Expository Writing
Like many artists, I've had several, sometimes overlapping vocations. A binding element of all of these has been writing and research. Along with my partner, I have written hundreds of well-researched brief articles describing items for sale for www.brothertownbooks.com, our online antiquarian book and paper ephemera business on Etsy (as Professorbooknoodle) and on AbeBooks. Writing about art historical topics is my favorite subject, but I enjoy researching, describing and explicating all kinds of cutural and historical artifacts. Below is a sampling of my short pieces on a wide variety of books, paper and antique items.
1970 Vincent Longo Exhibition Mailer/Invitation and Poster
American painter-printmaker Vincent Longo (1923 - 2017) made a decades long exploration of geometric abstraction and was a force in that late twentieth century movement. A cerebral abstractionist, Longo worked extensively with variations on the grid pattern as an archetypal visual motif. His paintings, etchings, woodcuts and hard-edged relief prints explored the grid in its many human-made manifestations across cultures and time.
Presented here is a scarce 1970 mailed exhibition announcement and poster for a show of prints by the American artist Vincent Longo at the Reese Palley Gallery, 93 Prince St, Soho, New York City.
The Reese Palley Gallery show ran from Oct. 17 - Nov 3. This otherwise wordless black and white mailer opens up into a large reproduction poster of a geometric line etching by Longo. Though it is nowhere mentioned on the poster, the piece reproduced is a somewhat small version of a huge 1967 etching by Longo entitled “Other Side.” This clever announcement strikingly showcased Longo’s print without title or explanation. The only information provided is The Reese Palley gallery’s name and address and the show’s date. (We have blurred the original recipient address for the sake of privacy).
This is a scarce and iconic piece of art world ephemera from the geometric abstraction movement of the late 1960s and ‘70. Though there is no date, the postmark reveals the year as 1970.
Item: Folded paper announcement/mailer/poster: 6 3/4” x 9 3/4” when folded; 16 5/8” x 26 5/8” when opened.
The Service Cookbook by Ida Bailey Allen, 1930s Depression-era Cookbook
Known as the "Nation's Homemaker," Ida Bailey Allen (1885 - 1973) was famous for her numerous cookbooks, her radio cooking shows in the 1920s and 1930s, and her role as home economics editor and writer for several magazines. A shrewd entrepreneur, Ida Bailey Allen was a pioneer cooking star, media chef and a public face of the home economics movement in the years of the Great Depression. Home Economics was a field of study that encouraged homemakers to approach domestic duties with a scientific pragmatism that included making the most of basic and inexpensive nutritious foods. This book, The Service Cookbook , does just that. Its plain tan cover and practical title-- in lower case letters-- were clearly designed to deliver a message about preparing a basic "good meal," a phrase Bailey Allen used freely. It is not surprising that the author quotes Eleanor Roosevelt, a major proponent of the Home Economics movement, in the book's forward: "We in this country have been rather negligent in the art of cooking; it is an art which not only serves the pleasure of the palate, but as well builds up the strength of a nation." The book includes in a very well arranged use of endpapers and layout, essential information about oven temperatures, measuring, and other cooking essentials. There are also several ads throughout the book.
A Retrospective Exhibition of Paintings by James Penney — 1955 Art Exhibition Catalog, April 3rd through 24th 1955 — Munson- Williams- Proctor Institute, Utica New York.
James Penney was a painter and art professor at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York and Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute in Utica, New York. Born in Missouri, he studied art in Kansas and at the Art Students League in New York City during the 1930s. Penney’s early work reflected city life during the Great Depression as well as the influence of his teachers at the Art Students League. His paintings from this period also had strong echoes of the Ash Can School, an early 20th century impressionist movement devoted to capturing the realities of urban life amongst the poor and working classes. Colors flowed more freely in Penney’s later pieces, which incorporated elements of abstraction and nature.
This brief catalog of a 1955 Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute retrospective show of Penney's work delivers much information: an excellent forward with biographical and critical information, a list of 48 works, six black and white photographs of paintings and a list of exhibitions till 1955.
Rare Civil Rights Movement Pinback Button
The item at hand is an extremely rare anti-lynching political pinback button with the words "Break the Noose." issued by C.O.R.E, the Congress of Racial Equality, in the midst of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. The Congress of Racial Equality was established in 1942 and was dedicated to "bring about equality for all people regardless of race, creed, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or ethnic background." Its founders were associated with, and inspired by, Mahatma Ghandi's teachings of non-violent resistance. C.O.R.E fought for the rights of African Americans and opposed Jim Crow laws in the south, organizing protests and campaigns against segregation and discrimination.
We found one example of a variation of this pinback having sold for a substantial price at auction. At the time of this listing, there are no others available for sale online.
