breathtaking moment that I will never forget.

My breath was taken away by the Izaak Walton works once again, when this set appeared on the auction screen. The gentleman seated next me, suddenly became very agitated. As Francis started the bidding at $60,000.00, I noticed the man sitting next me nervously begin to wave the white bidding paddle in his hand. Francis acknowledged his bid, and the game was afoot. A another gentleman, several rows in front of us, twisted abruptly in his seat to see the face of his new adversary. The man seated next to me swallowed hard as the bidding began in earnest. Francis guided these two stealthful competitors smoothly through the complicated dance of desire and defeat: "one better, one better, one better..." is the steady, though unheard mantra.

As the bidding hit the 100K mark, the man near the front paused to breathe (as did we all). In that pause -- for the collector seated next to me -- was life and death. He had flown all the way from England to obtain this prize. Then, in a heartbeat, as Francis slammed down the hammer: Victory. He had won his treasure. Once he came back down to earth, he revealed that he was a private collector who collects books and manuscripts about fishing. He had expected the bidding to go much higher than it had, and he had been prepared to pay double the amount of his winning bid to secure the item. (He had expected to bid at at least $226K.) So, not only had he won. But it turned out to be "a bargain." Remarkable.

The energy is electric and positively dizzying. (Another exciting moment was the cat-fight that ensued over a 1st edition Wuthering Heights. Francis opened the bidding at $6,000.00; and after the dust settled, Catherine and Heathcliffe had been nabbed at $120K.) It was an incredible experience, and Francis has invited our class to attend the upcoming "Children's Literature" auction on Wednesday, 13 December 2006, and I certainly hope we can make this happen. Details below. Note also the "Viewing times" -- it really is worth doing. I feel very strongly about this given our many discussions over the course of this extraordinary semester about issues of class, culture and commerce. Ah, Shakespeare, where you have led us! :)

Until soon, cheers,
ASH

www.christies.com

Children's Literature
Including Original Illustrations
Sale 1740
13 December 2006, 10:00 am
20 Rockefeller Center, New York

Viewing
7 0December 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
8 0December 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
9 0December 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
10 December 01:00 pm - 5:00 pm
11 December 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
12 December 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Sale Contacts
Francis Wahlgren
fwahlgren@christies.com
Thomas Lecky
tlecky@christies.com
Ian Ehling
iehling@christies.com
Melanie Halloran
mhalloran@christies.com
Tel: +1 212 636 2665
Fax: +1 212 636 4928

Bid Department
Tel: +1 212 636 2437
Fax: +1 212 636 4938

More Shakespeare up for auction!

Dear American Shakespeare Scholars:

The major book auction that Francis Wahlgren mentioned during our visit to Christie's is scheduled for 5 December 2006.
This auction is a sale of Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts, including Americana. (The selection is breath-taking!)
No First (or Third) Folios this time around, but there is a lovely 19th century Shakespeare set on offer.
(And an early edition Alice under a $1000., which would make a remarkable Christmas present for a certain professor you all know!) ;)

Auction details:

5 December 2006, 10:00 am
20 Rockefeller Plaza, New York

Viewing:
1 December 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
2 December 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
3 December 01:00 pm - 5:00 pm
4 December 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

The catalogue is available online at: http://www.christies.com/promos/dec06/1770/overview.asp

Perhaps -- we might consider a quick viewing trip after class on Friday, 1 December...

Hope you all had a restful Thanksgiving!

Cheers,
ASH

"Christies Comments" from Oriana

Oriana Calman
American Shakespeare
November 8, 2006

Christie’s

Each time I walk east along the broad streets near Rockefeller Center, I sense a kind of holiday, film-like cheer that resides permanently within the raucous traffic, sidewalk steam, and Fifth Avenue suits walking briskly to and from lunch. Since I can remember, this journey east has been unfailingly the same, boisterous and elegant, annoying and glimmering, and I love and loathe it every time. However, this particular trip down the same nostalgic, big city road was a little different in that I entered an interior space that mirrored much of what I experienced outside. This space was Christie’s New York.
When I first walked into the auction house (an effortless transition from outside to inside with the help of a doorman pushing the revolving door for me) I thought that perhaps I had mistakenly waltzed into a hotel. There was a large desk with several smartly dressed, young men and women, answering telephones and assisting patrons, a scene very appropriate for a busy hotel. Yet, this was Christie’s, as the large and proudly displayed Estate Sale announced to my right. I turned around, hoping to find a little corner where I could wait for the rest of our group, but could not refrain from gawking like a buffoon at every other person milling about. I have never been inside an auction house before, and I was extremely fascinated to either confirm or cancel my pre-conceived notions about such an establishment. When I saw several older gentlemen in tweed suits and horn-rimmed glasses walk by, I could not help smiling. I wanted to join them on their hunting trip (for it looked as though that is precisely what they were about to do), but I followed the rest of our group into the exhibition spaces housing Impressionist and Expressionist works that were to be auctioned the following week.
I wanted to relinquish myself from feeling slightly out of place, but I was extremely aware of the other patrons or buyers, looking at these works as if they were items in a store. As soon as I saw three Schiele pieces, the magnitude of what was taking place at Christie’s became very real to me. To view these works with a price tag as their main descriptive accompaniment was like no other experience I have had. This dramatically changed my perspective of viewing art, for the discourse surrounding much of these works was financial rather than aesthetic. I felt unsettled by this presumption and at the same time, extremely eager about the possibilities of such an environment.
After looking at several works on canvas and paper, we met with Francis Walhgren, who was extremely enthusiastic and accommodating. As I have found for most of our trips, the people whom we meet and interact with are usually the ones who enliven these institutions by being so welcoming and informative. Mr. Walhgren was fantastic in that he really wanted to share his experience of auctioning the Berland Shakespeare Folio with us. He had materials available for us regarding the layout of the Folio’s history and condition, and he told us about the inner workings of the Book Department at Christie’s. Mr. Walhgren put it beautifully when he stated that what he represented was the merging of the scholarly with the business field. Though I am still deciding whether or not this kind of merger could be a harmonious balance for me, I find a great deal of what Mr. Walhgren spoke about very appealing. He informed us that Christie’s acts as an intermediary between the owner and buyer of a work or object, implying that there is a very strong degree of exposure to all worlds and contexts within which the item has existed. I love this idea very much. He also shared with us the kind of cataloging and history tracing that he and his colleagues have the opportunity to do. This segued into the realm of comparing Christie’s to a library, and the kinds of differences and similarities that make up both institutions. I found it extremely interested when he said that Christie’s took the stance of preserving works just as they were found. I agree with this on a certain level, but I also agree with the library stance, which more often then not, is concerned more with mending the work and stabilizing it so that it may continue to service the needs and queries of patrons. This issue is a very difficult one to take sides on, for in an ideal world, both methods would be terrific.
After speaking with Mr. Walhgren, and after having the pleasure of experiencing the tension and excitement of such a monumental moment in auction history when we saw footage of the auction, we left the conference room and traveled down the same set of stairs with, what seemed to me, a sense of ease, whereas only a short time before, we had ascended with nervous and anticipatory doubts about Christie’s as a whole. Walking out of Christie’s I felt that I had indeed cancelled out all of my previous notions about the institution.

