time for another shelfies post

I just put together this book shelf a couple days ago Bought it from Target for about 125$ with free shipping. Holds a good assortment. My 2 year old decided to photobomb the folios.

>1 jlallred2000:

He's clearly making for the Naughty Trolley and no one's going to stop him!

Oh boy, hide the Crayolas!

That looks great, and your 2 year old is a handsome little guy!

Looks great… though I'd be on tenterhooks constantly if I had Folios, let alone LE's, within reach of a young child!

I keep my library door firmly closed when grandchildren are loose in the house.
One lot of crayon scribbles in one bedside FS book was one time too many.

Hi,

Just a quick snap of the shelf with most of the Folios in it - a strange shelf, it grows progressively smaller, or at least so it seems. Definitely less available shelf space than it was only a few weeks ago...



Edit: Finally figured out how to utilize my gallery Junk Drawer. :)

>7 odderi: Love that History of God edition - the blocked stars are wonderful. What shelves are they?

Here is a snap of some shelves - sorry for the lighting.

>8 ironjaw:

The shelves are built to fit - just plain ol' painted wood, I had some dead space between our chimney and a wall and figured that I could get a few more books crammed in there if I could only make a shelf fit... :)

Currently most of my folios are in a locked spare bedroom as I am having a new built in book shelf made in the living room that will be out of toddler reach and can hold 200 books or so.

You'll also notice that I mainly have sets in there and he is not dexterous enough to remove the books from the case. And finally we have some very expensive rugs...so my wife only lets him color outside or at the kitchen table. And since she is a stay at home more she usually has her eye on him.

I got some new bookcases recently from Ikea, putting my books in order took longer than driving out to get them, bring them back and assemble them!

Unfortunately they won't fit all my books so I've had to separate the LE and one non Folio-leather bound. The rest of my Folios go into my new cabinets and without the huge LEs there's so much empty space left it's almost enticing me to buy more to fill them up and my 2015 to get list is looking pretty big already. The Aubrey/Mat series will be filling the lower right shelf, and I still need to hunt down the rest of the Victorian-exploration series.

.

>11 wongie:

And bookshelf envy ensues....

>11 wongie:
Truly wonderful!
:)
I love the paintings as well.

I've added a few pictures to my member gallery, some of which I've embedded on another thread.

I hope you used your shelfie stick for personal safety.

I actually don't have a shelfie showing my nicer books (Folio, LEC, Heritage, Easton, etc), but I will show the fruits of my winter labour, in the form of a pair of nearly identical DIY projects. As soon as the paint cures on the newest shelf, it will in fact be filled with the aforementioned collections.

The first bookcase was completed in February, the second one took a bit longer for various reasons and was completed this past weekend. The new bookcase will get about an hour of direct sun in the morning, so I may add doors, or just use that one to store paperbacks, cookbooks, periodicals, etc, and put the nicer stuff on the left hand case.

Anyway, I constructed these out of 3/4" birch plywood (top, sides, back, and shelves) and solid maple (moulding, face frame, and shelf bracing).

The shelves are 3/4" birch ply with a pair of maple 1x2s rabbeted on, one on each side, for strength. I did all of the routing myself, including the decorative routing for the moulding pieces.

First, what was there before:


Drilling shelf pins with a Kreg jig:


Assembling the base:


A close-up of the shelf construction. There is a rabbetted 1x2 on both the front and back of each shelf.


Here are all the shelves on the floor drying, which should give you a better idea:


To calculate how effective this would be I used the sagulator tool:
http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator/

Assembling the first frame (back in February):


Attaching moulding before final painting:


And skipping ahead a few months, here are both of the cases done, apart from moving it into place and letting the paint cure!


By the way, for stability and to help prevent racking, the 4th shelf (5th row of books) is fixed, not floating, in spite of there being shelf pin holes all the way up.

Also, as for height - they are 94" tall. The idea is that should I ever want to remove them, I can tilt them forward without the top scraping the ceiling (the diagonol clears by about 1/4").

The shelf on the left has 43.5" shelf spans and an overall width of 48",the shelf on the right has 41.5" spans and an overall width of 46". It is narrower due to it having to clear a baseboard heater.

>16 chrisrsprague: -

Nicely done!

>16 chrisrsprague: Very impressive handiwork!

>16 chrisrsprague:

Wow! Lovely work.

>16 chrisrsprague:
A cabinetmaker as well as a bibliophile. Well done.

>16 chrisrsprague:

Gorgeous work. Post another pic when the second shelf is filled with books!

I will!

Now that's admirable trade to have. I could never in my life do something like that. I'll probably hurt myself with a hammer or glue my fingers together :-)

In my real life I'm a SQL/Visual Studio guy. Woodworking is just one of my hobbies. Paid attention in shop class back in middle school I guess.

Off to browse Ikea's bookshelves. What is their performance, by the way? Do the shelves ever sag? Most of my books are hardcover.

>26 HRHTish: I have found the Billy bookcases to be reasonably sturdy, even when heavily laden with Folios to the point of excluding airpockets, though there can still be a barely discernable sag with heavier volumes. You can easily avoid this by using two 40cm Billys side by side rather the single 80cm bookcase. It's a shame Ikea no longer produce the 60cm Billy, ideal for heavy Folios.

I agree with Cronshaw:

I use two 40cm Billys side by side. Just watch out if you ever have National Geographic magazines. They are heavy and will rip through both the 40 cm and the 80 cm shelves. And also never use plastic knobs to hold the shelves. Always use the metal ones.

I finally worked out a way to get everything on a shelf with some semblance of order ...

Non-LEs:



The shelves are from Target and are reasonably nice; a decent wood/metal combination that didn't break the bank. Sadly, they're now sold out so I can't get any more. The POBs and the Pliny have to slum it on top with the fine editions, but so it goes. Jane Eyre and Nineveh and Babylon are both on loan.

LEs:



The Elizabethan Age is an impostor, but surrounded by Shakespeare I feel as though it's a thematically appropriate one. I have three more Shakespeares on the way plus the Duke's Children, though, so I'll probably have to reorganise again soon. The eternal struggle continues.

I love the Ancient Empires and Myth sets. Is that Livy next to the Aristotle?

>32 gmacaree: I love them too. I think the Ancient Empires series if my favorite that FS has put out. And yes, that is Livy - The War With Hannibal. I was lucky enough to purchase that book for 2 cents on Amazon. The next cheapest was $73!

>29 gmacaree: You're going to need more space for O'Brian.

>34 kdweber: When he's fully loaded that topgallant shelf he could always rig a royal above it. There seems to be sufficient ballast below.

>35 cronshaw: Sounds like a plan! I hope one of your three Shakespeares on order is Othello.

Alas, no. Cymbeline, Troilus and Cressida and Pericles are those inbound. I do all of my Shakespeare buying on the secondhand market, so I try to get the rarer plays when they're available. I know Othello will always be within relatively easy reach; not so Cymbeline.

I have five more O'Brians languishing on a shelf in Seattle, and I'm hoping Folio puts the rest on discount so I can finish up the set. Maybe I can get a nice model of the Surprise to go with them?

>35 cronshaw: :-) Love it. And then all he's missing is a barrel of rum for 'tapping the admiral' (apologies if the phrase was of a later period; not an area I know much about).

ISBN 978-1844860746 may be of interest!

Someone asked me to post pictures of my DIY cases once they were filled with books. Well here you are:



If you look hard you'll see a handful of FS/LEC/EP volumes on the lefthand case. The rest are in another room in my built-ins.

>40 chrisrsprague: wow gorgeous!!

Your thoughts echo mine exactly!

Beautiful work on those shelves. Comparing how the room looked with the old ones vs. the new is remarkable.

Beautiful!

Chris you know what's funny, when I look at that picture I can't but think that that's the size of my apartment, incl. the sitting room dimension. Oh to have a house.

>45 ironjaw:

You and me both!!!

A picture of my just-arrived Toilers of the Sea, in close-up and in context.

>47 Firumbras: Beautiful! Might have to get a copy of Lives of the Later Caesars. Was that quarter bound in leather? Also what's the 3rd and 4th book in the bottoms left shelf?

> Thanks, JuliusC.
Lives is bound in full leather, according to the publication information page, though it certainly wasn't expensive, and it was a direct purchase.
The other volumes are Jan Morris' abridgment of Ruskin's Stones of Venice and Burckhardt's Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy (Middlemore's translation).

Someone just changed our pic to YRTTD. Hilarious!

>47 Firumbras: I see you've denuded all LEs except for the Fitzwilliam Book of Hours. Such medieval modesty!

It's easy to check who changed the picture. Just click on the picture itself...

>51 cronshaw:
Perfectly medieval! The facsimile volume has no title on the spine, so here I must use the box, which actually looks like a book spine. I do this as well for my Bodley 764 Bestiary which also has a title-free spine (a little to my annoyance).

