Antiquarian Book Fair Week
An update from rainy NYC <3
Happy April! Book fair week is here! This evening will be the Opening Night Preview of the NY Antiquarian Book Fair, which takes place each year at the historic Park Avenue Armory. Have you ever been? As the first Ambassador of the fair, I reach out my hand to you in invitation, hoping that you will join us if you are here in NYC! <3
On Tuesday evening we held a gathering at Bibliotheque to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA). It was such wonderful energy to launch book fair week, even on a cold and rainy night.
I was so grateful to everyone who showed up - friends, loved ones, and new faces, too. Each person had interesting and unique ties with both the ABAA and the fair, and it was wonderful to watch everyone share and connect with each other, starting new friendships and planting seeds of ideas for future collaborations. The calligraphy banner created by the hand of David Chang was beautiful and we congregated around it like a campfire. The evening was warm and lovely.
Tickets are still available for each day of the fair, and it’s bound to be wonderful this year. If you are interested in joining us on any of the days, please use my code JPSBook24 to purchase tickets at a discounted price :) You can find links and times at the bottom of this page. And please message me or write a comment if you have any questions at all!
In addition to daily fair hours, there is also a schedule of special events happening during the week, including our panel discussion on Saturday morning that I’m so excited to be moderating. :)
Sharing the World of Rare Books, in Conversation with Jesse Paris Smith
Please join Jesse Paris Smith in conversation with Julien Paganetti, Jesse R. Erickson, Cara Schlesinger, and Patti Smith - four unique voices connected with the NY Antiquarian Book Fair and the world of rare books and manuscripts. Together they will discuss the importance of the book fair, its relevance in today's culture, and ways that new generations and those unfamiliar with the fair can find their way in with ease. It will be a morning of stories, experiences, and connecting threads which highlight how enriching and special the fair can be for everyone.
About the Panelists:
Founder and director of Autographes des Siècles, Julien Paganetti is an approved expert with the CNE (National Company of Experts) and the FNEPSA (National Federation of Professional Experts Specialized in the Arts). Autographes des Siècles gallery specializes in the appraisal and sale of autograph letters, manuscripts and works of art relating to the great personalities of the past centuries.
Jesse R. Erickson is the Astor Curator of Printed Books and Bindings at the Morgan Library & Museum and a private collector of works from the Victorian period author Ouida. Along with Sarah Werner, he is also co-editor of the Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America.
Cara Schlesinger is the proprietor of Faenwyl Bindery, a private practice in New York City specializing in book conservation, preservation enclosures, and hand bookbinding. She works with the antiquarian book trade, and numerous other institutional and private collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Grolier Club, and Columbia University Libraries.
Patti Smith is a writer, performer, and visual artist. She gained recognition in the 1970s for her revolutionary merging of poetry and rock 'n' roll. Her books include Just Kids, winner of the National Book Award in 2010, Witt, Babel, Woolgathering, The Coral Sea, Auguries of Innocence, M Train, Devotion, Year of the Monkey, and Book of Days. Smith was awarded the title of Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres and the Legion of Honor by the French Republic. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
I know Julien from years of visiting his booth at the fair with my mom, and this week I met both Jesse and Cara for the first time. I could have listened to each of them for hours and hours. Jesse has such unique and brilliant perspectives about the past and future that brought on an unexpected feeling of calm, and Cara’s relationship to the book nearly brought tears to my eyes. Cara and I also bonded immediately through our aligning passions and stories of bookbinding. <3 Saturday morning is sure to be a warm hearted conversation between us all. Please come by if you are able to!
Here is the schedule for the fair!
Thursday, April 4
Opening Night Preview
5pm - 9pm
Friday, April 5
Book Fair open Noon - 8pm
Saturday, April 6
11am Panel Discussion with Jesse Paris Smith
Book Fair open Noon - 7pm
Sunday, April 7*
Book Fair open Noon - 5pm
*Discovery Day 1-3pm
Discovery Day is an NYIABF tradition that invites fair-goers to bring up to five of their personal items and receive an appraisal from our expert booksellers, free with the price of admission.
Sunday, April 7 from 1:00 - 3:00 P.M.
Here are some links:
**Remember to use the code JPSBook24 at checkout! :)
List of Exhibitors and Floor Plan
Special Events from NYIABF Presents
NY Antiquarian Book Fair Instagram
More photos from Tuesday evening! <3
Thank you for reading along. I know not everyone reading is based in NYC or able to join this week, but I wanted to include a worldwide invitation to you all, as everyone is welcome to join whether in person or in sprit. I wish you all could be there in person, though! :) As always, please share anything you like in the comments, and please also share about local book fairs in your area, memories of book fairs, favorite items found at a fair, and anything else we can know about and discuss. Thank you all so very much for your support, encouragement, and kindness. Have a great day. <3
The NYIABF is a cultural pillar of New York and returns as a much-anticipated highlight of the Spring season. Universally referred to as the world’s finest antiquarian book fair, NYIABF is excited to reveal nearly 200 exhibitors this year from around the world, continuing to live up to its reputation as a highly international fair. The fair has attracted a diverse audience of literary luminaries, influencers, celebrities, art, design and book enthusiasts and collectors both seasoned and entry level. In recent years, NYIABF has increasingly captured the attention of young collectors seeking one-of-a-kind offerings at more accessible price points.
Fair highlights encompass art, science, medicine, literature, history, gastronomy, fashion, first editions, Americana, philosophy, children’s books and much more. From the historic and academic, the religious and spiritual - to the bedrock of secular culture, finance, politics - the fair boasts offerings in every conceiv- able genre and subject.
This year, the fair welcomes exhibitors from 15 different countries including Argentina, Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States. A robust number of US exhibitors also highlight the incredible wealth of material available stateside. Exhibitors will present a vast treasure trove of items: rare books, maps, illuminated manuscripts, incunabula, fine bindings, illustrations, historical documents, prints, and print ephemera.
This year’s event will present a robust schedule of programming and special events including the return of ABAA Connect, for the first time in partnership with the British Library, as well as Discovery Day, a program beloved by fairgoers, allowing them to bring pieces from their own collections and libraries for appraisal by dealers.
Thank you! You are the perfect Ambassador and I'm so excited to be part of your panel. I can't wait to attend the fair, so many treasures to discover.
Love all of this! Sending all my support and love. Say hello to all the book spirits and magical pages for me. 📚🎞️✉️