Sunday, March 10, 2024

Just in case you were wondering ...

 That's right! The next Florida Antiquarian Book Fair is, at this posting, just under a year away. Make sure you subscribe to this blog so you can stay up-to-date on the preparations. See you in 2025. Can't wait!

🔴 Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK No. 52: Return of
Sophia Bogle of Save Your Books, who wants to help you

 

We’re glad to have RBC regular Sophia Bogle back for a visit. She’s a passionate book restorer and she shares with co-host Ed Markiewicz and Lee Linn a current project to prepare two volumes of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) by L. Frank Baum. And, of course, there"s valuable information for those who would repair their own books. 

 Sophia created Save Your Books, and she’s on a mission to help provide essential information for proper steps for book repair. 

From her website: Save Your Books is “an educational platform that promotes simple archival book repairs from a conservation perspective.” There are numerous videos designed to help those who would endeavor to repair their books. 

Sophia also has a book available titled Book Restoration Unveiled, which you can order here: Book Restoration Unveiled 

There's also a brief preview of our new free quarterly for collectors, Book Lovers' Paradise Magazine

A SPECIAL REQUEST: Please SHARE this program with your book loving friends. If this is the first time you've watched Rare Book Cafe, let us know what you think in the comments. If you're a regular watcher, tell us in the comments how often and what you enjoy about the show. 

Our Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK series offers short programs, usually on a single topic. Watch for more in the series. 

 Co-hosts Ed Markiewicz and Lee Linn are veteran antiquarian booksellers. Ed owns Montgomery Rare Books & Manuscripts in Portland, Oregon, and Lee owns The Ridge Books in Calhoun, Georgia. 

Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK is made possible by the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, the oldest and largest rare, used, and collectible book fair in the southeastern United States. The next Florida Antiquarian Book Fair will be presented March 1-2, 2025 at The Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg. More information at floridaantiquarianbookfair.com 

 The program also is made possible by Biblio.com, a website featuring used, rare, and out-of-print books from independent booksellers. Biblio is celebrating 20 years of serving book lovers. It’s better than ever. Biblio spotlights “the core of our business model: the independent booksellers who bring their expertise, enthusiasm, and professionalism to soon the used and rare book trade.” 

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Music by Kevin MacLeod Hyperfun Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 

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Rare Book Cafe is a gathering of collectors and lovers of old, rare, and collectible books. It is a virtual cafe, accessible anywhere in the world, where the subjects are priceless and the conversation is free. It is truly the book lovers' rendezvous. Join us on our Facebook group Book Lovers’ Rendezvous. 

Rare Book Cafe is based in Florida. 

Rare Book Cafe The Book Lovers' Rendezvous™ 

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Thursday, February 29, 2024

The Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2 were right there in the studio when two exhibitors appeared on Channel 10

Florida Antiquarian Book Fair exhibitors Richard Mori and Duane Stevens were guests on Channel 10's morning program Great Day Tampa Bay with hosts Java Ingram and Janelle Martinez on Thursday. 

They persevered amid the chaos that is what you get when you pair up The Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2 to let everyone know about our celebration of Dr. Seuss on Saturday, the 120th birthday of the beloved author and illustrator from whose fertile imagination sprang that frolicsome trio. You can watch the entire festivities right here.

Richard brought along some unusual items created by Dr. Seuss in the 1930s and during the World War II era, when Theodor Seuss Geisel did his patriotic duty and aided the war effort. Duane brought a beautiful book with illustrations of insects published centuries ago in England.

You can see all of these items at the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair this weekend at The Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg. On Saturday, as reported in the previous blog entry, the Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2 will be on hand for the Dr. Seuss birthday party.

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

At 2 p.m. on Saturday, we're celebrating the artist and author who brought us the Cat in the Hat and so much more



This Saturday is Dr. Seuss’ 120th birthday, and at the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, we’re celebrating it in a big with a big cake and the antics of The Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2. It all begins at 2 p.m. We hope you’ll come join us.

During his career, Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) wrote and illustrated more than 60 books, most of them innovative stories for children. Most fairgoers either grew up with the phenomenon that became Dr. Seuss or knew someone who did.

Today The Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2, the Grinch who stole Christmas, Horton (who heard a Who), that gastronomic oddity Green Eggs and Ham, the Fox in Sox, the environmentally active Lorax, are enmeshed in our culture.

In the program for the 2024 Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, we delve into some of the back story of the man who created the wonderful world of Dr. Seuss. We hope you’ll take the time to learn more about this beloved and creative man.

Of course, the Dr. Seuss’ birthday is only a small part of the phenomenon that is the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair. Booksellers from all over the country gather once a year here in St. Petersburg to present opportunities for book lovers and others who are attracted to old prints, maps, photographs, and all sorts of ephemera like post cards, brochures, newspapers and so much more.

Please enjoy the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, and come all three days if you can. That way you can take your time and see everything.