Brattlecast #194 - Boston Book Fair 2024

We’re so excited for the 46th annual Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair, a great opportunity to rub elbows with book dealers—and enthusiasts—from all over the world. This year’s fair takes place at the Hynes Convention Center on the weekend of November 8–10. Admission is free on Saturday and Sunday—but we know a guy who can get you free passes for Friday night, too (it’s Ken; reach out to the shop if you’re interested).

The book fair truly has something for everyone, from medieval manuscripts to modern first editions—and it’s fun to hold these rare items in your hands and discuss them with their knowledgeable and enthusiastic dealers. Plus, there’ll be a full lineup of speakers, a city-wide week of auxiliary events, and the Brattle’s famous jars of plain and peanut M&Ms.

For more information visit abaa.org/bostonbookfair; we hope to see you there!

Brattlecast #188 - The Southern Workman

Today we’re looking at an issue of The Southern Workman, a monthly journal published from 1812–1939 by Virginia’s Hampton Institute Press. Founded shortly after the Civil War as the Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, the Hampton Institute trained Black and Indigenous students to become teachers and community leaders, as well as offering vocational skills that would enable them to support themselves in the impoverished South. One of their most famous alumni was Booker T. Washington, who returned to teach at the school before moving on to the Tuskegee Institute. Interest in Black history-related books and ephemera is growing, and items like this—undervalued for too long—are waiting to be archived, studied, and discovered by collectors.

Brattlecast #76 - Elizabeth Custer

Elizabeth Bacon Custer was the wife of George Armstrong Custer, and, following his death at The Battle of Little Bighorn, was largely responsible for shaping his legacy. She also wrote three bestselling books about her life with her husband on the American frontier: Boots and Saddles, Tenting on the Plains, and Following the Guidon. Learn more about the largely forgotten life of the woman behind an American myth on this week’s #brattlecast.