This blog post was written by Andrew White I’ll admit it. Not only am I a tea fanatic, I will try a tea just because the name is cool—even if I don’t expect to like it. Green tea is not my favorite—I think it tastes like a grass stain—but I’ve brought home Dragon Well and …
Eighty years ago this December, Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach hosted a rare book auction designed to help refugees from Nazi Germany Cover of the catalogue for the charitable auction held at the Hotel Plaza, New York City, December 8, 1938. This copy belonged to John Fleming, who catalogued the items for sale. Note the Rockwell Kent …
When I was in third grade, I participated in a poetry-writing workshop that was held in my hometown’s art museum; the idea was for us third-graders to write and workshop a poem inspired by an artwork or artifact on display. I remember roaming around the museum with my classmates, all on our best church behavior, quietly and gravely examining the …
The Rosenbach is proud to co-sponsor (along with AbeBooks) the second annual Honey & Wax Collecting Prize, which honors the work of young female book collectors. From the announcement: Here at Honey & Wax, we take a particular interest in the evolving role of women in the rare book trade, on both the buying and selling sides. …
Everyone in this world is connected, but some are more closely related than others. Scholars of Kevin Bacon analysis will understand this concept of degrees of separation, but may be surprised to learn that it can also be applied to other significant figures; for example, Alice in Wonderland author Charles Dodgson (more commonly known as …
“I have known men to hazard their fortunes, go long journeys halfway about the world, forget friendships, even lie, cheat, and steal, all for the gain of a book.”–A.S.W. Rosenbach, Books and Bidders: The Adventures of a Bibliophile (1927) In January of this year, the book world was shocked by a daring theft from a rare …
With June 16 merely days away, we’re getting serious about Bloomsday here at the Rosenbach. Certainly more serious than Ulysses: this novel may contain passages of great beauty, but it also contains moments of great silliness. Consider “Calypso,” the fourth chapter and the reader’s first introduction to Leopold Bloom. “Calypso” features many of the themes and literary techniques that established …
If you’re in New York for the Antiquarian Book Fair this weekend and happen to stop by the Morgan Library & Museum, we hope you stop to smell the proses. The Morgan has been engaged in a long-term project to research how the library might have smelled in 1906. Smell is deeply connected to memory …
We are delighted to participate in #ColorOurCollections week, February 6-10, 2017! We love any occasion for art and literature lovers to look as closely at our collection as we do. Download and enjoy–and if you post any snapshots of your colorations online, don’t forget to include #ColorOurCollections and tag us–@RosenbachMuseum on Facebook and Twitter, @TheRosenbach …
So, West Philadelphia’s beautiful, urban Clark Park is home to the world’s only full-size statue of Charles Dickens. Why is the there only one such statue in this great big world of ours and why is it in Clark Park? Follow the link for a good, concise answer to that question. Perhaps this letter, part …