I reorganized my shelves. All my FS books are there apart from Beloved which I am reading, and bottom right a box of small Charles van Sandwyck books and some issues of Parenthesis magazine. I counted the FS and came to 357, which does not tally with the number of tags on my LT, for some unknown reason.

>chrisrsprague

Nice to see the Church Fathers collection in there!

>d-b:

hey good catch!

>56 DejaVoo: it makes lovely colourful shadows on the walls and ceiling ;-)

>56 DejaVoo:
Thanks DejaVoo!

My house is visible proof that "nature abhors a vacuum". When I first moved into it two decades ago I marveled at the extraordinary amount of closet space and shelving. However, my book collection has filled it completely to a point where I must discard, donate or sell a book for each new one I buy. That said, I will show a few photos of shelves scattered about my house. The reflective glare from the books is from a clear dust wrapper made of Grafix Dura-Lar that I make for each book. This is a bit of overkill in some cases but it is (imho) essential for any book with a leather spine. It helps the leather retain its natural moisture and prevents drying, cracking, separation of hinges, etc. The Dura-Lar is archival (museum quality) and unlike acrylic is does not yellow, stiffen or crack over time. It is also inert and does not interact with the bindings in any way. That said:

In the center of this shelf is the Golden Cockerel "Quadrilogy". The quadrilogy consists of the three Golden Cockerel Press books with Eric Gill wood-engravings (from L-to-R The Canterbury Tales -4 volumes, The Four Gospels, and Troilus and Criseyde. The fourth book of the quadrilogy is the GCP Paradise Lost with 30 wood-engravings by Mary Groom. The book was designed to complement and stand alongside The Four Gospels and it is the same height and thickness. Although there is no dearth of extraordinary private press editions of 'Paradise Lost', including famous editions by the Doves Press and the Cresset Press, the GCP edition is (by far) my favorite.

One more shelf:

Very impressive.

How do we insert shelfie pics please?

>65 Lady19thC:

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Click on this link: http://tinypic.com/
2. Click inside the box that says Choose File
3. Find the photo in your computer that you wish to upload - left-click on the photo so that it is
now highlighted.
4. Select Choose from the computer area, e.g., iPhoto library, etc., you have selected the photo from to save that photo for uploading.
5. Return to the tinypic website and click the lime green box that says UPLOAD NOW!
6. If tinypic asks you to enter a code type it into the box that says: Your Answer
Then click the green UPLOAD NOW! box again.
7. A page will now appear that says Share This Image with four rows of code. Use the top line that
says HTML for Websites. Left-click on the code link so that it is now highlighted in black. Then,
QUICKLY press the Command button on your computer keyboard and, while still holding it down, press on the letter C.
8. Return to the box on LibraryThing you wish to place the photo into. After pressing Command C it is
now stored into your computer's memory.
9. Click in your LibraryThing box to place the mouse cursor within, then press the Command button and while holding it down
press the letter V.
10. The code link from tiny pic will now magically appear in your LibraryThing box. You have now
performed the Cut and Paste operation successfully!
11. The code must now be "trimmed" as follows: click between the "greater than" and "less than"
symbols between blank">
14. Click Post Message at the bottom of your LibraryThing box you wish to place the picture within
and "Voila" !!!!!!!!!! Your picture will now magically appear.

:-)

>65 Lady19thC:
Or go to the FSD wiki, ( http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/Groups:Folio_Society_Devotees ) scroll about ⅓ the way down and follow the instructions in the link listed there.

>40 chrisrsprague:

You new bookshelves and carpentry expertise are impressive. I could not do that if given one hundred years. Congratulations!!

>61 dlphcoracl: Wow! Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors books, thou shalt not covet thy neighbors books, thou shalt not covet thy neighbors books...

I thought coveting thy neighbour's books was the point of this group?

>70 gmacaree: or at least of this thread

Some of my recent buys: Piers Plowman, Little Women, The Handmaid's Tale, and One Flew -

>73 EclecticIndulgence:
Hi Eclectic. I think the icons that look like a picture icon aren't failed uploads, just glitches that accompany the pictures; I've uploaded two pics only.
The Mabinogion is the World's Classics translation by Sioned Davies, 2007 (sans dust jacket). No illustrations, but a fine introduction and commentary.

>72 Firumbras:
You appear to be in desperate need of more shelf space - just like the rest of us. ;-)

>75 wcarter:
You're right! a second income wouldn't go astray either....

IMGhttps://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xlp1/v/t1.0-9/12105871_101535987654.../IMG



This is my to read shelf for Folio editions. Most of the rest of my Folios are scattered throughout the other shelves with similar subject matter.

77

Nice. I need that set.

>79 wcarter:

Wonderful collection!

May I ask your opinion about the Arion Press edition of Our Man in Havana?

>79 wcarter:

What is the book in the red case with black hieroglyphics on the spine to the right of the LEC 'Seven Years In Tibet' ?

>79 wcarter:, >81 dlphcoracl:

Isn't that Anubis Gates (Centipede Press)?

>81 dlphcoracl: I'm guessing The Anubis Gates published by The Centipede Press.

>80 gatxito: I was a little disappointed by the AP edition of Our Man in Havana. Certainly no "wow" factor. Not signed. For a change, the illustrations did go well with the text. The Cuban flag binding on my copy started to wear until I built a slipcase for it.

>84 EclecticIndulgence: Between The Earliest Chemical Industry and Simplicissimus is the LEC Egyptian Book of the Dead.

>86 EclecticIndulgence: You're welcome! I recently acquired a copy of it and have been very impressed leafing through. I haven't had a chance to sit down and consume it yet, though

>80 gatxito:
Your query will be answered by my review here:-
http://www.librarything.com/topic/202008
>82 Neil77:
Totally correct, that is the gorgeous Anubis Gate by Centipede Press.
>85 gmacaree:
You are correct. This is the two volume LEC edition of the Book of the Dead published in 1972. One volume is a concertina print of the complete Ani funeral papyrus. The other volume is a commentary volume. Limitation was 1500.

>88 wcarter:

Amazing Collection :-)

After one year of works, the "shed" is finally operational!




The front window looks at the "Dents du Midi", while the side window overlooks the village and the "Dent Blanche".

To the left side, the LEC, following by the French fine editions (some amazing bindings...), and to the right, FS, Franklin and Easton, with French books at the bottom.

Since the picture was taken, 3 months ago, I added a new bookcase behind the chair, between the two windows.

It is now a little full!

>90 Maretzo:

Absolutely wonderful library. You are surrounded by hundreds of "friends".

>90 Maretzo: that looks wonderful! And thanks to the amazing lens on your camera, for a minute I thought you had curving bookcases and drawers!

I really need to stop drooling all over my keyboard. Some of the pictures posted here put my pitiful shelves to shame!

>90 Maretzo:

Very civilised! Very tasteful! And definitely a step up from a "shed"!

>90 Maretzo:

What was the address again for the adoption applications? :)

Wonderful library! :)

>90 Maretzo:
Please add a link to your superb library photos to the FSD wiki page at:-
http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/Groups:Folio_Society_Devotees#Glossar...
Scroll 3/4 way down the page to see appropriate area.
If you do not know how to do this, let me know and I will add the pictures.
Everyone is welcome to add a link to their library photos on the wiki.

>90 Maretzo: It looks wonderful. I used to have a view of the Dents du Midi from my garden in Vevey. I miss it...

More shelfies, this one from a small closet with five rows of shelves. This photo gives an overview and will be followed by five pairs of photos (ten photos total) showing the books on each shelf - first left half of shelf and then right half.

Top shelf (#1) - left half

>98 dlphcoracl: there are some amazing works here -- I'm especially jealous of the Allen Press Poeticon Astronomicon I see hiding towards the right on the bottom shelf.

Top shelf (#1) - right half

Shelf #2 - left half

Shelf #2 - right half

Shelf #3 - left half

Shelf #3 - right half

Shelf #4 - left half

Shelf #4 - right half

Shelf #5 (bottom shelf) - left half

Shelf #5 (bottom shelf) - right half

>100 gmacaree:

That is indeed the Allen Press 'Poeticon Astronomicon' on the lower shelf. In fact, the entire lower shelf (#5) and the middle of shelf #4 (just above) contain the entire Allen Press bibliography.

*gasp*

I'm envious, but I'm glad we get to see many of these on Books and Vines. Due to financial limitations, it's the only way I'll be seeing the insides of many of these (at least for the foreseeable future). Thanks for posting!

>98 dlphcoracl:
Wow!!!

>98 dlphcoracl:
We are not worthy; we are not worthy! Beautiful.

>112 rmarathe:

I have begun an ongoing, somewhat intermittent series of articles on Chris Adamson's 'Books and Vines' entitled 'The Great Illustrated Private Press Books' which will feature and discuss modern private press books with notable illustrations. Several of the books seen in the photographs above are obvious choices and will be included in subsequent articles. Other books to be discussed are less well known or are not properly recognized and appreciated for their superb illustrations. As in my initial article, an extensive set of digital photographs will form a major part of these articles in this series.

http://booksandvines.com/2015/10/26/the-great-illustrated-private-press-books-pa...