Friday, 16 November

Hello American Shakespeare Scholars!

Please check your email.
We are back at Mercer Street this afternoon. We shall start there and then head to the library together for reseacrh sessions.
I am soooo looking forward to seeing how you are all getting on with your incredible work!

All best,
ASH

Columbia's Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Getting off the 1 train on 116th street, it wasn't difficult at all to find Columbia's campus. Since it was around lunch time, I decided to eat my $3 lunch (omelet sandwich and a Snapple from a street vendor, yum!) on the steps of their main library, the Low Library. Columbia's campus truly is a beautiful place, yet a part of me realized that I get the same peaceful feeling while sitting in Washington Square Park. In a way I guess, Columbia represents the Ivy League campus life that I'm not sure if I wanted or not.

Anyway, getting into the Butler Library itself was also an easy process. To get in, I just had to get a non-Columbia patron card, which allows you to have reading access to the library for three months. With this in mind, I found the Butler Library to be a lot like the NYPL research libraries in the sense that I have reading access to them for free. The building itself also gave off a traditional air that I often associate with the NYPL system, with its large columns and marble floors. Even the elevators (when I finally did find them) were traditional in the sense that the floor indicator was a rotating arrow pointing to the floor numbers in a clock-like fashion. Whereas Columbia, as an Ivy League school, embodies tradition with its grassy closed campus and orderly library, NYU in a sense is the opposite "postmodern" embodiment with the crazy architecture of Bobst and our open, un-traditional campus.

Once I reached the Rare Book and Manuscript Room, I once again had to go through procedures similar to that of NYPL. The polite attendant at the desk had me fill out a paper with my information to register me as a researcher, and afterwards, I was told to sit at one of the desks for one of the librarians to give me the book I requested (the 1611 printing of Spencer's "Fairie Queen"). Before sitting down, I also had to check in my bag and my coat for security purposes. After a few minutes of waiting, I was greeted by the friendly smile of Jennifer Lee with "The Fairie Queen" in her hands. She laid it out on a green foam book stand for me to read it on, and then left me to enjoy it. I was surprised to see that I wasn't required to wear gloves, but as I looked around the room, I noticed that none of the other patrons had gloves on either.

Although it isn't as cool as personally looking through the first folio, leafing through "The Fairie Queen" was still a fun experience. Despite a few imperfections (a few repaired tears, some pencil marks, dents in the paper, and some stains), the book was very readable and visually pleasing. As I read through a few of the cantos, it took me a while to get used to the old English writing (using "f" for "s", "v" for "u", etc), but after a while, I noticed that my mind began to instantly fix the words into modern English.

What I found really fascinating about the edition was the engravings. In addition to the beautiful images on the title pages, at the beginning of each canto there were four different engravings that were rotated throughout the book. One was of two falcons, one with a sword and the other being burned in a fire, another showed the lion and the griffon of the royal crest holding flags, another showed the lion and the griffon writing, and the fourth showed two cupids amidst roses and thorns. These engravings were also visible in the second part of the Fairie Queen which contained books 4, 5, and 6 and was printed in 1613. The only difference between the two parts was that in the second, the first letter of each canto was enlarged and embellished, which I thought gave the work a nice touch.

The only visible printing mistake that I saw as I went through the book was in the second edition, in Canto III of the forth book. In this canto, the griffon in the title engraving had been rotated 90 degrees to the left. This small mistake shouldn't be too surprising, considering the large length of the book, as well as the printing methods used at the time. As I looked through the book, thoughts about our session with Mindy Bellof frequently came to mind. If it took us three hours to set less than ten lines of text, it must have taken these printers years of time and patience to set the type for this large edition.

Overall, my experience was a good one in the sense that it allowed me to get in touch with my inner book geek by interacting with a book that existed so many centuries before me. Now that I know that I have reading access to the library, I may take advantage of doing some studying at Columbia in the future.

About Columbia's Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Hey guys, I talked with Jennifer Lee via email the past week, and it's basically set in stone that the only way that we can see the first folio is through the glass case. However, if you make an appointment with Jennifer, you can get an equally rare document to interact with if you want. For example, she suggested that I should reserve the 1611 edition of the Fairie Queen, which I agreed to. They also have a first folio of the Works of King James, an early printing of Ovid's Metamorphosis, and a bunch of other stuff that is equally cool to see.

Columbia's Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Going to Columbia's Rare Book and Manuscript Library was like a field trip. While we've traveled to various niches of Manhattan, Columbia is so far uptown, it's almost like you're not in Manhattan anymore! My voyage started at Columbus Circle, yet another part of the city that is so vastly different than the village. Columbus Circle is modern and shiny and crowded. I was sidetracked on my way to the subway and peeked my head into the Time Warner Building - I suggest you all check it out, it's reminiscent of the malls back home with a touch of New York City opulence. The Time Warner Building screams commercialized cosmopolitan chic - I overheard a woman in Sephora mention that Britney Spears had been there twice since yesterday. Like the village, this part of town seems to attract the rich and famous as a place to be and be seen. On to the subway ride uptown!

