Monday, 2 December 2024

John Bell's Travelling Library

A rare and well-preserved 18th-century travelling library of English publisher John Bell's Poets of Great Britain. Complete in their two original travelling library cases resembling four folio volumes, and containing 109 volumes. Featuring authors such as Chaucer, Spenser, Milton, Dryden, Pope, Gay, Swift, Addison, and more. Housed in two original brown calf travelling library cases resembling stacked folio books, red morocco spine labels, decorated in gilt, each with hidden key lock compartment on spine (keys not present), rubbed and scratched, small loss in upper corner of second case; each lined in matching marbled paper and green felt. From the collection of Justin G. Schiller. 

Freeman's Hindman



Thursday, 19 September 2024

Edwardian mahogany carriage seat


The pull-out double-wingback seat with two reading rests, on turned fluted legs with castors, the back and sides fitted with an arrangement of drawers, adjustable shelves and green velvet-lined hinged display compartments, stamped CHARLES HINDLEY, WELBECK STREET, LONDON

47.1/2 in. (121 cm.) high; 70.1/2 in. (179 cm.) wide; 42 in. (107 cm.) deep

Christie's


Monday, 19 February 2024

The Library-Go-Round

The Library-Go-Round adds a distinctive difference to your library, a unique way to show off your favorite tomes and a useful method of conducting research and taking notes. The five shelves of this revolving book display, inspired by one owned by Thomas Jefferson, can hold several books at various levels and angles and are also useful for note-taking and cross-checking information from several sources. The spinning lazy susan-style base of this rotating bookcase is perfect for spotlighting rare first editions, specialty books, favorite artwork and photographs. The Library-Go-Round folds up neatly into a 12" box when not in use. 

Levenger


Friday, 24 February 2023

Abraham Lincoln's law office bookcase

This five-shelf bookcase was once owned and used by the future president in his law office in Springfield, Illinois. Though simplistic in design, it is accented by a thin midnight-blue velvet trim. The two doors of the bookcase are missing.  

Currently at auction with Heritage Auctions


Thursday, 1 December 2022

The Library at Elsinore

Bookcase installation by Tom Phillips, who died earlier this week.
Books, acrylic and pigment ink 
151.7 x 114 x 20 cm

"The mock bookcase contains real books overpainted in grey with titles borrowed from Hamlet in black. These are titles of actual books by actual authors in order of the apprearance of their words in the play. There must of course be more no doubt being borrowed as I write but these are all that my research has turned up. Most are (rightly I presume) obscure but others are by known writers from Lloyd George to Graham Greene with, most recently, Alan Bennett's Single Spies (Simon Callow suggested, he claims, this brilliant choice of title)."

More details here and here


Monday, 28 November 2022

Dachshund bookcase

The "Dachshund" sideboard. A wooden sideboard with a twist. This sideboard develops a rotated tail end where you can store books or other items in a more special way. 

Deniz Aktay


Wednesday, 16 November 2022

A bookish blade

A knife, with metal blade and fitting, the handle of carved fruitwood, Northern European, 18th/17th century or earlier. 8 5/8 in. (22 cm.) length, 3 1/4 in (8 cm.) circumference. The handle in an unusual design of four stacked books, showing carved covers, clasps, banded spines, and fore-edges with traces of red staining still visible. (Wear commensurate with age and frequent use.)

Christies


Friday, 14 October 2022

The Book Lover's Joke Book

My latest book is out now! Here's the blurb from the publisher (the British Library):

The Book Lover’s Joke Book is the funniest book about books you’ll ever read. You’ll find jokes about writers, agents, publishers, librarians, grammar, poetry, bookcases, and lightbulbs. There are rib-ticklers for typographers, crackers for critics, and badly foxed quips about antiquarian bookshops. Here too are the best literary April Fool’s (the joke’s on you), rejection letters (the joke’s on the publisher), cookbook jests (the joke’s a bit crumby) and wardrobe puns (the joke’s Narnia business). This delightful literary celebration will make every bibliophile laugh out loud, even in the library.

And here are some examples:

His new novel is called Nagb. It’s pretty controversial. In fact it’s bang out of order.

A man talks into a bar. You’ll have to leave, says the landlord, we don’t serve your typo in here.

My enormous plate of spaghetti got into the Guinness Book of Records. I’m having a devil of a job cleaning it off.

What do cows shout if they don’t like a play? Moo

How many Dylan Thomases does it take to change a bulb? None. They just rage, rage against the dying of the light.

- I fancy a curry tonight I think I’ll go for a Tarka Masala.

-  Don’t you mean a Tikka Masala?

- Nope, it’s quite similar, but it’s just a little ‘otter

This morning I forgot the French word for strawberry, so I had to look it up in a fraise book.

Louise Glück, Patrick Modiano and Kazuo Ishiguru go into a pub and order three pints of beer.

“That’ll be £21 please,” says the barman. “You know,” he says proudly, “we don’t get many winners of the Nobel prize for literature in here.”

“At £7 a pint I’m not surprised,” says Ishiguru.

I couldn't find the Mills and Boon section at the library so I asked the librarian and she told me I’d been looking for love in all the wrong places.

Available wherever good books are sold but ideally from your local independent bookshop.

 

Thursday, 6 October 2022

Bookshelves in the Age of the COVID-19 Pandemic brings together perspectives from literary studies, book history, and publishing; investigates the complex relationship between the material book and its digital manifestation; deals with the cultural phenomenon of visible bookshelves brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some open access material.

Palgrave Macmillan



Thursday, 29 September 2022

Bibliothèque Portative du Voyageur


A 38-volume early 19th century French travelling library containing the works of ten 17th and 18th century French authors including Corneille, Voltaire, Molière, Fénelon and Racine, many with portrait frontispieces. Bindings are in full leather, the page edges gilded, and the spines and covers decorated with gilt tooling. The carry-case, in the form of a book, is 25x35cm, with marbled paper edges. Each book measures 9cm tall.

University of Cambridge


Wednesday, 21 September 2022

Book crib

Designed in 1941. Made of Beech with 3 compartments.Treated with clarcoat. Length 500, width 270, height 270 mm.

Bruno Matthsson


Tuesday, 30 August 2022

Cosomopolitan picks Rooms of Their Own

Large thanks to Cosmopolitan which has picked out Rooms of Their Own to feature in their list of "32 Gift Ideas for Writers That’ll Get Those Creative Juices Flowing". Here's what they say:

Sometimes the best way to cure writer’s block is to get lost in a fascinating book, and this one will definitely do the trick. It takes readers around the world to show where 50 of the most beloved writers and authors ever found their inspiration.


Friday, 24 June 2022

Gothic coffer book chest

The coffer is made of wood, covered with leather, with a metal lock and fittings. Leather straps were threaded under the bands on the side for it to be used as a carrying case. Attached to the inside of the lid is a woodcut depicting God the Father in Majesty; it is derived from a liturgical book printed in Paris in 1491.

Cabinet/University of Oxford



Wednesday, 1 June 2022

HOMCOM bookcase storage reading seat

You can now stop the search for the best reading spot at home thanks to this HOMCOM bookcase seat. Made from particle board for strength and reliability over the years, the base is crafted into a design which features six open cubes for handy storage, with a curved cut-out seat and soft padded cushion to allow you to comfortably immerse your head into your book for hours. Sleek rustic brown in colour, it will sit in any style room with ease in a unique design.

Aosom


Tuesday, 17 May 2022

Ouseburn Bookshelf

Handcrafted from solid wood its geometric design creates plenty of storage space with its discrete pockets of shelf space.

Funky Chunky Furniture Co