>109 dlphcoracl:

Needless to say, simply stunning collection.

I'm curious, what is that edition of Parzival in the bottom shelf right half? I'm getting all pavlovian over it.

>115 dlphcoracl: Your contributions to Books and Vines are a joy. I think we all appreciate you sharing these rare and fine works. I notice that you had your Gulliver's Travels rebound, and although there's no great rush it might be instructive for the uninitiated if a future blog post could cover the process of rebinding.

>117 gmacaree:

I made a brief reference to this in the final paragraph of my current Books and Vines article on the Cresset Press 'Gulliver's Travels' and discussed this is greater detail in a comment made at the end of Chris Adamson's recent article on the Bruce Rogers/Emery Walker/Wilfred Merton designed 'The Odyssey of Homer' (1932). That will make a good starting point. However, I will gather my thoughts a bit and write a longer commentary in this blog for anyone interested in the "why" and "wherefore" of doing a rebinding. Look for it to appear in the next day or two.

>115 dlphcoracl:
Thank you for sharing the envy-inspiring pictures. I too am amazed at the fantastic condition of your collection!

>111 EclecticIndulgence:
>119 UK_History_Fan:

I have learned over the years with regard to serious book collecting "Condition Is Everything". I always try to find and buy the finest copy of a book I am interested in adding to my collection. I do make some allowance regarding condition for books that are known to rarely appear in "fine" or "near fine" condition - typically, the Gregynog Press books in the sheepskin bindings or Kelmscott Press books in their 120 y.o. limp vellum bindings. However, under no circumstance will I purchase a book in less than collectible (VG +) condition unless I do so with the specific intent of rebinding it.

Why? Because over the years I have learned that if I make an acquisition of a book in sub-optimal condition to save money or because I am impatient I always regret it and and am never pleased with the purchase. Inevitably, within the next 1-2 years a much better copy of the same book will become available and I will regret compromising on book condition. As the British are fond of saying:

"Penny wise, pound foolish".

>116 Rodomontade:

You have a very discerning eye :-) .

First, a bit of historical background. In the years between the two "great" wars, several private presses arose in the Weimar Republic of Germany and they would prove to be the high point of private press craftsmanship in Germany for the duration of the twentieth century. Sometimes, out of chaos and despair great art is born and this is clearly the case here. The most famous of these German private presses is the Cranach Press, whose edition of 'The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke' may well be the most beautiful private press book of the twentieth century. It is certainly on my short list. The other famous German private press in Weimar was the Bremer Press.

However, there were 2 or 3 others that are not nearly as well known that also produced books of outstanding quality and beauty. One is a private press operated by Dr. Julius Schroder. Utilizing a 19th century hand press he produced somewhere between 15 to 18 books in a series entitled:
"Meisterwerke der Weltliteratur mit Original-Graphik", i.e., Masterworks of World Literature with Original Artwork. Each book contained a set of original illustrations from German artists, usually living in proximity to Munich where Dr. Schroder printed and published these books. The history of this enterprise and several of the high points of this series have already been featured in two articles I contributed to Books and Vines:

http://booksandvines.com/2011/11/02/hamlet-by-william-shakespeare-1920-edition-p...

http://booksandvines.com/2011/12/08/faust-by-johann-wolfgang-von-goethe-from-jul...

Another much less well known private press was the Offficina Serpentis and this edition of Parzival is one of their three great publications, the others being a facsimile of an edition of Aesop's Fables by Gunther Zainer in Augsburg in 1477/1478 and an astonishing book entitled 'Hamishah Humshe Torah' , the complete Hebrew Torah text that was commissioned by the Soncino Gesellschaft der Freunde des judischen Buchers, a society of Jewish bibliophiles in Germany and published in 1933.

This edition of Parzival uses the classic translation of Karl Joseph Simrock (1802-1876), a noted 19th century German scholar most famous for his translation of the Nibelunglied in 1827 at the astonishing age of 25. He subsequently translated other classic medieval German works of literature from the Middle High German into modern German language - Der Arme Heinrich of Hartmann von Aue (1830), Parzival and Titurel of Wolfram von Eschenbach (1842), and the Tristan of Gottfried von Strassburg (1855). These translations have stood the test of time and have not been surpassed or supplanted in the ensuing 160 to 180 years!! This 'Parzival' was issued in a limitation of 300 copies and book nos. 1 - 100 were issued as special deluxe editions, printed on thick heavy 'Bütten' paper from the Zanders paper mill in Germany with handmade vellum bindings by Karl Ebert with gilt lettering on the spine. They were also given stunning hand-illustrated green and white initial letters throughout by Dr. Ansger Schoppmeyer.

My copy is one of the 100 deluxe editions. However, the original vellum binding was replaced by a custom binding made by Gustave Keilig of Munich (1882 - 1959). Keilig was a master German bookbinder who learned his craft from Frieda Thiersch of the Bremer Presse, considered the finest bookbinder of the time. Keilig was on the faculty of the Munich "Meisterschule fur Buchbinders" from 1926 - 1951 and a member of the Association of Master Bookbinders. He was considered an expert in working with vellum and he subsequently taught generations of young German apprentices the bookbinding craft. This binding is made of one-half hairy vellum with six straps or collars worked through the spine, with gilt lettering and handmade paste paper over boards. Keilig's name is stamped on the lower inside band of the rear cover. Similar to the two Dr. Julius Schroder books I highlighted in Books and Vines articles (Hamlet and Faust, Erster Teil) the presswork and page composition are flawless, on a par with the Arion Press 'Moby Dick'.

Officina Serpentis 'Parzival' (1920/1921)

Parzival

>88 wcarter:

Thank you very much for your review!

Parzival #3

Parzival #4

Parzival #5

Parzival #6

Parzival #8

Officina Serpentis 'Parzival' colophon:

I just bow before your shelves..

>121 dlphcoracl:

Thanks so much for sharing your expertise and photography dlphcoracl! I love Cranach Press' work, but I'd never heard of Officina Serpentis. More fool I - your Parzival is flawless, and what with Keilig's contribution, truly one of a kind I suspect.

I see a deluxe edition (with the original full vellum binding) goes for about AU$2500, over five times cheaper than Arion's Moby-Dick - that's almost enough to convince me to buy it, God help me!

Your library must easily reach into a six-figure value - how long have you been collecting, if you don't mind my asking?

>132 Rodomontade:

I purchased my first true private press book 21 years ago, the John Lane/Bodley Head Press edition of James Joyce's 'Ulysses' (1936). For the next 2 to 3 years my collecting interests were centered on the George Macy LEC books and the Allen Press. As time evolved, I became less interested in all but a handful of LEC books, continued collecting the Allen Press, and expanded into other private presses. My collecting interest in acquiring the top tier private press books and books from "The Big Three", i.e., Kelmscott Press, Doves Press and Ashendene Press , is a relatively recent phenomenon occurring over the past five years.

P.S. If you love the work of the Cranach Press, keep your eyes on my fledgling series entitled 'The Great Illustrated Private Press Books' on Chris Adamson's Books and Vines.

>117 gmacaree:

Thoughts On Rebinding.

Sending off private press books for rebinding is not something I have extensive experience with and I have only done so for a handful of books. Nevertheless, here are my thoughts and guidelines for anyone interested in doing so.

1. First, know and consider the cost of rebinding a book. It will depend on the quality of the bookbinder and the nature of the binding. To have a book rebound by a world class bookbinder in full leather, preferably Nigerian goatskin or Oasis goatskin leather, without elaborate gilt decoration, inlay/onlay leather work, etc. usually costs in the $1000 to $1200 range. Bindings that are very labor intensive with elaborate gilt decoration or inlay leather work can cost $1500 to $2500. I would not use this level of bookbinder for anything other than a full leather goatskin binding. For lesser bindings, e.g., combinations of leather, cloth and paper, I would use a high quality, experienced bookbinder that is a step or level below a Zaehnsdorf or Sangorski & Sutcliffe (S&S). These bindings usually cost between $300 to $400 and are very cost effective. I design my own bindings by using paper and cloth swatches and leather samples obtained from Talas Company of Brooklyn, NY ( http://www.talasonline.com) .

2. Ask yourself: is the value of the book worth the expense of rebinding? I certainly would not put a full Nigerian goatskin leather binding from S&S on a book valued at $500 or $600. A possible exception to this "rule" is if the binding is intended for something of great personal or historical value, i.e., a Holy Bible, a family heirloom or diary, etc. In other words, use common sense and match the expense of the new binding to the value of the book.