Very Rare Board Game: Around the World with Nelly Bly
Nellie Bly was a fearless woman. A pioneering late nineteenth century reporter, she broke new ground in the field of investigative journalism. In 1887, Bly made national news by going undercover for ten days as a patient in the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s island in New York City. She experienced first hand the unspeakable abuse and neglect with which mentally ill patients were treated. Her expose in the New York World newspaper resulted in significant reform of the asylums in New York. In 1888, Bly cemented her fame by undertaking a trip around the world in less than eighty days. The goal was to beat the fictional record for round the world travel made famous by the enormously popular book, Around the World in Eighty Days, by Jules Verne. Again, Bly was supported by the editor of the New York World. She made the trip in 72 days, and became an international sensation. And incidentally, managed to meet Jules Verne in France.
Presented here is "Around the World with Nellie Bly," an antique board game published in 1890 by McLoughlin Brothers, which commemorated Bly's journey and was designed for players to trace her actual trip as they moved around the game board. The richlly illustrated chromolith board includes vignettes relating to her trip including drawings of Bly and Jule’s Verne, a speeding locomotive, a steamship, and scores of tiny images representing the locations she visited. This game is in complete, in its original box, with five game pieces, four spinners, and and instruction booklet. The game's cover shows Bly in her iconic houndstooth traveling coat and satchel. The chromolith illustrations are rich with jewel-like colors and gold. This is the original 1890 game. It is rarely found complete and in such well-preserved condition.
Hans Hofmann. Ten Major Works. Jan 11-30, 1969. Andre Emmerich Gallery. 41 East 67th Street, New York City.
This is an important 1969 exhibition catalog of works by Hans Hoffman, the famed painter and teacher who is often credited as being the father of abstract expressionism.
At a variety of venues, including the Art Student's League in NYC, and at his own school in Provincetown, MA, Hofmann taught many of the most influential abstract painters of the late 20th century. The list of his well known students is far too long to enumerate! He was known for introducing some of the concepts and theories which are central to the abstract expressionism movement.
Hofmann's own work was almost always characterized by vibrant patches and passages of nearly pure color. His compositions combined intuitive unbridled markings with measured areas of flat painted shapes. This catalog was published by the Andre Emmerich Gallery which represented Hofmann's estate.
This is an important 1969 exhibition catalog of works by Hans Hoffman, the famed painter and teacher who is often credited as being the father of abstract expressionism.
At a variety of venues, including the Art Student's League in NYC, and at his own school in Provincetown, MA, Hofmann taught many of the most influential abstract painters of the late 20th century. The list of his well known students is far too long to enumerate! He was known for introducing some of the concepts and theories which are central to the abstract expressionism movement.
Hofmann's own work was almost always characterized by vibrant patches and passages of nearly pure color. His compositions combined intuitive unbridled markings with measured areas of flat painted shapes. This catalog was published by the Andre Emmerich Gallery which represented Hofmann's estate.
Exhibition Catalog: Sam Francis New Work, 1984. Andre Emmerich Gallery. 41 East 67th Street, New York City.
This is a 1984 exhibition catalog of works by the painter Sam Francis who specialized in a later version of abstract expressionism characterized by splatters, swipes and flourishes of intensely colored and often transparent paint.
Francis came to abstract expressionism in the post Jackson-Pollack era. His emphasis on the transparency and fluidity of paint places him in close ranks with the likes of Helen Frankenthaler and the color field painters.
An Antique which tells a Lost Story of Friendship
Presenting an antique Irish Blackthorn Shillelagh or walking stick or cane, made in Tipperary, with a marked sterling silver collar elaborately inscribed with a message of friendship. The collar has a clear hallmark which identifies its maker as the Irish silversmith Charles Lamb. This mark dates to around 1893. The Shillelagh was made between 1893 and 1915 (see dating details below)
The engraving on the collar is quite lovely, both visually and sentimentally. It denotes that the shillelagh was a gift from a man in Nenagh Tipperary, Ireland to his old friend who had emigrated to Utica, New York. The inscription reads:
"A Tipperary Rife. To J.J. Nicholas, Utica, from his old chum, F.G. Morteshed, Nenagh."
"A Tipperary Rifle" which was another name for a Tipperary blackthorn shillelagh. We were able to identify both men: Francis George Morteshed, in Nenagh, who gave or sent this to his friend, passed away in 1915. Thus we know, from this date and from the silversmith's mark which is at oldest, from 1893, that the shillelagh was made between 1893 and 1915.
The shillelagh is 37 inches in length and approximately 1.75 inches in diameter at the thickest part.
There are some small areas of surface chipping to the varnished bark surface, and there is wear at the tip, which, from what we can tell, seems typical of shillelaghs of this age.
Exhibition Catalog: Oskar Schlemmer, from the Baltimore Museum of Art
Oskar Schlemmer, artist, painter, designer and choreographer was long connected with the Bauhaus Movement and German Modern Art. He is remembered as the choreographer of the avant garde Triadic Ballet and remains one of the greatest modern German Artists.
This massive book is a retrospective exhibition catalog published by The Baltimore Museum of Art in 1986. Illustrated with beautiful color plates and many handsome black-and-white photographs, this catalog memorializes the depth and extent of Schlemmer's accomplishments in many different mediums. The editors of the book are Arnold L. Lehmen and Brenda Richardson. the various texts in the book are by Vernon Lidtke, Karin von Maur, Nancy J. Troy, and Debra McCall. It's a splendid work and should provide much valuable information as well as hours of enjoyment.