I took the 1 train up to 116th street and as I stepped out, I was greeted by young, sweatshirt clad co-eds. This is Columbia. For some reason the kids here (especially the men)look like they belong on a j.crew catalog - typical ivy leaguers. The weather was nice today and the sprawling lawn was covered with young boys throwing frisbees and footballs. I felt like I was on a REAL campus; it was very refreshing considering the concrete that consumes our campus. I found the Butler Library with considerable ease. It's on one side of the huge field and on the other side is the main library, which looks like a national monument that belongs in Washington or Massachussetts or somewhere historic. I know New York is filled with historic institutions but I felt like it was a bit much for a bunch of college students in New York City. Even entering the library as a non-Columbia student felt very "normal"; I'm accustomed to glass protector walls at Bobst and invasive security checks every time I step into an NYU building. I must also mention that the outside of the Butler Library is gorgeous. It has the names of "world authors and US statesmen" (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/butler/walk.html) carved around the building, and yes, Shakespeare is on there, alongside Cervantes, Milton, Voltaire and Goethe. I found it very interesting that Shakespeare was categorized with Voltaire and Goethe. I proceeded inside and received a visitors library card for the semester (so I can come back and not have to check in!) and went upstairs to the 6th floor. The Rare Book and Manuscript Library is at the end of a hall that looks like an ordinary college hall way but when you reach the glass doors that read "Rare Book and Manuscript Library", you feel as if you are walking into a government secured operative like the CIA's Rare Book and Manuscript Library. There is a lot of glass and doors and a long hall way surrounded by more glass and cases that leads to the help desk. Along the way I saw other works in the glass cases and noticed that there was an entire room (the rare book reading room) that was open to staff only. Columbia seems less "tight" than NYU but there are very definitive lines between what is "allowed" and what is not. I asked to see the First Folio and inquired about Jenny Lee, however, she was busy (I should have made an appointment, try to make one before you come all the way here) but I was shown the First Folio anyway. It's in a glass case. It's open to a page with Shakespeare's picture and looks 500 years old, as it should. It also has information on the history of this piece and how it was acquired by Columbia, like we saw at the Morgan Library. I asked whether we were allowed to see it outside of the case and whether seeing Jenny would make a difference and I was told that it would not as the committee decided in August that our class would have to settle with seeing it in the glass case. I'm not sure how set in stone that actually is or if talking with Jenny would at least get me more information on who is allowed to see it (just post-graduate Shakespearean scholars?) or if they resolved not to take it out ever because of the frailty of the book (I was informed that it was 500 years old by the lady at the help desk, she was very friendly). And so my trip to Columbia to see the First Folio concluded by browsing around the rest of the floor and seeing a piece by Chaucer in another of the glass cases.

Columbia is absolutely breathtaking as a campus, I recommend you all get up here while the weather is still considerably nice and take advantage of the library as an alternative to Bobst to get your work done. It's cushier and the ivy league air works much better with the Shakespeare culture and attitude versus that of Bobst and the village.

Christie's - Parisa

Christies 11/3/06

I took the BDFV to Rockefeller Center. The walk through Rockefeller Center leading up to the entrance of Christie’s was very different than any of the other places we have visited. Midtown Manhattan has an opulence about it that is much flashier than Gramercy Park and more modern than the Upper West Side.

We arrived an hour early and noted that many of the other visitors were old men wearing expensive looking scarves. Even the air in Christie’s smelled expensive. During our wait we were invited to look around. We saw mainly impressionist/modern paintings and paper drawings. Some of the names that stood out were Picasso, Renoir, Matisse and Chagall. Again, people there were predominantly over 50 and male, very affluent and men accompanied any of the women there.

Mr. Wahlgren was very warm. He first showed us the skybox that is reserved for very private clients. I could understand why a place like Christie’s that sells pieces for millions of dollars on a regular basis would have options for certain clients to preserve their privacy and security. If I was bidding millions of dollars on a painting, I may or may not want the world to know this piece was in my possession or sitting in my home. The fact that Christie’s caters to their clients shows how much business dominates the art world. Mr. Wahlgren actually emphasized the fusion of business and art at Christie’s. One of the rooms we walked through held $100 million worth of paintings alone.

We learned more Mr. Berland’s Shakespeare collection that Mr. Wahlgren auctioned off himself. When Mr. Berland began to have the means, he started collecting Shakespeare and then bought the First Four Folios from John Fleeming in New York in 1962. One of the mentioned aspects of selling collectibles is that the world sees you as a collector when you sell your pieces and you become a part of the catalog of owners. Berland sold his collection while he was still alive because he wanted to know to whom the pieces were going to. The entire collection sold for $13.5 million and made it to the Top 10 of book collections. Among book collectors, the First Folio is the cornerstone of great literature. It comes up every ten years at an auction. Christie’s holds the record over Sutheby’s. Their copy was missing a leaf and that damages the value. It may have been imperfect from its publication, but it sold for £3.5 million, which came out a little under the dollar record held by Christie’s five years ago. The sale took place three weeks after 9/11. Because of the timing, they didn’t know if people would be in the state of mind to buy such material. Mr. Berland came to both houses, Sutheby’s and Christie’s to look at the collections and they had to come up with a proposal of how they would market the auction (they tour it around the world, it gets press and is celebrated when it’s shown by Christie’s). A sale typically takes six months to prepare for. The catalog was prepared for the proposal. Wahlgren informed us that the rarity of Shakespeare is in its completeness because so many copies have missing leaves at the beginning and end. The bidder that eventually won this copy was on the phone with the Christie’s staff and the under bidder in the room was from a dealer from the west coast called Heritage Books.

According to Wahlgren Librarians know the significance of the books but at Christie’s they know the value and the “numbers” of the books. Librarians always insist on wearing gloves but the auctioneers prefer to use clean hands because you’re more likely to drop or rip pages because you exert more energy when wearing gloves. Regarding preservation/conservation: they’ll usually just have a box to protect a piece. They keep it in a glass jewelry case and if a potential buyer wants to see it one of the staff will come and take it out. It’s then stored in a room temperature-controlled vault downstairs. The binding is desired in its original form and the Provenance (list of owners) is very important.

