Like many other book collectors, your faithful blogger collects not just books, but lots and lots of stuff that is connected with books: business (trade) cards, letterheads, postcards, Christmas & other greeting cards from booksellers, librarians, printers, publishers, authors & other bookish folks; coins, medals, stamps & banknotes that depict collected authors, or the art of printing, or important libraries and other bookish subjects; prospectuses of forthcoming books (especially from fine presses, which often print such prospectuses via letterpress); handbills for readings by poets and authors whose books we own; bookmarks and other ephemera found in books (some of these distributed as advertising by famous booksellers that no longer are in business, making them even more highly prized); original photos and other original illustrations of authors, printers & other bookish folks; literary keepsakes, such as the letterpress-printed ephemera which usually accompanies each issue of The Devil's Artisan...the list is actually quite lengthy:
As we have seen in previous posts, some of this material is extensive enough to have had books written about it. And, not infrequently, this material may actually be signed or inscribed by a favorite author, printer, publisher, illustrator or other bookish notable.
We're curious as to whether or not any of our readers have succumbed to this enjoyable adjunct to book collecting....
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