1Glacierman
There are collections and there are accumulations.
Collections are formed around a particular theme or subject. Author collections are the most common, but just about any theme or subject you can think of is collectible, and you might not have to spend a bank load of money to add books to your collection.
Here is one you may not have even been aware of: books published by or presented by a business primarily for their customers and employees. I give some examples below.
WESTVACO
One example is the series of 50 books published by and presented as Christmas gifts to the customers of the West Virginia Pulp & Paper Company, aka Westvaco. These were all designed and printed specifically for this purpose and all books came in a nice little slipcase. The books ran the gamut of subjects from literature to history, etc. Some titles:
Henry James. Daisy Miller, 1974.
Frank Forester's Complete Manual for Young Sportsmen, 1993.
Nathaniel Hawthorne. 20 Tales. 1983.
50 Authors, 50 Classics, 2007. An anthology, it also includes a separate bibliography of all 50 books in the series. The two volumes are presented in a clamshell case. This was the last book published by Westvaco.
These books are available at prices ranging from $10 or so on up, but most are reasonably priced at $20-$40.
ILLINOIS GEAR & MACHINE CO.
This company presented to their employees and customers specially bound Heritage Press books. They come in a full decorated leather binding with silk moiré endsheets. They add a presentation page before the HP title page and originally came in a slipcase which more often than not has not survived. These are very nice books and collecting them would make for an attractive and interesting collection. I have James Fenimore Cooper's The Spy from this series. It is a very nice volume. Understandably, these run a little higher in price, usually $50 and up.
Here is a list I just pulled from Via Libri. Take a look-see!
THE PRIVATE PRESS OF C. F. BRAUN
C. F. Braun & Co. was a large international petrochemical engineering company located in Alhambra, CA. The company was founded by Carl Franklin Braun in 1909. He was a reader, among other things, and the company published limited edition books for its employees and customers. They were nicely printed and bound, often in quarter leather over marbled boards. I own a copy of their edition of Prosper Merimee's Colomba (1958). This would be a nice series to collect. Some volumes were basically reprints of Limited Editions Club books, such as Pierre Loti's An Iceland Fisherman (1957).
Finis
There was a heavy equipment company whose name I cannot remember for the life of me which issued a series of trade books with their presentation page tipped in that were intended for customers and employees. I have two of these, but they are packed away in storage somewhere and I haven't set eyes on them in years. I have no doubt there are other such books just waiting for someone to find them. Happy hunting!
Collections are formed around a particular theme or subject. Author collections are the most common, but just about any theme or subject you can think of is collectible, and you might not have to spend a bank load of money to add books to your collection.
Here is one you may not have even been aware of: books published by or presented by a business primarily for their customers and employees. I give some examples below.
WESTVACO
One example is the series of 50 books published by and presented as Christmas gifts to the customers of the West Virginia Pulp & Paper Company, aka Westvaco. These were all designed and printed specifically for this purpose and all books came in a nice little slipcase. The books ran the gamut of subjects from literature to history, etc. Some titles:
Henry James. Daisy Miller, 1974.
Frank Forester's Complete Manual for Young Sportsmen, 1993.
Nathaniel Hawthorne. 20 Tales. 1983.
50 Authors, 50 Classics, 2007. An anthology, it also includes a separate bibliography of all 50 books in the series. The two volumes are presented in a clamshell case. This was the last book published by Westvaco.
These books are available at prices ranging from $10 or so on up, but most are reasonably priced at $20-$40.
ILLINOIS GEAR & MACHINE CO.
This company presented to their employees and customers specially bound Heritage Press books. They come in a full decorated leather binding with silk moiré endsheets. They add a presentation page before the HP title page and originally came in a slipcase which more often than not has not survived. These are very nice books and collecting them would make for an attractive and interesting collection. I have James Fenimore Cooper's The Spy from this series. It is a very nice volume. Understandably, these run a little higher in price, usually $50 and up.
Here is a list I just pulled from Via Libri. Take a look-see!
THE PRIVATE PRESS OF C. F. BRAUN
C. F. Braun & Co. was a large international petrochemical engineering company located in Alhambra, CA. The company was founded by Carl Franklin Braun in 1909. He was a reader, among other things, and the company published limited edition books for its employees and customers. They were nicely printed and bound, often in quarter leather over marbled boards. I own a copy of their edition of Prosper Merimee's Colomba (1958). This would be a nice series to collect. Some volumes were basically reprints of Limited Editions Club books, such as Pierre Loti's An Iceland Fisherman (1957).
Finis
There was a heavy equipment company whose name I cannot remember for the life of me which issued a series of trade books with their presentation page tipped in that were intended for customers and employees. I have two of these, but they are packed away in storage somewhere and I haven't set eyes on them in years. I have no doubt there are other such books just waiting for someone to find them. Happy hunting!
2varielle
>1 Glacierman: I have a few Westvacos. I’ll also mention R. R. Donnelly’s Lakeside Classics series. It was also a Christmas gift to employees and business associates for over 100 years. It featured first person narratives of some aspect of American history. I have most of them but am still looking for a few from their first fifteen years.
3Glacierman
>2 varielle: Oh, Lord! How could I have neglected to mention the Lakeside Classics! Thank you for correcting my oversight.