3. Familiarize yourself with the offerings of companies that supply fine quality leathers and papers to professional bookbinders:

Talas Online: http://www.talasonline.com

Hollanders: http://www.hollanders.com

When you think you have determined the design for your new binding, i.e., choice of leather, paper, cloth, etc. purchase the sample swatch collection that contains your choices. There is tremendous variation and difference in how these papers appear online and what they look like in hand. This is especially true for hand-marbled papers. A mistake will prove both costly and disappointing so go to the extra effort to check out the real thing by having the sample sent to you.

4. Utilize the judgment and design expertise of your friendly bookbinder. If you have several ideas, run them by your bookbinder of choice and ask for their opinion. They are very much like top-notch interior designers who can look at a postage-sized fabric sample and imagine what it will look like on a 10-foot sofa. If uncertain, ask them to show you examples of bindings they have made for other book collectors and ask them how they would bind a given book.

5. Consider rebinding a cost-effective method of obtaining world class private press books at a considerable discount. What do I mean by this?? Let's use the book I have discussed in my current Books and Vines article: Gulliver's Travels, Cresset Press (1930).

http://booksandvines.com/2015/10/26/the-great-illustrated-private-press-books-pa...

This book is rarely found in collectible condition, usually seen with badly faded, dried and cracked leather spine and external hinges, and considerable soiling and staining of the vellum covered stiff boards. If found in near-fine condition the cost from a book dealer is prohibitive, in the $4500 to $6000 range. An example is seen in the link provided below:

http://www.baumanrarebooks.com/rare-books/swift-jonathan-whistler-rex/gulliver-s...

However, if you can locate a copy with a fair-to-poor binding that is fine or near-fine internally it will cost thousands of dollars less, sometimes as much as 50% to 60% less. This book can then be given a new binding, resulting in a beautiful copy of the book at considerable cost savings.. Ideally, I like to recreate the original binding as perfectly as possible. In the case of Gulliver's Travels, it made little sense to put vellum over stiff boards which results in bowing and curvature of the boards over time as the vellum dries and retracts, hence my substitution of a hand-marbled paper for the vellum.

This approach should be avoided in books in which the original binding is unique and intrinsic to the book's value, i.e, a book where the original binding cannot be duplicated. Examples would include the sheepskin leather Gregynog Press books with elaborate designs embossed into the front covers, the Grabhorn Press 'Leaves of Grass' which utilizes an unusual red mahogany wood to create the thick slabs for the covers, etc. Rebinding is not an option here, imho. A classic, straightforward binding such as is seen on Chris' iconic book 'The Odyssey of Homer', Bruce Rogers/ Wilfred Merton/ Emery Walker (1932) using T.E. Lawrence's translation is a perfect candidate because this binding can easily be duplicated:

http://booksandvines.com/2015/09/14/the-odyssey-by-homer-bruce-rogers-emery-walk...

This is another example of a book in which the rebinding option for a book purchased in marginal external condition (binding) will save thousands of dollars and result in a book "as good as new".

My apologies for this somewhat rambling discourse on rebinding a private press book but it will give you a starting point and introduce you to the considerations and thought processes I go through when I consider rebinding.

dlphcoracl

>127 dlphcoracl: The printed page of that Parzival is magnificent, thanks for sharing!

>134 dlphcoracl: This was extremely informative. Thank you for taking the time to share with us!

>134 dlphcoracl: Likewise; I enjoyed it immensely - as always! Your erudite posts, those featuring Odderi's Nordic philosophy and directness, and Cronshaw's razor-# wit comprise my top 3 list of favourite FSD nom-de-plume's...

>137 Polar_bear: Thank you for the kind words, my good Bear! A fine evening it is indeed in the odderi household in Ultima Thule - except the youngest 'un has caught a pretty bad cold and took some persuading going to sleep; now, as he is only fourteen months old, he's a good sport when it comes to reading - much as he likes being read to, he couldn't care less about the subject (I expect that to change, drastically, in the near future.)

So - father & son have just finished an hour and a half of reading bedtime stories aloud - from Casino Royale, which arrived a couple of days ago. Junior listened contentedly from his cot, voicing disapproval whenever I fell silent for a few seconds.

Junior is now fast asleep, so I'll keep enjoying Mr. Bond's endeavours - now accompanied by a good single malt - significantly older than my previous reading companion.

Considering the weather, though, I should perhaps shelf Casino Royale and read, say, the Hound of the Baskervilles instead - we've got what looks set to be the first of the season's proper winter storms on incoming, so the wind and the rain sets the perfect atmosphere for a tale like the Hound, or perhaps Dracula? Decisions, decisions...

>138 odderi:
Definitely 'Hound' weather here in the fens, where the thick freezing fog tonight is a real "pea soup-er" (a figure of speech that would find favour with your Nordic brethren across in Finland, where pea and ham soup is the unofficial national dish!). Cloudberries and cream aren't too shabby a pudding either!

Just think of all the subliminal learning that Junior is soaking up as you soak up that Highland Park, Dalmore or Balblair! When he reaches nursery school he will be fixing their broken central heating using instructions in notes written by him earlier in Aramaic... ;-)

>137 Polar_bear: you are too kind, dear bear. I hope expectation doesn't become the embryo of disappointment.

It has also been a pea-souper in London overnight and this morning, real Hound of the Baskervilles weather.

Do you believe that your shoes also improve their content?

I know it's not much compared to some of you FAddicts, but here are most of my FS books with some EP & FL.

>143 lechacal: Your bookcase is a perfect fit for the complete Folio Society Myths & Legends Series. What is the six volume set on the EP/FL (second) shelf?

>144 kdweber: I was happy that it perfectly fits on that upper shelf. The 6 volumes you see are part of a larger 35 volume behemoth published by Easton Press called The Library of the Civil War. Hopefully one day I'll own all 35

>143 lechacal: A nice collection, well organised and tastefully displayed. I definitely need better quality shelving for mine.

>146 folio_books: Well looking at the picture of your FS collection in your profile it seems I have some catching up to do before I enter the realm of "great FS collections"

>147 lechacal: What you see there is a small proportion of the whole. I chose that pic because these are my good shelves, hand-made by my best man thirty-odd years ago. The house will fall down before these shelves. The rest of my Folios are consigned to Ikea's "Billy's" and don't look nearly so handsome. I've lately been thinking I should divert money from buying Folio books (space being the main issue for me) to investing in better-quality shelving. Decent shelves or LEs, that is the question.

My recent acquisitions: Joyce, Finnegans Wake, and the Baburnama. The Joyce in particular is far more impressive in the flesh than I'd imagined. A beautifully-executed, scholarly volume. I'll be reading a few pages of this a night with pleasure and bafflement for some time to come.

>149 Firumbras: The Vision of Piers the Plowman is beautiful, as is The Baburnama. After looking at the pictures you've uploaded in this thread I definitely have bookshelf envy

>149 Firumbras: I'm quite interested in the Bodleian Library MS Faifax 16 you have there. Care to elaborate on this interesting volume?

>149 Firumbras:

Likewise, as per >151 ironjaw:, please!

>150 lechacal:
Thanks, lechacal!

>151 ironjaw:, >152 scholasticus:
Happy to oblige!
Bodleian Library MS Fairfax 16 is a wonderfully interesting (and fat) 15th-century manuscript containing shorter 'courtly' poetry by Chaucer (such as the Book of the Duchess and Parliament of Fowls) and a handful of works by other 15th-c. poets (esp. Lydgate, and Clanvowe). The facsimile (published in 1979) is one of the Scolar Press's facsimiles of important early English literary manuscripts. Like the others in its series (The Auchinleck-, and Thornton MSs, among others,) it's a monochrome facsimile, with the exception of a colour plate duplicating the one rather fancy full-page illumination in the manuscript.
The introduction discusses the history and contents of the manuscript, and refers you to editions of the poetry it contains; it doesn't transcribe the MS text for you.
The facsimile is introduced by J. Norton-Smith - there's a copy available from Bennett & Kerr for 75 pounds as I speak!

edit - Fairfax facsimile published in 1979, not 1982 - confused this with the Findern MS facsimile published in '82!

>149 Firumbras:

Me too. I've found some information about the MS but not about this particular edition (other than it was published in 1979).

http://www.medievalscribes.com/index.php?navtype=authors&navauthor=Chaucer,%...

Edit:

Thanks, Firumbras.

I'm refurbishing my bookshelves. No shelfie to post yet, but, while I was looking for a step/ladder on the Internet, I found this:



Isn't it a cosy corner?

>156 Pepys:
That's a toilet and they are wallpaper books, not real ones!
Now if the books were real, and they were all FS, my primal bodily functions would be far more prolonged than at present.

>156 Pepys:
>157 wcarter:

The pause that refreshes.

>157 wcarter: "Now if the books were real, and they were all FS, my primal bodily functions would be far more prolonged than at present."

What you might call a constipational hazard, W.C.

>159 boldface:
Well, considering my name's initials ..................

>157 wcarter: "That's a toilet and they are wallpaper books, not real ones!"
Well observed! But given your skills to produce photo mosaics with your books, I thought it could give you ideas for making money in manufacturing wallpaper.