TITLE : Oskar Schlemmer
EDITORS : Arnold L. Lehmen and Brenda Richardson
TEXTS : Vernon Lidtke, Karin von Maur, Nancy J. Troy, and Debra McCall
IMPRINT : The Baltimore Museum of Art (Prepared for the exhibitions to be held at The Baltimore Museum of Art, February - April 1986; IBM Gallery of Science and Art, N.Y., May - July 1986; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, August - October 1986; Walker Art Center, November - 1986 - January 1987.
PLACE : Baltimore:
DATE : 1986
EDITION : Not Stated — Privately Published for the Exhibits, patrons of the Museum, and the trade
Rare Antique Board Game: The Checkered Game of Life: 1st Milton Bradley Game
This is the playing board from 1866 edition of “The Checkered Game of Life,” a rare antique 19th century board game and most importantly, the very first board game issued by Milton Bradley. This specimen was the 2nd edition of this game, issued six years after the first version was published. The board presented here, having been published one year after the end of the Civil War and the Lincoln Assassination, has survived beautifully. See our condition description below.
Milton Bradley was a lithographer and designer whose venture into game production earned him a great fortune and a place in history. The Checkered Game of Life was the forerunner of the later Game of Life, produced in the 1960s, a full 100 years later, by the Milton Bradley Company.
Based on a checker board layout with squares containing words and images signifying key decisions and actions which might determine one's passage through life, The Checkered Game of Life was a pastime with a moral message.
Physical Description: This is a folded game board. The exterior is covered with lightly ribbed dark blue/green paper embossed with gold decorative lettering. The interior is a lithographic game surface printed in red, black white and gray with engraving-like illustrations. Dimensions: 16" x 8" closed; and 16" x 16" open.
Condition:
Exterior dark blue/green boards have surface wear and chipping at edges and corners, which are abraided, bumped and rounded. They have some random light spotting, and several spots when the surface has worn through. Boards open properly and are fully attached. The cloth binding/ spine fold is intact, though it has fraying and some areas of splitting. The Interior lithograph is clean and extremely crisp, the only exception being the upper right corner which must have gotten damp and quickly dried, producing a mild puckering. There is however, no bleeding, tide mark, or significant damage to the lithograph. The interior is otherwise, stunningly bright and well-preserved.
This is the playing board from 1866 edition of “The Checkered Game of Life,” a rare antique 19th century board game and most importantly, the very first board game issued by Milton Bradley. This specimen was the 2nd edition of this game, issued six years after the first version was published. The board presented here, having been published one year after the end of the Civil War and the Lincoln Assassination, has survived beautifully. See our condition description below.
Milton Bradley was a lithographer and designer whose venture into game production earned him a great fortune and a place in history. The Checkered Game of Life was the forerunner of the later Game of Life, produced in the 1960s, a full 100 years later, by the Milton Bradley Company.
Based on a checker board layout with squares containing words and images signifying key decisions and actions which might determine one's passage through life, The Checkered Game of Life was a pastime with a moral message.
Physical Description: This is a folded game board. The exterior is covered with lightly ribbed dark blue/green paper embossed with gold decorative lettering. The interior is a lithographic game surface printed in red, black white and gray with engraving-like illustrations. Dimensions: 16" x 8" closed; and 16" x 16" open.
Condition:
Exterior dark blue/green boards have surface wear and chipping at edges and corners, which are abraided, bumped and rounded. They have some random light spotting, and several spots when the surface has worn through. Boards open properly and are fully attached. The cloth binding/ spine fold is intact, though it has fraying and some areas of splitting. The Interior lithograph is clean and extremely crisp, the only exception being the upper right corner which must have gotten damp and quickly dried, producing a mild puckering. There is however, no bleeding, tide mark, or significant damage to the lithograph. The interior is otherwise, stunningly bright and well-preserved.
Conde Beveridge Exhibition Catalog: Political Landscapes
"Political Landscapes" is an exhibition catalog of a photographic collaborative team: Carole Condé and Karl Beveridge. The exhibition represents the worlds of various manual laborers, including local cod fishermen, and the industry that both supported and displaced them. This is photographic art in the service of economic equality and justice. Held at Gallery TPW - Toronto Photographers' Workshop, in Toronto, Canada, From April 30 to May 30, 1998, the catalog has an Introduction by Catherine Macleod, and an Essay by Clive Robertson. The original photographs are reproduced in high definition halftone and are presented in both monochrome and full color.
"Political Landscapes" is an exhibition catalog of a photographic collaborative team: Carole Condé and Karl Beveridge. The exhibition represents the worlds of various manual laborers, including local cod fishermen, and the industry that both supported and displaced them. This is photographic art in the service of economic equality and justice. Held at Gallery TPW - Toronto Photographers' Workshop, in Toronto, Canada, From April 30 to May 30, 1998, the catalog has an Introduction by Catherine Macleod, and an Essay by Clive Robertson. The original photographs are reproduced in high definition halftone and are presented in both monochrome and full color.