4Keeline
I don't know if they were so marked but Kingsport Press of Tennessee made items for their employees as I recall. They even had some miniature books.
There are many interesting forms of curated collections. Author, illustrator, publisher, series come to mind quickly as you mention. LT doesn't always make this easy to work with with the emphasis on "work" level information as opposed to gathering specific edition information. For example, if I have volumes in the Windermere series of illustrated classics, I have to use Collections and Tags to manage them.
One collection I have built and occasionally add to since the 1990s are a group of books that inspired Disney films and TV programs. When possible I get first American printings of the titles as well as other copies that seem likely to have inspired the film. The collection fills a large double-wide bookcase and this photo shows just the top few shelves. The books are arranged by the release date of the film, starting with Snow White from 1937. It is interesting to figure out which books fit, how to identify each first printing, and locate a copy. We have a few examples of novelizations after the film or releases of the original text of the story with the film title and illustrations.
Comparing the books with the films is its own interesting project. In some cases the film is better. Candleshoe is better than Christmas at Candleshoe by Michael Innes. Likewise Island at the Top of the World is better than Island at the Top of the World by Ian Cameron. The book is set in 1960s present-day with an oil exploration helicopter. The film from the 1970s is set around 1908 with a giant airship that would be at home in a Tom Swift story.
James
There are many interesting forms of curated collections. Author, illustrator, publisher, series come to mind quickly as you mention. LT doesn't always make this easy to work with with the emphasis on "work" level information as opposed to gathering specific edition information. For example, if I have volumes in the Windermere series of illustrated classics, I have to use Collections and Tags to manage them.
One collection I have built and occasionally add to since the 1990s are a group of books that inspired Disney films and TV programs. When possible I get first American printings of the titles as well as other copies that seem likely to have inspired the film. The collection fills a large double-wide bookcase and this photo shows just the top few shelves. The books are arranged by the release date of the film, starting with Snow White from 1937. It is interesting to figure out which books fit, how to identify each first printing, and locate a copy. We have a few examples of novelizations after the film or releases of the original text of the story with the film title and illustrations.
Comparing the books with the films is its own interesting project. In some cases the film is better. Candleshoe is better than Christmas at Candleshoe by Michael Innes. Likewise Island at the Top of the World is better than Island at the Top of the World by Ian Cameron. The book is set in 1960s present-day with an oil exploration helicopter. The film from the 1970s is set around 1908 with a giant airship that would be at home in a Tom Swift story.
James
7MyopicBookworm
Nice distinction. My accumulation includes a number of collections, notably works of the Inklings group. I have one or two publications which come into the special category of business presentations, though they are mainly produced by printers as distinct from publishers: such as a Christmas special from Oxford University Press (when it still was a printing business). I used to have a book on scallops which was published as a company special for the Shell oil company.
8Glacierman
>4 Keeline: Interesting focus for your collection! That would be a fun project. Identifying the associated books, then collecting them could be quite the challenge! I note you say you try for 1st US editions when possible as well as "other copies ...." The Swiss Family Robinson alone would be challenging. What have you done with that one? I have no idea what the 1st US edn was, but I know it has been printed many, many times, with even the LEC & HC getting into the act. One could actually form a collection of editions of just that title and it would keep you very busy.
Great idea for a collection.
Great idea for a collection.
9Keeline
>8 Glacierman:, obviously many books have a large number of editions and some are hard to find and expensive when found.
For The Swiss Family Robinson the first English language version was called The Family Robinson Crusoe and looked like this:
I do have several editions of the story in English.
When thinking about the editions that were most likely to influence the producers, writers, directors, etc., I have given some favor to the Windermere series published by Rand McNally of Chicago. Walt Disney was born in Chicago and spent his first 20 or so years in the Midwestern U.S. so these editions of titles that they filmed could be a common factor. It would be interesting to know which copies might be in the studio's library.
In some cases we have photos of books they used like Walt Disney shown with an edition of Uncle Remus: His Songs and Sayings
Here is another book with a firm connection to Walt Disney. It is the first edition of the title When Knighthood Was in Flower
Some stories or editions are just about impossible to find. But I'm pleased with the collection as assembled. From time to time I get to add something to it. The biggest growth of it was in the 1990s.
Disney Book to Film collection
James
For The Swiss Family Robinson the first English language version was called The Family Robinson Crusoe and looked like this:
I do have several editions of the story in English.
When thinking about the editions that were most likely to influence the producers, writers, directors, etc., I have given some favor to the Windermere series published by Rand McNally of Chicago. Walt Disney was born in Chicago and spent his first 20 or so years in the Midwestern U.S. so these editions of titles that they filmed could be a common factor. It would be interesting to know which copies might be in the studio's library.
In some cases we have photos of books they used like Walt Disney shown with an edition of Uncle Remus: His Songs and Sayings
Here is another book with a firm connection to Walt Disney. It is the first edition of the title When Knighthood Was in Flower
Some stories or editions are just about impossible to find. But I'm pleased with the collection as assembled. From time to time I get to add something to it. The biggest growth of it was in the 1990s.
Disney Book to Film collection
James