>159 boldface: "What you might call a constipational hazard, W.C."
So evident, but yet so cleverly said!

Below are photos taken in my living room where I have put some of my collection of FS books:



above the fireplace

>162 folio_fl_and_ep: How nice to see those books around your tv! You have quite a lot of matching sets. Are those the Eagle of the Ninth books between the Dumas books and, um, that green set with pictures by the same illustrator? I wouldn't have thought of shelving them together - they're on totally different sides of the room at my house, lol.

>162 folio_fl_and_ep:

I love the long low bookcase. Very elegant, helped, of course, by the superior contents in the form of Folio books. The Hodgkin, Gibbon and English history sets look great too on that marble surface.

>164 EclecticIndulgence:

I try to group the books by series (e.g., rainbow fairy tales, myths & legends, Victorian Exploration and Travel) whenever possible but then I decided to group all the Roman Pisarev illustrated books (similar spine designs) together in the display – Collected Stories of Leo Tolstoy, Eagle of the Ninth Series, Alexandre Dumas Series (Three Musketeers series, Count of Monte Cristo) together.

The ones in the wrappers are the ones I haven’t read yet. My reading time is limited to 3-4 hours a day; I need to work hard to pay off the credit card charges from my FS purchases. :)

>165 boldface:

Thanks! Gibbon and Hodgkin really go well together.

I also have the complete Anthony Trollope series that I want to put up. Besides Folio Society addiction being a serious and expensive habit, the side effect is that you end up with more books than you have room to neatly display! :(

I'm out of town this week, but I'll post a few more pictures of Folio Society books in other parts of my house this weekend.

Very tasteful.

Good on you for collecting the 3-volume set of Tolstoy and adding a healthy dose of books from the FS 'Myths and Legends' series, two of the best things the FS has done over the past decade or two. In particular, their 'Legends of the Grail' does an exceptional job of unraveling the interrelated Arthurian and Arthurian-type legends that evolved over hundreds of years.

Here are pictures of FS books in other rooms of my house:

In my bedroom:


Bottom of the stair case:



Books in the glass shelf are the Complete Dickens I Series (1981-88?) along with 60 volumes of the last edition of the "Great Books of the Western World" by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

>143 lechacal: AMAZING. Just stunning.

>170 eatanygoodbooks: Thank you I appreciate it! Sometimes I wonder if others who walk into my house will feel the same way about seeing my books displayed as I do. But as long as people on this forum like it I can live with that!

Two more shelfies - one here and one below:

Shelfie #2:

>172 dlphcoracl: Wow! Nice collection, beautiful condition.

What was the name of the transparent spine covers you're using?

>175 ironjaw:

It is called Grafix Dura-Lar. I order it in large sheets measuring 25 x 40 inches and I use the .003 inch thickness for most book and the slightly thicker and stiffer .005 inch thickness for extremely large and heavy (folio-sized) books. See link below.

http://www.dickblick.com/products/grafix-dura-lar-clear-acetate-alternative/

Thank you my dear fellow

Two more shelfies for the road:

Shelfie Deux:

>179 dlphcoracl:

Can I just live in your library, please?

>179 dlphcoracl:

Wonderful! But why is volume I of Euripides shelved upside down?

>181 boldface:

Euripides is practicing yoga and meditating.

LOL. Seriously, I noticed this as I posted the photo and I have turned the book upright so that Euripides can
breathe properly. He was beginning to feel a bit dizzy.

>182 dlphcoracl:

I'm very relieved! Tragedy averted.

Moved around some books and displayed some Phoenician artifacts I have in my collection.

Sir, your books at the bottom right?

>162 folio_fl_and_ep:
Very nice.

>185 ironjaw: ironjaw they are books my father used when obtaining his PhD. I've personally never used them (or even could understand their content), but they are a nice set.

Decided to spend my first week of the year not reading to do some furniture jiggling which I finished today. Now I have the majority of my Folios along one wall.

Took near an hour putting all the books back into their slipcases and made a giant pile of Folios! Figured I wouldn't see such a site again so I made sure to take a photo of said pile.

I'm fairly satisfied with the final result except that I dropped a pair of screws behind the tall bookcase when I was working at the back brackets. Being near midnight on a weekday my fatigue got the better of my OCD, but now that I'm somewhat more rested I'm not so sure my OCD is holding up very well knowing those screws are behind it.





.

.

>188 wongie: Nice. Specially liked the way you organized your LE`s to exibit them - clean and classy - that case fits perfectly

>188 wongie: While dusting the tops of my bookcases last year, I knocked a book behind one of them. It's still there.

wongie we need a panoramic view of the final product!

>189 Pellias: Thanks, I definitely wanted that exhibit look to them, they're too lovely to hide away in their solander boxes. Sunlight is a concern being next to the window, no direct sun though but will have to look into this.

>190 erbisoeul: Do you remember what book it was? The thought is making me twitch.

>191 lechacal: I'll try and get a panoramic shot taken. update: here it is. 2nd update, now with more colour!

>192 wongie: Daniel J. Boorstin's The Discoverers: A History of Man's Search to Know His World and Himself. It's the first part of his Knowledge Trilogy (the other two being The Creators and The Seekers). I've considered buying another copy, rather than face the prospect of moving my bookcase. However, I'm moving this summer, so I'll be able to recover it then :)

Edited: *Discoverers*, not Discovers

>188 wongie:
Really beautiful!
I am envious of all of your completed sets.

So much shelf space to fill too!

Shelf envy!

What would you suggest is a good shelf height for FS books? The few books I have so far are in one of two heights, one that just fits on my shelves and one that's an inch too tall. If I'm going to do some rearranging it would be good to know what an ideal height would be to for my growing collection. I'm guessing book height plus ventilation space is required?

I personally set all my adjustable shelves to give 30cm worth of height. For one thing it's the height which makes all the shelves uniform on my Ikea cases, but it also fits the vast swath of Folios. Beowulf, which you can see, Cicero's Orations and the Folio Poets series are approaching the larger end of Folio's standard editions. Beyond that you have the coffee book titles like the Divine Comedy which are 32.5cm without the slipcase but these volume sizes are rather rare. Going larger you have the Holy Land.

That said a smidgen under 25.5cm pretty much allows you to fit most Folio volumes.

>195 leemeadowcroft:
The vast majority of FS standard editions are between 23 and 30 cm. in height, but there are always exceptions, and my tallest standard edition is 34 cm (Peter Pan and Wendy) and the shortest 20.5 cm. (A is for Ox).
Recent editions tend to be between 24 and 26.5 cm in height.
Limited and Fine editions can be any size, and some of the LEs are absolutely huge (Holy Land, Egypt and Nubia is 51cm tall!).
Half your shelves at 31cm and half at 25 would probably be reasonable.
Hope that helps.

>192 wongie:

I espy a David Attenborough amongst the folios! :-)

29-30cm seems a good shelf height for folios, it accommodates easily the common sizes, with just the slightly larger volumes (such as Cities and Civilisation) and the likes of the David Roberts set needing more.

>198 Paulfozz: That's the odd corner for non-Folio limited and signed editions including Life in Cold Blood signed by David.

Nice! I have picked up a couple of signed copies of his books in charity shops (!) and he signed my copy of his autobio. and my Life of Mammals dvd set when he came to my local bookshop.

>188 wongie: wongie:

Seems like there are too much light coming in from the window, no concern with spine faded ?

>201 kafkachen: Definitely a concern, but not a big one at the moment with the lack of sunshine of late and I tend to keep the window curtains half drawn to prevent direct and diffuse light getting on the cases on the odd day the sun is out (unless I'm intentionally trying to get light on them for photography) As Spring edges closer it'll be a different story. I'm looking into some anti-uv film for windows and cupboard doors.

Robertson Davies (1913-1995), The Papers of Samuel Marchbanks 1986
"Real bibliophiles do not put their books on shelves for people to look at or handle. They have no desire to show off their darlings, or to amaze people with their possessions.They keep their prize books hidden away in a secret spot to which they resort stealthily, like a Caliph visiting his harem, or a church elder sneaking into a bar. To be a book-collector is to combine the worst characteristics of a dope-fiend with those of a miser."

Not a shelfie as such but here's what happens when you go berserk on Folio and LEC books for a few years and then have to move...

Will be adding ~10 books to my shelves this Christmas. I hope some Faddicts will post their updated shelves as well

>205 lechacal: Will do in January (i need one more shelf)

MeRrY cHrIsTmAs! :)

A wall full of bookshelves.

In the left column are 1st edition trade books. In the wider shelves in the center most of the books are Folio Society, with scattered trade books, LECs, and private press books. In the right column of shelves, the top four shelves are Folio Society and the bottom three shelves are private press books. More detailed photos of each shelf to follow.

Center: Top three shelves - Folio Society books.

Right-hand column, 5th shelf from the top.