Regarding the sale of pieces: If the price is too high, they scare away customers with “sticker shock” but if it’s too low, the seller gets upset. The Second Folio is more common than the Third Folio so it’s worth $80-120,000, whereas the Third Folio, even through published at a later date, went for $500,000. In order to research the history and value of books they consult New York Public Library and they are close with the Grollier Club and now they do a lot of work online. They also have book catalogers on staff. John Wolfson, one of the three owners of the First Folio in North America is a curator of the Rare Books collection at the Globe Theatre in London. The First Folio made up for half of the sale of the Berland collection at $5.6 million. The sale was $6.1 million because the buyer and seller pay commission. There is a 15% commission on the buyer side.

This was my first visit to Christie’s and one of the most memorable parts was entering one of the rooms of impressionist/modern art and feeling exhausted and overwhelmed by all the visual stimulation. One of the rooms actually had so many paintings crammed side by side that it looked like a well lit storage room! That Christie’s auctioned off one of Shakespeare’s First Folio’s for $5.6 million demonstrates that Shakespeare really is in a strata of art and culture revered by and reserved for the wealthy and elite.

Morgan Library

Morgan Library 10/27/06

Anna Lou Ashby is a curator at the Morgan that gave us the tour. It is an independent research library with a very strong museum function. Pierpont Morgan was one of the great collectors of the 20th century. J.P. Morgan was a banker and collector. They wanted to establish an institution for public use. It holds works primarily from Western civilizations. They have old master drawings but they do not buy paintings. Morgan collected paintings but when he died, he decided to give them away to other museums. Pierpont was President of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They also have old watches and sculptures. They have a strong interest in art so they continue to buy drawings but not paintings. There is a major collection of printed books. Printed type started in the West with Gutenberg in 1450. Morgan collection of 15th century printing is the biggest in the country. Incunabula’s (implying the “infancy”) were printed between 1455-1500. 1501 starts the 16th century. The Morgans fine-bindings collection is the best in the world. The Morgans were great collectors and the have great curators so they continue to acquire. They have a collection of children books in the form of chap-books. Chap men sold cheap books on the street. The market for children books started at the turn of the 18th century. Pictures were produced for children. They are very concerned about the intellectual content, but they look at books as objects. Today they buy education toys and games. The early children’s books collection is part of that.

She is working on the early women writers collection. One of the writers she is featuring is Margaret Fuller and her comments on the role of women in the modern world. Fuller died in a shipwreck off of Long Island and they have a letter of hers to Emerson when she was coming back from Italy and it said “watch out for a shipwreck.” There is an “At Home and Abroad” compilation made by her brother of reports send to New York newspapers. She was one of the first transatlantic reporters. There are also a lot of European writers featured in this collection.

The library also holds original Austen, Dickens and Bob Dylan manuscripts. Friday night from 6-9 pm is free. We had admission to all the exhibitions. There are also some science manuscripts (like the first editions of Galileo and Copernicus). This library tries to build its collections by things that relate. They have Near Eastern cylinder seals made out of semi-precious stones.

Music manuscripts include Mozart, Schubert, and some modern composers as well as a Mozart show itself. We were shown the Marble Hall and asked to be sensitive to the doorways. The Marble Hall used to be the entrance but now the entrance is on Madison Avenue. The Medieval Manuscript Department holds Dante’s Inferno and roman architecture by Aliberti. The labels tell you what the work is at the top and when/how it was acquired at the bottom. Ms. Morgan Jr. collected books on gardening and architecture and her sons donated her collections.

1485 – Le Morte d’Artur: there are only two copies of this book left; the other is in England. It was purchased by Pierpont in 1911. The manuscript of Book I of Paradise Lost by John Milton (1608-74) was purchased by Pierpont in 1904. They control the light and temperature in the glass cases because collections in paper have chemicals that are affected. The first printed edition of William Blake’s “Songs of Innocence” (1789). Blake printed it himself and etched the plate, controlled the color and writing on it. He was trained as an engineer. This copy was printed by Blake for his friends in 1794.

Photographs of Native Americans by Edward Curtis (1868-1952) to preserve what he knew about Indians. The Morgans helped pay for this project. It was purchased between 1907-1930.

The copy of King Richard II, owned by D.H. Lawrence, has comparative notes with his girlfriend, Jesse Chambers (1907). Research libraries hold these because of the special annotations that serve as research material.

We saw:
Byron’s manuscript of Don Juan, autographed (1818-1820).
The typed script of Oscar Wilde’s “An Ideal Husband” (1894).
Drawing books by Jean de Brunhoff (1899-1937) of “The Story of Babar” that show the creative process.
Galileo’s manuscript on the back of an envelope from the 14-25 of January, 1611.
Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels (1838) with French illustrations of J.J. Grandville.
Thoreau’s journal from August 1852 to January 1853.
Lewis Carrol’s “Through the Looking Glass and what Alice Found There” with 50 illustrations (1872).
Ibn Bakhtishu, Manafi al-Hayawar (“Uses of Animals”) in Persian between 1297-1300.
The Hours of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese are images like those on Sistine Chapel. The curators used this to refer to when trying to work on the Sistine Chapel to authenticate colors because the “Farnese Hours” was the last great Italian Renaissance manuscript.

The center of the library is glass encased. The walls and ceilings were designed by Piano and completed in April 2006. The back of the building is 100 years old, designed by McKim. The reading room is upstairs with cherry tables and has natural light coming through and lamps on each of the tables. Piano’s idea was to make a piazza “town square” where you can look up at the surrounding buildings. The Morgan library was built by Charles McKim. Morgan had so many books they had to add two uppers rings before the construction finished. It’s reminiscent of Renaissance art. The muses indicate the genre. McKim, Mead and White is the firm that worked on it. Morgan was not just an anglophile. His French and German collections are huge and he was interested in Egypt and Italy.

