Library Adventures: June 26 and July 10

June 26

Sometimes I wonder if the community views the Friends of the Library as a dumping ground. We’ve been seeing label makers, stuffed toys, and office supplies show up on the loading dock. That’s no surprise to me.

Two separate sticky notes. One reads, 'Delicate!! Nov of 1873, Leatherbound Bible w/ brass clasps' and the other reads, 'Upside-down to protect the broken spine from damage from being picked up.'

The Pictorial Bible, a thick, hardcover tome that looks as if it were gilded at one point, embossed with designs that look more like metal than leather.

Inside the Bible, which shows a collection of sample writings from ancient languages in Biblical times.

The stripped and broken spine of the Bible.

Seeing this, however, was a surprise. This is the kind of book I’d see at the antique mall, in a booth of gently used Vera Bradley handbags, perched almost reverently on a stack of TV Guides. Yes, mottled and falling apart at the spine and everything. In fact, I saw a similar Bible there a few years ago. Let me look through my photos…

An ancient hardcover Holy Bible, dingy with color peeling away from the raised patterns.

According to my phone, this was taken on June 23, 2022. Damn, if it had been on the 26th, I’d be spooked.

But getting back to my original thought, I wonder why this was dropped off with us. Either the donor couldn’t make the trip to the antique mall or didn’t know about it. In any case, it’s money for the library. I wonder if a potential buyer will try to haggle…

July 10

Summer must be the time for clearing out homes, because I remember seeing lots of vintage books around this time last year. Many of these offerings are of the religious variety, particularly hymnals and other church books.

A hymnal titled The Messiah, with the top of the spine peeled off.

A closeup of the torn spine covering, revealing paper underneath, part of which advertises children's clothing for five cents.

A small but interesting look at history. I have another old book like this, where the spine covering has peeled away, revealing the paper underneath. If I remember correctly, that particular paper had a sliver from a recipe for biscuits. As you can see, this one has part of an advertisement for a children’s dress for five cents (Jaysus, I could afford to stay on top of trends if clothes cost that much these days).

It seems bookbinders back then used whatever papers they could. I also find it interesting that the papers used for binding were either treated with chemicals or their molecular properties changed with the passage of time, because they’re no longer soft or pliable—they can chip away like crackers.

An inscription on the front endpaper, shown in its original form.

The same inscription, a sharpened to show the handwriting better, though not by much.

If I’m going to work in archives and preservation, I might as well get in some practice. I couldn’t make out the inscription here. My phone’s camera wasn’t helpful, and neither was the faded pencil on the light grey endpaper with visible fibers. I did my best in Affinity Photo. Considering these photos are for my own use and not an official collection, I think I can be excused for not doing a professional job.

This is what I could make out:

Presented to Anna M. Engstrom
By Rev. G.J. Mal[???]berg
Summer 1881
We’re visiting at Mr. N.M. [Johnson?]
N.W. of [undecipherable]

Enough of this amateur detective work. I wanna move on to something I really understand.

The cover for Everything Men Know About Women.

Famed psychologist Alan Francis, in collaboration with renowned behavioralist Cindy Cashman, has written a landmark book on men’s understanding of that most complex of creatures: woman. Based on years of research and interviews with thousands of men from all walks of life, they present the most complete picture ever revealed of men’s knowledge of the opposite sex. Fiercely frank and brilliantly insightful, this work spells out everything men know about such topics as:

  • Making friends with women
  • Romancing women
  • Achieving emotional intimacy with women
  • Making commitments to women
  • Satisfying women in bed

Well, now I gotta unravel the mystery!

 

I know some younger men might complain this is sexist and insulting. Perhaps it is. But Jaybles, an older man who’s been around the block a few times, threw his head back and laughed when he saw this.

The cover for Read Aloud Plays: The Middle Ages

Start those medievalists young. I would have loved to read this in middle school. Cripes, I’m an adult and I wanted to read it. This is essentially a collection of closet dramas, which is a mode I’ve been interested in writing. If you’re curious, the plays included are The Song of Roland, Bisclavret, Robin Hood Helps a Sorrowful Knight, The Making of the Magna Carta, The Divided Horse Blanket, Joan of Arc, Patient Griselda, and the old go-to, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

I borrowed The Dwarf by Pär Lagerkvist—because I couldn’t resist—but Jaybles brought along the best things for me to take home.

Two t-shirts: a blue one featuring the Noble Knight lying in wait for a dragon, and a green one with the Red Vox logo and a crow eating a worm.

Noble Knight Adventures and Red Vox shirts. Early birthday presents. It was a good haul after all.