Private press quiz: What are these little books??

>209 dlphcoracl:

They look like a fine set of "Roycrofters". Are they the deluxe limited editions on Japanese vellum?

>210 boldface:

HOME RUN !!!!!!!!!

They are indeed Roycrofter books. All but 1 or 2 are the deluxe limited editions which were notable for the following:

1. Limited to editions of 100 copies.

2. Printed letterpress on Imperial Japan Vellum paper.

3. Hand-illumination of the title page, initial letters, chapter headings, and colophon.

4. Deluxe bindings in 1/2 morocco (Nigerian goatskin) leather with hand-marbled paper over boards. Same marbled paper then used for the front and rear pastedowns and free endplates. The bindings featured elaborate
gilt decoration on the spines in the American Arts & Craft style typical of the Roycrofter community. Bindings were made in the workshop of Louis Herman Kinder, director of the Roycroft Bindery and one of the two finest
American bookbinders in the first few decades of the twentieth century (note: the other master binder was Lorenz Schwarz).

5. Signed by Elbert Hubbard.

All of these little books are well over 100 years old. As an aside, several of these books have titles pages designed by Dard Hunter. Shortly thereafter, Hunter left the Roycroft community to begin his remarkable career and life journey traveling around the world documenting the history of fine handmade papers in numerous cultures, then publishing his own private press books at his Mountain House Press which would include magnificent samples of these rare handmade papers.

Center: shelves four and five.

Center: bottom two shelves (shelves six and seven).

>214 dlphcoracl:

Couldn't help but notice the Guy Sajer Forgotten Soldier: a great memoir.

>215 LesMiserables:

Appropriately, it is next to Vasily Grossman's Russian memoir of the Eastern front, 'A Writer at War', one of the other truly great works of literature regarding WW II from a firsthand observer.

>216 dlphcoracl:

I haven't read that, I'll make a note of it. I've read Sajer twice. First time when I was posted to the Falkland Islands, if I remember correctly, and last time in the last few years.

>217 LesMiserables:

'A Writer at War' was published by the Folio Society earlier this year and their edition is superior to my 1st edition copy. It includes additional photographs and their photos are different from those in the 1st edition copy - they are larger and superior. By superior, I mean to say that the actual photos in the FS edition are different and are well chosen. And, of course, the paper and type in the FS edition are superior to the trade copy, making the WW II photos even more compelling. I am hoping that it is included in the FS New Year's sale so that I can order the FS copy.

Highly recommended.

>218 dlphcoracl:

Okay, I'm convinced :-)

My Folio collection reunited, reassembled and reorganized:

>220 drasvola: awesome!

>220 drasvola:

Absolutely beautiful.

I can recognize numerous FS titles from your photo and this is a well chosen collection, IMHO.

>220 drasvola: My Folio collection reunited, reassembled and reorganized

Looks splendid. I must say I'm particularly envious of the gaps. I wish I had some :)

>220 drasvola: Lovely! I recognize the Complete Peanuts along the top, but what is the white series?

>220 drasvola: congratulations, Antonio: what a handsome wall of books, and presented within such beautiful fitted bookshelving, curated by three striped Huxleys. I see the couple of volumes you have that belong to the 10" full leather LE classics ('Aeneid-Ulysses') series are my two favourites: Don Quixote and Moby Dick. Impeccable taste, sir! ;)

>220 drasvola: Antonio, awesome! Well done!

>220 drasvola:

An impressive collection, Antonio, and great to see them all together. Like Glenn/folio_books, I also covet those gaps!

Many thanks to all my fellow devotees for your thoughtful and kind comments.

>221 lechacal: Very nice of you to post your view on my books.

>222 dlphcoracl: Collections are so personal, I imagine. I have many books on historical and social issues.

>223 folio_books: The gaps are a consequence of putting together books on the same subject, author or even size. I also try to give the volumes some breathing space! Unfortunately, they tend to fill up rather fast.

>224 kronnevik: Yes, that's the Complete Peanuts collection which finished its publication just a few weeks ago with ancillary matter 1950-2000. The white series collect one hundred titles on world literature published in Spanish by El libro Aguilar.

>225 cronshaw: You are so perceptive and as always a delight to read! Those cats perform a very important supervisory function in keeping away nosy intruders. I sense that we share common tastes in literature.

>226 N11284: Very kind, John. I appreciate your words.

>227 boldface: Jonathan, nothing to compare with your shed which remains the absolute standard in my view. The gaps are a mere illusion...

>228 drasvola: The gaps are a consequence of putting together books on the same subject, author or even size.

I could do that. But I'd still have no space to add more Folios :(

>228 drasvola: I also try to give the volumes some breathing space!

Which, of course, is the ideal. But I'm now in the position that for every new Folio I buy, one of the non-Folios heads towards the local charity shop. I think that a better solution than storing books in the attic, which I did for a number of years. Trouble is, I'm beginning to run out of non-Folios ...

I love your collection and your shelves and am exceedingly envious!

Edited for an afterthought.

>229 folio_books:

Thanks again for your kind comments. As collectors and amateur librarians we wage a constant struggle between the needs to keep books and the available place to keep them. I find myself that it's very hard to dispose of books in any way, manner or fashion. This time I was able to recover a full wall for shelf space and, after much cajoling and patience, persuaded my local village carpenter to build me the shelves. The new space allowed me to bring together my Folio books which had previously been dispersed. A second stage now is to reorganize my comics collection (four times as large). I see myself being pretty busy in the coming months.

>220 drasvola: drasvola: One look at your shelfie photograph and my heart felt light and I heard angels sing. Love it!

>230 drasvola: This time I was able to recover a full wall for shelf space

A few months back, after some deft juggling and rearranging furniture I managed to create sufficient space in my bedroom for another bookcase. That is it - there is absolutely no possibility of another one anywhere else. The new bookcase is now fully occupied by my latest Folio acquisitions, It has meant a temporary reprieve for non-Folios which would otherwise by now have been disposed of. But now it's crunch time again so for every new one I add, something has to go. I hate parting with books, but what else is there to do? "Winning the Lottery" assumes an even greater urgency.

>231 FranklyMyDarling:

I'm so glad that was your reaction. I've felt the same way but most times when actually reading a book ;) Thank you for your kind comment.

I come late, Antonio, to offering my admiration of the effect of your new display. Very handsome indeed. And the sly wit of putting Lolita next to the Alice set ...

I like the shelving. The three bays are about the size I shall have available next year, I hope, guessing them each at about a metre wide? I have the problem of building the wall, not merely reclaiming it, so there's plenty of opportunity for the plan to go astray. Nor will the resultant shelving be a Faddict's dream of gaps to fill: my house in SW France is on the market with the prospect of a sale by midsummer, and over a thousand books have found their way over there. I, too, find it very hard to part with books under any circumstances, but there will have to be a firm line taken on repatriation: I'm setting a target of 200/250 as the maximum, with the idea that will allow book buying to go for a year or two more, if I'm spared.

>234 affle:

Thank you for your comments. Alan: the sly wit is rightfully all yours, and I congratulate you heartily on your bon esprit!. Perhaps there was an unconcious effect working, but size was probably the main cause...

You are guessing right about the width of the shelves (I'm not present when writing this). The main consideration being, of course, that they do not bend under the heavy weight of the books. One meter seems just right if you do not want boards that are too thick. Moving, and moving books especially, is a frightful prospect to contemplate. I wish you all the patience that you can muster, and a successful outcome at culling your collection. Hope that no Folio stays behind, although SW France is not a bad place to remain. In any case, I'm wishing you many years to enjoy your new wall, your new bookcases and your many old friends.

A small selection from my dad's collection. Mostly 3rd or 4th impressions.

I was inspired by the cases here! I wanted to share my favorite thing, my book case that goes down my stairwell.

Just one more from another angle.

> 238, >239 MegEynons:

Neat!

>240 boldface:

Just the thing for the shed?

>241 folio_books:

Well, I could certainly do with another storey on top.

>238 MegEynons:
Wow!
That's a serious book collection and a great bookcase.

>239 MegEynons:
Fantastic

It is Anubis Gates published by the Centipede Press.

My little collection is growing nicely:



Image fail. Meh.

https://goo.gl/photos/1u44SUpTN3jgw5zT7

My FS book collection has steadily expanded.



Another dozen or so standard editions, and 17 LEs are housed elsewhere in the library.
Larger scale photo at:-
https://www.flickr.com/photos/warwick_carter/34960265045/in/dateposted-public/

>246 leemeadowcroft:
Off topic but I couldn't fail to notice that your collection contain the slipcased editions of Harry Potter (gift editions if I remember blomsbergs name for the format correctly). I am intreated in them myself (since folio is not likely to publish Harry Potter for many years to come or ever) and was just wondering what the quality is like? I have looked at the standard edition book set but was not plased with the paper quality. How is the paper in the gift editions? Acid neutral? Are the bindings of okej quality? Sewn or glued?