In the East Room (library): There is a copy of the Gutenberg Bible from 1455. Morgan has 3 copies of 50 survived copies today from 180 prints (2/3 are in paper, 1/3 in vellum). There is an engraving of Adam and Eve by Albrecht Durer (1504), a collection of prayer books and an edition of the Koran. The columns are covered in lapis.

Morgan died in 1913 and his wife died in the 1920’s. The house was torn down and J.P. rebuilt the 1926 building. Spencer and Aaron’s collections are at the New York Public Library. They came to New York to work on 18th century works collection then went to New York Public and then to the Morgan.

The West Room (the study): the wallpaper has arms of Renaissance Chigi family. The books are first printings of British authors. The ceiling is made of wood with old details but colored design is not original. The original renaissance paintings are on the walls. The First Folio from 1623 and 1632. The little room in the corner is a safe room.

The reading room is for graduate students and scholars only. They need a letter of recommendation to justify that you are a serious scholar. It’s an issue of access and preservation. I also noticed that the majority of the people at the Morgan were elderly. Compared to the New York Historical Society that had visitors of all ages and backgrounds, the Morgan’s visitors were predominately white and old. Observations like this made me question the divides that reserve Shakespeare for the “elite” and convince everyone in the periphery that Shakespeare is intangible.

Christie's -- Adrianna Borgia

Overall, our visit to Christie's gave me yet another perspective of the art world. Rather than view old manuscripts and books from a conservation or informational perspective, Christie's made me think about them as a collector or a business man would. In some ways, this felt a bit strange. As I stepped into the building, I felt that I was both in an art museum as well as a corporation. Not only was there a description printed next to each painting, but also a price range as well. This felt a bit strange to me, putting a monetary value to art. In some ways, it made me feel that I'm really not very knowledgeable when it comes to the art world. It seemed that every painting that I felt was really beautiful or provoking was worth a lot less than others that I found merely "okay."

I feel that the value of a painting or any type of art (visual or literary) greatly depends on who created it. As Frances Wahlgren stated, a sketch that took Picasso an afternoon to make could yield thousands, even millions of more dollars than a rare manuscript. He told us that overall, it's rare for a book or manuscript to make over two million dollars. We should ask why then that Shakespeare's first folio alone was auctioned off for 6.1 million dollars? Part of the reason could be what I stated before: it is because of who wrote it. Like Picasso or Monet, Shakespeare is a universally recognized figure. In a way, his image and status in both the American and international mindset is what allows his work to "sell itself," ever at the price of over 6 million dollars.

I found the overall atmosphere of the place to be friendlier than I expected as well. From the receptionists to coat room (believe me, I've met many disgruntled coat room people, and luckily, Christie's had none), everyone was very accommodating and friendly. I was also pleasantly surprised with our host, Mr. Wahlgren as well. I was worried that he would be a little uptight like the main librarian of the Hampden Booth library, but as it turned out, he was the complete opposite. He was very energetic, amiable, and overall likeable guy. Not only did he show us the catalogue for the folio sales, but he also went through the trouble of getting us copies of the pages describing the volumes, which was thoughtful of him. I also thought it was cool that we got to see the video of the first folio sale, because it was interesting to see both the tension between the buyers, as well as the tension that Mr. Wahlgren was feeling as well.

His comparison between an auction house and a library definitely showed how business and conservation take different views on rare books. Whereas in a library like the Morgan, one can only touch a special text with gloves and a recommendation, in an auction house like Christie's, anyone is allowed to interact with it, whether it be the first folio or an early edition of Alice in Wonderland. In a way, an auction house is a like a museum where you can touch things. Though this concept may be a conservationist's worst nightmare, in the business world, it makes sense. If you're asking people to buy a rare book for a large sum of money, they want to be sure that what they're buying is intact and in good condition. In a way, after observation the conflict of conservation between different library settings, it was interesting to see a different institution in which touching something as sought after as the first folio is acceptable.

"Folio, Where Art Thou?"

Dear American Shakespeare Scholars:

In lieu of our visit to Christie's tomorrow to meet with the man responsible for the $6.1 million dollar of a Shakespeare First Folio in 2001, please have a look at the following article from Smithsonian magazine, October 2006.

Cheers,
ASH

p.s. Just click on the blue question mark to get to the article.

"To be or not to be Shakespeare" - Smithsonian Magazine, 0ctober 2006

Dear All:

Please click on the following link/point (the blue question mark below) and it will take you to a very interesting Shakespeare article that just appeared in the Smithsonian magazine.

Cheers,
ASH

p.s. Thanks to Ori for spotting this piece!

Morgan Library - Adrianna Borgia

Only a block or two away from the New York Public Library for Humanities and Social Sciences, the Morgan Library was (thankfully) a very easy place to find. Even better, it’s a great place to find a variety of street vendors to get a quick lunch from. Anyway, once inside the museum library, my mind went into architectural overload. It felt as if I was passing through different time zones as we went from the bright, extremely modern glass lobby to the dimly lit rooms of painted ceilings and marble floors. I feel that the architect’s intention to give the lobby the same atmosphere of an Italian piazza actually succeeds in a strange way. Just as Italy’s piazza’s encompass both old and new, so does the Morgan Library, for it contains an interesting balance of past and modern times. Seriously, where else could one view both a Gutenberg Bible and the works of Bob Dylan in one place?

Speaking of the exhibits, throughout our tour, I felt as if I was in bibliophile heaven. Being able to see William Blake’s Songs of Innocence was absolutely amazing in my mind. I’ve seen pictures of his hand made plates before, but never the real thing. They’re so intricately and uniquely designed, that I didn’t even have to read the label below the book to know who had written it. Blake’s poetry wasn’t the only thing that excited me in that room. It seemed like every time I went to the next display case, I found something that completely wowed me, whether or not I was familiar with the work. From miniature books, to Alice in Wonderland, to Babar sketches, to old Tarot cards, that single room seemed to contain enough to keep me in there for hours.

