Usually on this podcast we talk about the books in our shop, but on today’s episode we’re talking about our shop… in a book. 150 Bookstores You Need to Visit Before You Die, by author Elizabeth Stamp, is a collection of unique bookstores from all around the world. We’re honored to be included—and a little surprised: Ken found out when a customer brought in a copy for him to sign. Featuring inspiring photographs, the book makes a great guide for bibliophile travelers seeking off-the-beaten-path destinations. Pick up a copy online, or at the shop when you visit (before or after you die—the Brattle does not discriminate against ghosts).
Brattlecast #193 - High School Yearbooks
Called to look at a collection of materials on Boston-area schools, Ken came across a group of yearbooks, including—surprisingly—his own. While they’re not too monetarily valuable, these yearbooks offer a wealth of information about the changing fashions, hobbies, and ambitions of young people in New England, from the turn of the century to the 1970s (the hairstyles alone are worth a look). We’ll also discuss other yearbooks that have passed through the shop—like Ernest Hemingway’s—on this most likely to inform and entertain episode of the #brattlecast.
Brattlecast #186 - The Japanese Album
Today in the studio we have another unusual travel souvenir: an album of large, hand-tinted photographs of Japan in the 1880s, only decades after the country was first opened to Western tourism. Bound in illustrated lacquered covers, these photos—of temples, landscapes, and people in traditional dress—have remained exceptionally sharp and clear, offering us a window into the tumultuous Meiji period. We’ll also discuss the improvements in postal service that caused lavish souvenir albums to fall out of fashion, the influence that Japanese art had on turn-of-the-century painting movements in Europe and America, and a popular new TV series that might spur interest in an item like this.
Do you have an idea for a future brattlecast? After about 200 episodes, we could certainly use some. Please reach out to info@brattlebookshop.com with any questions or areas of interest.
Brattlecast #182 - Travel Souvenirs
Today in the studio we have some unusual pre-postcard souvenirs: panoramic photographs of various cities and tourist sites, each folded into a booklike decorative binding. Published in the late 1800s—and in exceptionally good condition—these albums offer detailed bird’s-eye views of Denver, San Francisco, Chicago, and Salt Lake City, among other destinations. They’d make a great starting point for a larger collection, or a thoughtful gift for someone interested in one of these places, or in early photography. We’ll also reveal the one type of collection that Ken absolutely will not buy for the shop, plus the somewhat kitschy souvenir that he can’t seem to stop collecting.
Brattlecast #181 - 30,000 Books!
Today we’re talking about one of the shop’s biggest recent book buys: about 30,000 volumes from Albany, New York. Motivated by a fear of missing out, we made the long trip and were rewarded by a house (including the kitchen cabinets) packed with vintage pulp paperbacks, art books, comics, and even some racier adult material. When you move so many books there are a lot of logistics—ten 6:00am drives, hundreds of flights of stairs, snow management, and boxes stacked to the ceiling of the Brattle’s capacious basement—but we’re happy to bring this especially fun collection to our customers. Pop by and browse it for yourself if you plan to be in Boston any time over the next few years.