Sorry for all the questions and going off topic but I would love to get an opinion on these books from someone familiar with high quality books (folio society).

>248 GilbertSWE: Hi, those are indeed the Bloomsbury Harry Potter Gift Editions. The final book is to be published in July and I have it on pre-order.

They are nice editions, not as good material quality as Folio books but perfectly good enough for display and reading. The paper is not hugely different to a standard hardback, it isn't named and isn't stated as being acid neutral. The bindings are sewn and appear sound with ribbon marker in the same colour as the slipcase. The set as a whole is colourful and fun for the bookshelf with all different colour books and slipcases, the covers are printed with gold on the spine and some gold lineart on the front that matches the design on the slipcase. There's also a map on the first few pages although this also brings criticism as it detracts from the imagination. The font style is bespoke and is a good size. At approx £25 per book (£175 for the full set) you can't really fault them.

If you wanted a really special set then Bloomsbury are also publishing the Deluxe Illustrated Slipcase Edition set and are up to the third book at present. These are much more expensive at £150rrp per book and beyond my reach!

http://www.harrypotter.bloomsbury.com/uk/gift-editions/
http://www.harrypotter.bloomsbury.com/uk/bookshop/illustrated-editions/harry-pot...

>249 leemeadowcroft:
Thank you for your awnser! Seems like the books are of descent quality and of good value for the money asked. The delux editions are indeed out of my reach as well and not really what I'm after. I just want a superior edition of Harry Potter that will last a good amount of years without yellowing pages and lose bindings. Preferably one that looks good on the shelf as well. It seems that these editions are the closest to what I want currently on the market. What I would truly wish for I a folio set or that someone like Everymans library started publishing them. Probably not going to happen though.

Sorry for hijacking the thread. I now promptly return it to its intended purpose.

>67 wcarter: OMG why does adding a pic have to be so complicated?😕

My Shelfies!

>256 Shaliza:
Looks great!

Finally managed to post the picture!

>258 lfsmagina: The Southpark characters are a nice touch.

>256 Shaliza:

Just curious but does the slipcase for your copy of Rubicon have a curved opening or is it straight-edged?

My now overflowing bookcase (the one with most of my FS and LEC collection), with all but 4 of the Oxford Shakespeares on top. I hope to finish that set someday, but it may prove difficult.

>260 adriano77: It has a straight edge and looks just a little too big for the book actually.

>262 Shaliza:

Ah, okay, mine is the same way. I guess that's normal for the book. Thanks.

>261 chrisrsprague:
A fantastic collection!

Been collecting for about a year:

>265 LondonLawyer: Been collecting for about a year:

Well I've been collecting for forty years and there's six titles on your shelves I don't have, so I guess that confirms you're off to an excellent start. Very impressive!

>265 LondonLawyer:
What a great collection of history books! Congratulations on “A Distant mirror” - I’ve missed it in the last sale.

Think you need to move The Hobbit up one shelf!

>268 mdwhitby:

Don't you know that Hobbits live down below? ;-)

Quite right - I've just noticed The Hobbit is out of place! I think the whole thing needs a bit of re-ordering at some point. My history volumes aren't quite in chronological order, for example.

Most of my collection comes from (i) the members' room closing down sale last December (I was fortunate to be working five minutes away and returned multiple times to buy about 50 books in total); (ii) the January and July FS sales; (iii) several Ardis bulk purchases; and (iv) the odd eBay splurge.

Sadly, I am now out of shelf space. I'm saving up for a much larger floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall bookshelf in my lounge that should be able to house enough volumes to satisfy my collecting ambitions for the next few years. This is turning into a rather expensive pastime!

Weekend means inevitable shelf rearranging, took some quick and noisy pics:

>271 Rodomontade:

That's quite a lovely collection.

>271 Rodomontade:
Your bottom shelves descend in the wrong direction.

Speaking of Bottom's I'm glad to see Arno Schmidt sitting on your shelf. One day I'll finish my copy, but until then it has me in hysterics each time I open it.

A marvellous collection!

I've been looking for a Hobsbawn set for ages but the ones I find are always too expensive! Very nice collection

Thanks for the kind words!

My rearrangement was not a success really: I have a set of Myths & Legends without a shelf, still at an utter loss as to where to put the Mappa Mundi box, and Johnson's Dictionary has been banished with the other dictionaries to an entirely separate section of the house. The Oxford Shakespeare's current address, I have been assured by my partner, is suffered temporarily.

>273 Santas_Slave: Haha, I tried to be fancy and alternate the pattern like:

\/
/\
\/
/\
/\

Turns out it's only apparent if your book heights vary to the extent of LECs — FS, Taschen and Abbeville Press are too uniform!

In 2050, when I might have finished Bottom's Dream, my overweening ambition was to compare it to the German original next to it. Considering my German is at Kindergarten level, I'll need to those intervening decades, and probably more.

>274 lfsmagina: Along with a couple of other titles, the fact FS had published something like Hobsbawm convinced me they were, in common parlance, legit. There can't have been too many sets printed, it doesn't seem to come up second-hand very often, and the few that have tend to be from Ardis.

>275 Rodomontade:

I'm curious about the wooden box for your Pepys - did it come that colour? Mine is blond, much the colour of your bookshelf, suggesting a rather startling variability.

You're right about there not seeming to be many copies of the Hobsbawm - I looked for ages for mine; seems a shame there aren't more, as I reckon it's one of their best history sets.

>276 affle: Good eyes — that's not the original Pepys box, which did not survive the transit to the antipodes. My multi-skilled father knocked a new (and sturdier) one up for me. My sole contribution was to pick the shade of varnish closest to Anne Muir's marbling I could find.

>271 Rodomontade:
What a wonderful collection. Where are you in Australia? I would love to exchange notes about books with you.

>278 wcarter: Thanks Warwick, your own is superlative! I'm in regional Victoria — always up for some bibliophilic bavardage.

>275 Rodomontade:

I see! I did not consider the symmetry!

Only three decades? How ambitious of you, I wish you well with you endeavours; I, for one, could spend a lifetime in your library.

>271 Rodomontade: Those are some very long shelves with no middle support. Lovely library :)

>271 Rodomontade: The scale of your library hit me at the third picture, where the Metamorphoses LE (my biggest book by quite a margin) looks absolutely tiny. Always a pleasure to see a library like yours, thanks for sharing!

>281 AnnieMod: Thanks, stress testing — also, sneezing is verboten at chez Rodomontade.

>282 Fierylunar: I was almost tempted to commit a pun upon books and Sir Mixalot lyrics, but the pungency of which I shall consign to the imagination only.

We recently had a new bookcase made to order, and it finally came in:









Quite a hassle choosing which books get to go in there and which ones fit, as the top two shelves are just a bit too small to place your average Folio Society book. We might rearrange a few books still, but it's fine for now.

>284 Fierylunar:

What a great idea! I like it! Thanks for posting.

I love this thread, I'm extremely disappointed that so many images seem to be missing from here.

>286 CobbsGhost: Doesn’t time fly - just realised the 2 year old in the photo in the first post will be 11 this year !

>287 antinous_in_london:

It really does, it's quite a spectacular blur the 2-year-old provides via motion, I'm sure the 10-year-old version is not quite so intense. That puts your, then 2-year-old, the same age as my daughter. We were picking out baby photos for the yearbook earlier this week!

>286 CobbsGhost:

Unfortunately, those photos were posted via the TinyPics hosting website and they have gone the way of many fledgling small tech startups, i.e., the company no longer exists. With their disappearance, the photos went with them. If there is anything specific you wish to see I can repost it for you on this thread.

That's the reason I always have uploaded all my photos to the junk drawer in LT under my member's profile and linked them when necessary

Well, since I was rearranging books to dust anyway, a shelf with some folios (and also other stuff):

>289 dlphcoracl:

You had so many photos. It seems like a lot of work gone to the wayside. I'd hate to make requests. However, I think a good many would enjoy a few overalls that captured all of the wonderful books?

Here's the shelf where I keep most of my FS and LEC editions:



And here's the one with most of my LEs and private press books (although many are shelved spine inwards, which I guess makes it less interesting):

>293 ubiquitousuk: Very nice! They look cool with the mylar wraps.

I would love to see you do a video review of the LEC "Life of Samuel Johnson" if you're taking requests.

>294 PartTimeBookAddict: thanks. Yes, I hope to do a review of that one soon. I just first have to buck up the courage to read a three-volume biography, not my goto genre... But they're nice books, printed by the Curwen Press, so there's at least a tactile pleasure awaiting me in reading them.

>295 ubiquitousuk: I've been eyeing that set for a while for when I find the time to tackle this book. Ah, the common refrain...

What is this, Facebook?

>297 What_What: what’s wrong with sharing pictures?

>298 RRCBS: I don’t know - ask the people in this group, who don’t hesitate to take a swipe at FB devotees who post shelfies. I always got the impression they thought it was vapid stuff, way beneath them. Turns out there’s a years old thread doing the same thing.