It was also interesting to see Morgan's library. As I read the titles in the locked shelves, a part of me wished that I was a rich entrepreneur in Industrial America so I could have my own cool library. What really amazed me though was when we spotted a first folio of Shakespeare just sitting on a shelf in Morgan's private study. On one level, it was just dumbfounding to think of what it would be like to actually own it, to have one of the most rare and sought after editions in the literary world in your possession, just sitting on your shelf like it's no big deal. On the other hand, it was also amazing to think about just how much money his shelf of Shakespeare editions cost. Just two books alone could account for over 2 million dollars! I wasn't merely staring at a literary masterpiece, but a small fortune. Most of all, it disappointed me that it wasn't on display. Perhaps it was because of conservation issues.

When it comes to conservation, the Morgan Library seems to be on the stricter end of the scale. Only graduate students and scholars are allowed to use the library, and only if they have 1) a recommendation and 2) an interesting topic. I can understand their concerns though, because a majority of their materials are hundreds of years old. Perhaps the New York Historical Society's library can afford to be more lax with their materials, for the history of our country isn't very old in comparison to that of Europe. Therefore, it's only natural that the librarians at the Morgan are more concerned about their books, for they want to ensure that they will be around for future generations to see as well.

The Woman Behind the (fabulous) Morgan Collection!

Our trip to the Morgan would not be complete without my sharing the remarkable story behind the great Morgan Collection, a story that few people know! (But everyone should!)
While Mr. JP Morgan was out running and saving the world financially, he, of course, had a personal librarian managing and creating his collection for him. That woman's name was Belle da Costa Greene. And she was a woman of color!
(Stop and think about that again, this is the early, early 20th century we're talking about folks!)
This incredible woman had the most amazing and enviable life. JP would send Belle (in style of course) all around the world to purchase the rare treasures we saw today.
Her past is cloaked in mystery, and there is a theory that she "passed for white" to make it into, and survive in, the high society world she traversed. Very little is written or known about her. She was very strategic is covering her own personal background tracks, and burned all of her letters, papers, etc. before her death. As the old saying goes, those without a past have no future, and this seems to also be her fate. Many of her latter day admireres are desperate to know more about her, but alas there is very little surviving information.

Here is an entry on her from Wikipedia:
(Have a look at the Wikipedia entry to see some amazing images of her...I'd rather like to fancy myself as the "Second Coming of Belle Greene!") :)

Belle da Costa Greene
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Belle da Costa Greene (December 13, 1883 - May 10, 1950)
Librarian to J. P. Morgan and after his death she became the first director of the Pierpont Morgan Library.

She was born Belle Marion Greener in Alexandria, Virginia where she grew up until her parents separation. Her parentage has often been clouded with mystery. Her father was a distinguished attorney Richard Theodore Greener who served as dean of the Howard Law School and was the first black undergraduate at Harvard University graduated in 1870. Her mother changed their name adding "da Costa" while claiming a Portuguese background to explain their darker complexion and moved to Princeton, New Jersey. The cost of a college education out of the question, she began working at the Princeton University Library.

J. P. Morgan had in 1902 engaged Charles F. McKim to build him a library to the south of his Madison Avenue brownstone as his collection already was too large for his study. To manage his collection he hired her as his personal librarian in 1905. She would spend millions of dollars not only buying and selling rare manuscripts, books and art, but she traveled lavishly and frequently at times it is said taking her thoroughbred horse with her for rides in Hyde Park. She has been described as smart and outspoken as well as beautiful and sensual. While she enjoyed a Bohemian freedom, she also able to move with ease within elite society. "Just because I am a librarian," she reportedly announced, "doesn't mean I have to dress like one." She wore couturier gowns and jewels to work.

Not only did her bearing, style and seemingly unlimited means attract notice, but "her role at the Morgan Library placed her at the center of the art trade and her friendship was coveted by every dealer." The power that she wielded for many years was unmatched for 43 years. Her goal she told Morgan, who was willing to pay any price for important works, was to make his library "pre-eminent, especially for incunabula, manuscripts, bindings and the classics."

J.P. Morgan left her $50,000 and $10,000 a year for life, which at that time was a significant sum. Asked if she was Morgan's mistress she is said to have replied "We tried!" Although she never married, her known most lasting relationship was with Bernard Berenson whose biography mentions his wife's "reluctant acceptance (at times)" of their relationship.
She retired in 1948 and died in New York City two years later at 66 years of age.

Images:

Photo of Belle da Costa Greene by Clarence White, 1911
Painting of Belle da Costa Greene by Paul César Helleu ca. 1913.

References

John Steele Gordon, "J. P. Morgan's Accomplice", American Heritage, September, 1999, p.22.
Jean Strouse, Morgan: American Financier (Random House, 1999).

Cheers, and bon weekend,
ASH

NY Historical Society, Intima Press, and the Gutenberg Bible - Adrianna Borgia

New York Historical Society

After a 30 minute ride on the C train, I emerged from the subway to find that the weather had gotten worse while I was underground. Luckily for me though, my destination was only a short block away. Unlike the Hampden-Booth Library, the New York Historical Society wasn’t a small, hidden little building. Rather, it was large, and extremely easy to find (especially since the name was printed on the building. Being early, as usual, I took the opportunity to dry off as I waited for other people to arrive. If it had not been such a gloomy day, I felt that I would have had a nice view of the park (as opposed to the view of Gramercy Park I had at the Hampden-Booth, which I was only able to glimpse at through the iron fence that bordered it). Overall, the area seemed very open and public, especially with the large population of tourists wandering the streets.

Once inside the museum’s library, I felt that it was very similar to the New York Public Library on 42nd street. Like the research library, one has to ask a librarian to get a book off the shelf for them. Despite this small degree of restriction, the room still seemed to give off a comfortable aura of openness and access. I felt at home in a way, like I do when I enter most major public libraries.

The librarian who greeted us further increased my sense of ease. As soon as we walked in, she greeted us with a big smile and urged us to take a seat in front of the numerous old treasures she had set up for us. Not only did she fully explain each manuscript that she had brought out, but also how to find them and other materials in the library using Bobcat. When she mentioned this, I felt slightly embarrassed that I had never bothered to notice the New York Historical Society link on the Bobcat connect page. Although I’m familiar with Bobst and the New York Public Library System, I never really thought about other research libraries that I could use to find information.

