Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Our Latest Catalog-

The Book Elves have always been a little more “literal” than is good for them, but they usually (well, sometimes) manage to get to the edge of the cliff without falling over, so I didn’t think too much of it when they said they were going to build an historical snow scene in the front yard. I didn’t even give it much thought when they announced the theme would be ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’.

So I suppose it’s all my fault, really.

I prefer to think of what happened as a case of “over-exuberance” (though the District Attorney insisted on calling it “reckless endangerment”). After all, they only “borrowed” those two howitzers from the local National Guard Armory, and the ensuing re-creation of the final charge was certainly dramatic, even if a few snow soldiers did end up on the neighbor’s roof. Of course the whole affair attracted the attention of a certain amount of press, not to mention an array of Federal and State authorities...

But before they spent three days explaining themselves to some not-very-amused FBI agents, the Book Elves finished our “Winter” catalog-

RECENT ACQUISITIONS ON ANTIQUES & THE ARTS- WINTER, 2008 features more than 300 books on furniture, folk art, silver, ceramics, glass, textiles, painting, prints, and much more, with a special section on Maritime Arts, and much material from the reference library of a noted New England
antiques dealer.

The catalog is posted online, or we also have printed copies available. Please send us your address if you would like a free copy.

Monday, February 18, 2008

We Hit Videoland...

Well, the Book Elves have hit You-Tube with our first bookish video. The subject is Gaspard Grollier de Serviere's 1719 book "Recueil d'Ouvrages Curieux de Mathematique et de Mecanique, ou Description du Cabinet de Monsieur Grollier de Serviere... ", a descriptive and illustrated catalog of the marvelous and curious mechanical models and ivory turnings constructed by Nicholas Grollier de Serviere, a soldier, turner, inventor and the author's father.

The video quality is not as sharp as we'd like, I think we have to get a better camera, but it's "one small step", as they say. Enjoy!