🤷‍♂️

>299 What_What:
The only example I can recall of a swipe at Devotees who post shelfies is >297 What_What:

I noticed that, at >220 drasvola:, the posting of the picture had disappeared, so I've been brazen enough to repost it. My apologies to non-interested participants.

>286 CobbsGhost:
>292 CobbsGhost:

Probably not worth reposting all or even the majority of lost TinyPic shelfie photos from days bygone. However, I have posted a short series of new shelfies below, FWIW. In each photo I will identify something of interest.

Shelfie #1: Janus Press masterworks - Circus of Dr. Lao and The Tragedie of King Lear



Shelfie #2: The Nonesuch Press Complete Shakespeare (7 vols.)



Shelfie #3: Doves Press poetry collections



Shelfie #4: Golden Age (1900-1925) illustrated folk/fairy tale books



Shelfie #5: Arion Press books



Shelfie #6: Stanbrook Abbey & St. Teresa's Press books



Shelfie #7: The Arion Press 'Ulysses' with Robert Motherwell illustrations



Shelfie #8: The Golden Cockerel Press quadrilogy



Shelfie #9: Folio Society

As I do not come from an English speaking culture or country I must admit that I was unaware of Folio Society (FS) until late 2019 and did not know of this site until 2020. Seeing these shelf images and the books therein contained make me better understand and appreciate the comments in various subsections on this forum on the decline of what Folio Society publishes. If the Wikipedia entry is correct “the firm's goal was to produce editions of the world's great literature, in a format worthy of the contents, at a price within the reach of everyman.”. This was also my believe when I first found FS that here I had found a publisher who published more durable editions of books owned, read and loved to the degree I wished to purchase them to replace lost, damaged by use and time, as well as those that warranted editions that showed them better respect than e.g. the paperback edition originally purchased in. As I prefer new to used, perhaps romantically believing that new book is a new journey, whilst a used book comes with prior history, I have not looked much beyond what is now available from the webstore. Hence my comment, the first I have felt the need to provide to this forum, of a thank you for reviving this section. The images shown show that these books are part of a living life containing individuals of clearly different financial means that display their affection for the written word, but at the same time I also feel that something has been lost. FS today appears more to be focused on editions worthy of the content but not any longer at a price within the reach of everyman, nor the range of past publications going more for what is popular, what sells than provide editions of titles that are part of the world's great literature that have become lost and deserve to be brought to light again, as otherwise the past is censored more than by just changing words, but by removing ideas and culture. Perhaps instead of competing with fine press editions by making these strange limited and special editions that have been produced the last few years, they ought to focus on keeping their past editions in print allowing new and old customers to build collections as seen here. I do realize that we are not in 1947 now and things change. I also understand that the recent years have been financially fruitful, but my feeling is that something has been lost. Excuse the length of this text, but I had to address the feelings these posts evoked and perhaps in someway counteract the point that theses postings have little purpose.

>302 dlphcoracl: this is most impressive, it's hard to know where to start.

Having a Cranach Hamlet and that not being what you choose to highlight on a shelf just says it all...

I see a book titled A House by the Sea. Is that a special edition of the Whittington Press/Miriam Macgregor book?

>302 dlphcoracl: That is ridiculous! So many amazing works.

Are there two copies of the Bruce Rogers/Lawrence Odyssey on shelf one in different conditions? If so, is there a good reason for not selling the version in worse condition?

Thank you for posting those photos, they look incredible!

>305 DMulvee:

The two copies of the Bruce Rogers/T.E. Lawrence Odyssey are both in fine condition. The second copy was acquired in an obscure auction in which I was interested in several other books but not this copy of the Odyssey. Inexplicably, no one bid on it and I purchased at well below its pre-auction estimate with the intent of using it as a source of funds for another private press book at a later date.

>304 ubiquitousuk:

Yes. That is the special edition of Miriam Macgregor's 'A House by the Sea' from the Whittington Press.

>302 dlphcoracl: Wow. While I was aware you owned a number of these from your input in the fine press forum seeing them all together is really quite something. That Dolmen Press Dubliners is fantastic.

>308 assemblyman:

Since you appear to be a fan of the Dolmen Press, I have posted below photos of a unique copy of a Dolmen Press classic in a bespoke full morocco binding. The binding was designed by illustrator Louis le Brocquoy.

Photo #1



Photo #2



Photo #3



Photo #4



Photo #5



Photo #6



Photo #7



Photo #8



Photo #9

>309 dlphcoracl: Thank you and yes I am a fan. I have been flirting with the idea of collecting some of their limited edition titles for a while now. Not the ones you have as they would be out of my reach but I have my eye on a possible few. I still enjoy seeing the higher end ones on a shelf.

>302 dlphcoracl:

Thanks for taking the time to post these. My reading is quite different than yours and I appreciate these photos. They make a fantastic research tool. Such a great collection and it's absolutely beautiful!

Shelfie #2, there's a 'Shyp of Fools', If you dont mind sharing who published that?

>303 2261:

Your sentiment is spot on, and some of us long for the days when Folio was the greatest publisher for diversity, quality and affordability. They have always published pop, they are just riding the gravy train and seem to lack the creativity of yesteryear.

That is why these photos are so wonderful, no matter how much info the group puts into the wiki, seeing the books together brings focus on otherwise forgotten books.

>311 CobbsGhost:

The Shyp of Fools by Sebastian Brandt, translated by Alexander Barclay (1509), High Loft Press (the printing office of August Heckscher, Seal Harbor, Maine, 1982. Edition of 200 copies. Set in 16 pt. Blado type, printed on handmade Gutenberg paper. Illustrated with reproductions of numerous woodcuts from the earliest editions (16th and 17th centuries), primarily the work of Albrecht Dürer. Bound by Gray Parrot in Fabriano paper over boards with quarter linen cloth spine.

Highly recommended.

The revived interest in this thread is an opportune moment for me to show off my newest warbdrobe-cum-bookcase for my larger books and fine editions that I recently finished assembling but also to perhaps share some useful experience on the cheap Ikea hacks. This Pax unit was perfect for my needs in terms of dimensions however as it's designed mainly to hold folded clothes and the few odd pairs of shoes I had to do some extensive work on reinforcing the shelf supports. This involved purchasing all metal pins (instead of the plastic ones supplied from Ikea, though the seller doesn't specify what metal it is), as well as 4 additional and hefty 4mm thick steel brackets per shelf. I have no doubt they will do the job, the question is whether the particle board can take the weight.

I measured the middle shelf containing all my fine editions and they come in at a whopping 28ish kilos. I also reinforced the shelves themselves with a pair of 4mm thick, 30cm long steel joining plates that will hopefully reduce shelf sag in the long run, an unfortunate issue with every ikea kind of shelf I've owned.

I honestly don't know whether this was overkill or insufficient but I'd rather the former than the latter. Wherever you are around the world if you one day happen to hear off in the far distance a prolonged and distressed wail then you'll know it all collapsed into a heap.

>314 wongie:
Looks great! I have a question, if you don't mind. How did you fix the brackets to the walls of the wardrobe-cum-bookcase and the plates to the shelves? Screws? Thank-you.

>314 wongie: I also had worries about sagging shelves , but instead of adding brackets at the centre/edges when constructing the units i used round steel rods the same diameter as the holes & added additional holes on each side so they provide support along the whole length of the shelf. Each shelf now sits on metal pins & 2 steel support rods. Even if the shelf totally breaks in the middle for some reason the rods would still hold it up & stop it from total collapse onto the shelf below.

>315 drasvola: Yes, both the L brackets and the straight ones under the shelf are fixed in with screws, 20mm M4.

>316 antinous_in_london: Good idea, would certainly have looked into this method if I had it in mind before. I'd imagine the tricky part would be finding the right length rods or some way of cutting them without a saw.

>317 wongie: Thanks for the very informative and helpful answer.

>317 wongie: I bought a hacksaw for £4 (about $6) to cut the rods, so wasn’t a huge problem

Three of the shelves from the narrow case in my office. A mixture of books, chapbooks, and some fine-press-adjacent publications. The larger books and the boxes of broadsides/ephemera are shelved elsewhere in the house.





EDIT: And no, that's not warping on Lohengrin on the middle shelf. It's an illusion caused by the camera angle and lens. I just double-checked. 😊

>320 Shadekeep: Which edition of Agememnon is that?

>302 dlphcoracl: >314 wongie: Ah, two sightings of the Chester River Heart of Darkness! A book at the top of my wishlist, but a book I'll likely never own.

>321 SyllicSpell: It's the edition from Rampant Lions.

>320 Shadekeep:

What edition of 'Seneca' is on the L-side in your last photo?

>323 dlphcoracl: That is Juno Plots Her Revenge: Act One of Hercules Furens from Aralia Press. Nice deckles in that one, really pleasing all around.