What amazed me even more was that we were allowed to touch and interact with the materials that she brought out. As I looked through each book, I felt like a small child who had been allowed to touch something valuable in a museum. It was then that I truly realized that I was in a totally different environment than at the Hampden-Booth. Although both libraries are concerned about the conservation of their materials, they both go about it in different ways. While the Hampden-Booth seems to take the more “we’ll keep it safe and hush hush” approach, the Historical Society was more open with their documents, going so far as to have a full catalogue of their materials online. These thoughts about conservation were an afterthought though. At the moment, all I could think was “ooo…I can touch things! Cool!” (Yes…I’m easily amused; I’m not ashamed of it).

My experience there was such a pleasant one, that I really would like to go back there in a week or two to conduct some of my research for my final paper. With such a friendly staff, as well as reasonable access policies, how could I not? I would really like to look more into their materials about performances, and of course, the collection of Shakespeare’s plays with those wonderfully morbid woodcuts. Most of all though, I think it would be a nice change to do my research in a library other than Bobst or the NYPL.


Intima Press

Being lucky enough to live two blocks away from a 6 train station (Spring Street), I initially thought that I would have no problems at all getting to the class on time. As it turns out, I was only half right. Although I arrived at Union Square at exactly 9:05, it would be another half an hour before I would find Mindy’s studio. Feeling like a tourist in a neighborhood I thought I knew well, I reluctantly asked three people for directions to 2 Union Square East, getting a different answer each time. During my half hour of confused wandering, I was lucky enough to run into Orianna and Michelle, making me feel less alone in my search. After three calls, I finally got in touch with Mindy, who told us that she was at 32 Union Square, not 2. Thankful to learn that we weren’t completely hopeless with directions, we quickly made our way to the studio, where we found Parisa and Mindy waiting for us.

Once we were all settled, Mindy gave us a condensed history of printmaking, from cave drawings to moveable type. One important point that she stressed was that the development of Gutenberg’s printing press with moveable type was truly a large achievement, for it meant that books could be produced more quickly and distributed more widely than those that were handwritten. If a person wanted to find a book on a certain subject, they could simply buy one rather than copy a handwritten volume manually. Also, during this short talk, she showed us a few examples of printed works to illustrate that print should be “three dimensional.” Unlike the materials produced by modern laser printers, works produced by a printing press have a physical depth to them, which gives them an aesthetic appeal.

Afterwards, once we had quickly decided whose sonnet to print (Parisa’s selection, Sonnet 116), Mindy took us into the main part of the studio where we became acquainted with the printing press, the California Job Case, and the composing stick. Once we became familiar with the job case as well as how to hold the composing stick, we each began to complete a line or two from the sonnet. Although it was meticulous work, I found myself having fun putting the letters and words together on the composing stick precisely for that reason. It made me appreciate how technology has made it so much easier to print materials. Despite my lifelong love of books, literature, and writing, I realized that I had always taken printed works and laser printers for granted. If people wanted to print a book or a broadside, they had to use this method, which seems crazy to many people in our modern, fast paced society. If you make a mistake on a word processor, it’s a simple action of deleting and re-writing. However, when we were editing the mistakes in our sonnet (replacing an apostrophe with a comma, adding a period, etc), it was a more difficult and meticulous process. As much as I love works printed with a printing press and think they‘re absolutely beautiful, at the same time, I’m glad that I didn’t have to write my reaction paper using one.

The most satisfying part of the workshop was when we got to print the final copies of the sonnet ourselves using the printing press. Even though it was only a few lines of poetry, I still felt like I had accomplished something when I looked at what I had printed. My only other printing experience was on the last day of my medieval art summer class in fifth grade. The last project we had to do involved carving a stamp out of linoleum square, inking it, and pressing it. I never got to the inking and pressing stage thought because I had to get three stitches on my left thumb due to a carving accident. I really enjoyed my experience at Intima Press because not only did I not cut open any of my fingers, but I was also able to actually finish a printing project and feel satisfied with the results.


Gutenberg Bible

After checking out a book for my research paper from the Donnell Library on 53rd street, I walked down a few blocks to the New York Public Library of Humanities and Social Sciences to see the Gutenberg Bible exhibit. Being a literary geek, I had been to the main library many times before, thus guaranteeing a smooth trip there. After the confusion of trying to find Intima Press the day before, it felt good to be able to find something easily.

Once I had reached the exhibition room on the third floor, it took me a few minutes before I realized where the Gutenberg Bible was hidden amongst the larger exhibit about the history of male fashion. Although it seemed lonely and out of place amid the displays of dandies and pictures of frilly collars, I still found myself staring at it for a good ten minutes. After having to set a line and a half of type the other day, I felt that I could truly appreciate the work that went into producing this bible. It also made me realize again how much we take printed editions for granted. As others walked by the display case, they merely saw it as an old book rather than one of the biggest achievements of its time. They would stare at it for a few seconds, say “oh, how nice, an original Gutenberg Bible,” and walk away. These words are a stark contrast to those of the European agent of James Lennox, the man who gave one of the remaining Gutenberg Bibles to the U.S. in 1847. As the Bible passed through customs, Lennox’s agents demanded that the customs officials remove their hats upon viewing it. Living in a modern world, I guess we’re just a little spoiled when it comes to printed books.

One thing that always bothers me just a tiny bit when I look at books in display cases is that I only get to see two pages of the entire book. It’s not so much that I can’t touch it, but that I can’t see it in its entirety. There’s always a part of me that wonders what the other pages look like, what images and words they hold, especially illuminated works. However, at the same time, I do understand that it’s more of a question of preservation than of my personal curiosity. With only 48 remaining copies remaining in the world, I do realize why one cannot be put at the mercy of the public to touch and examine. In the end, I was simply content to be able to look at one of the greatest masterpieces of mankind through a glass panel, after which I walked across the hallway to check out a book from the research library, thus appropriately ending my weekend of books and printing.

New York Historical Society and Intima Press - Parisa Montazaran

New York History Society
If you are “coming to use the library”, there is no admission fee. Walking from the subway on Central Park West, the museums are monumental. They checked the bags for free, which I thought was interesting. The library has books, magazines, photographs and architectural images. The website is www.nyhistory.org. The materials cover from the late 16th century to present time. Some of the maps and books are from the late 1500’s in Spanish and other languages, not in English. They have over two million manuscripts and four hundred thousand books. You have to browse the catalog and bring the call number to the desk.

In 1802, a catalog was made of what was in downtown Shakespeare gallery. In Boston, a pamphlet from a Shakespeare club. In 1844 to 47, the first printing of all Shakespeare’s collected works in illustrated form was released. From 1849 is the diary of Mr. Newfield during the Astor Place Riots, in his own handwriting and very legible. Replies from England as a counter to the letters sent to England regarding the fight between Edwin Forrest and William Charles Macready. There is a collection of twenty thousand broadsides announcing events. There is a book on the events from the history of New York regarding Shakespeare and the Shakespeare statue in Central Park (one text dedicated to the statue).

The Historical Society is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 AM to 5 PM and available for party rentals. There is a sign that reads, “Pens not allowed in this room.” Nina suggested we check out the New York Public Library on 42nd street and the Morgan. There is a police officer’s diary from the Upper East Side.

Everyone working in the room is monitoring people. Nina points out that there is a fine line between wanting to educate and preserve; if people do not know about it what is the point? They allow people to come here, not pay and use their collections. There was a dealer of antique maps going around the libraries and stealing them. Last year at Yale he was spotted with an exactor knife and was captured. He owned up to ninety of the maps. He has been to NYHS and they do not think he took anything. Somebody is buying this stuff even though he used an exactor knife to take it out. Nina insists that it is not “their” personal stuff but it’s “our” stuff open to the public and these people steal it for private property. Funding is partially received from the city, state and private donors. They have parties to raise funds.

Nina studied Art History as an undergraduate and did some data-basing and edited slides for photographers. She went on to get her Masters in Library Science and did paid research on Edgar Allen Poe. She worked for 7 years at the School for Visual Arts as a librarian. She also served as the Head of Library Public Service and was the Interim Director for 2 years. She is now the Associate Director.


Intima Press
I walked to the studio and actually got lost because I misread the directions. Union square is very trendy and “chic” as opposed to the refined, classical air of the upper west side. The building, 32 Union Square East is very contemporary. The studio is down a dingy hallway (the elevator was the older one on the left vs. the renovated one on the right). Mindy’s studio has papers and postcards handing up on the wall.

She studied painting and photography at NYU, went into mixed media installation, and came to books after graduate school. She opened the studio two and a half years ago and opened classes a year ago. The images on the wall are linocut, made by students. Her colleagues teach book art and book binding there too. She makes limited edition books.

We went over a history of print. Cave drawings were the beginning of communications. Next were cuneiform and clay tablets, followed by hieroglyphics and papyrus by the Egyptians. The Roman alphabet came next. Gutenberg created the printing press. In 1452, he printed the Gutenberg Bible. It can be found at the Morgan and New York Public Library on parchment and paper. He developed the metal movable type. The Chinese invented wooden movable type and papermaking. Gutenberg was a jeweler and figure out how to poor melted alloy into a mold made by a punch cutter and individual letters were carved out. Monks used to write on parchment bellum (made out of animal skin). Gutenberg was a businessperson, not an artist. His workers began working at sun up and finished at sun down. The first university was opened in 1200 in Italy and scholarly texts were copied at stationary stores. One person would set type, one would proof it and two would ink it. He also invented oil-based paint. The text on the cards is letterpress, beautiful, with depth. You can see that they are embedded in the paper. “The type is 3D, it’s a sculpture. It’s debossed, not embossed” (Mindy). The one sheet of printed press is called a broadside. Ben Franklin was a printer. Broadsides were printed to get the word out quickly. A lot of prints hops used to be at the seaport so the broadsides would announce when ships were coming and going. Shakespeare’s writings were not published in his lifetime; he was not interested in that. The colophon at the end of the book tells you who made the book, the author, artist, where it was printed, the date, edition, the type of paper and font.

We proceeded to choose a sonnet to work on, Sonnet 116, and each of us was assigned a line. Nina gave us a few handouts on learning how to handset type. I was overwhelmed by the vast amount of contributing elements to make something like one of her linocuts; the process of setting type alone required attention to the details of how to hold the composing stick and then choosing a font and adjusting the spacing, etc. After we all completed our lines, we gave them to Mindy to put on the printing machine, watched her ink the machine, and get it warmed up. It was almost funny to see that even with the intense amount of attention and care that we paid to our individual lines, there were still mistakes on the test drafts; I could only imagine the amount of skill required to put together entire books!

We took turns printing individual sheets and Mindy offered us cookies and snacks. She was very “chill” and at the same time very intense about the work. I admired her ability to create a business and living out of something she loved to do so much. I was especially impressed that she is able to carry on the business in such a higher end location in New York City; printing books out of a cottage in Vermont is one thing but to generate so much profit hat one could afford the overhead of maintaining a business and yield a profit was astounding. This observation only contributed to our conversations on the exclusivity of Shakespeare for the upper crust of society. The people ordering these limited edition books obviously have plenty of disposable income and knowledge of this type of art is reserved for the consciousness of such customers. The machines are expensive and the skill of handset typing is taught in novelty classes in order to maintain a distinction as a “lost art” or something. Overall, the trip was enriching and rewarding. I am so excited to see our sonnets completed and proud to have been a part of the process that created such a beautiful piece of art.

Welcome "American Shakespeare" Scholars!

American Shakespeare Goes HI-TECH!

Dear Class:

I hope that you will find this new blog useful and that it will become an interactive extensive of your research journals.
Please post your response papers here, as well as any other Shakespeare/research/class-related thoughts, comments, etc.
I hope that this site will facilitate our on-going conversations and dialogue, and will extend our time together.

I had a fantastic day with you all on Friday at the New-York Historical Society! (Aren't librarians just the best people on earth?)
I hope that our conversation with Nina Nazionale, and the sampling of the N-YHS's Shakespeare items inspired you.
Let's please be in active dialogue about your plans/thoughts regarding your final projects.
These are thrilling times!
Cheers!

Until soon,
A.S.H.