The Brown Bag Lunch Series, presented by the ABAA Gender Equity Initiative, is a series of short virtual talks covering various topics, from crash courses in areas of expertise to best business practices. Please join the Gender Equity Initiative on Zoom on July 31st, 2024, at 2 PM ET for a Brown Bag Lunch Series with Jim Owens of Thorn Books. During the session, Jim will delve into a short overview of paper marbling, from the earliest known types in Japan ('suminagashi') through the rise and development of 'Turkish' marbling ('ebru'), an ..read more

The Brown Bag Lunch Series, presented by the ABAA Gender Equity Initiative, is a series of short virtual talks covering various topics, from crash courses in areas of expertise to best business practices. Please join the Gender Equity Initiative on Zoom on June 19th, 2024, at 2 PM ET for a group panel with Zhenya Dzhavgova, Andy Nettell, and Lizzy Young on a discussion unveiling who they are and what they do aside from being a rare book dealer.     June 19th, 2024, at 2 PM ET REGISTER HERE Zhenya Dzhavgova, ZH Books Zhenya wa ..read more

The Brown Bag Lunch Series, presented by the ABAA Gender Equity Initiative, is a series of short virtual talks covering various topics, from crash courses in areas of expertise to best business practices. Please join the Gender Equity Initiative on Zoom on May 29th, 2024, at 2 PM ET for a Brown Bag Lunch Series with Jim Owens of Thorn Books. During the session, Jim will delve into the historical significance of Victorian bookcloth, examining the factors that led to its emergence as a replacement for leather on books. He will explore ..read more

The Raab Collection this year marks its 35th anniversary in the business of discovering, buying, and selling important historical documents and autographs. Founded in 1989 by Steven S. Raab, an attorney and collector, the company has since grown into an international firm, serving both private collectors and major institutions around the world. To celebrate this milestone, Raab has updated and refreshed its notable website, and throughout this season will curate a collection and exhibition, “35 for 35,” that celebrates its role in uncovering pieces of history and unveils some documents n ..read more

Countee Cullen's Color has been reported missing from the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center collection. The book appears to have been sold by an auction house, and the University seeks information about its whereabouts. Please contact us if you have any information. First edition, first printing in dustjacket of Harlem Renaissance author Cullen's first book, including more than 70 poems. Inscribed to Augustus Granville Dill. Copy contains bookplate of the Arthur B. Spingarn Collection of Negro Literature ..read more

Fall 2024 ABAA Diversity Initiative Discovery Program   Program Overview The ABAA Diversity Initiative is proud to announce the first season of a guided discovery program for those historically underrepresented among workers in the trade—black, indigenous, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community. Designed to co-occur with annual ABAA book fairs, the program offers an introduction to antiquarian book fairs, career insight with ABAA members, visits to local ABAA member open shops/offices, networking with institution professionals, and more.   This Fall Diversity Discovery Program of ..read more

May 1 marks the hundredth birthday of Agnes Dawson, a mainstay of the Southern California book trade for over seventy-five years. Agnes’ career in the book world began when she met Muir Dawson in 1947. When they met, Muir and his elder brother, Glen, had recently taken over the management of Dawson’s Book Shop from their father, Ernest, who had founded the business in 1905. Agnes married Muir in 1948 and became immersed in the book trade: in a profile of Agnes in Zamorano Celebrates 90 (2018), Elizabeth Pomeroy explains that Agnes, Muir, Glen, and other Dawson’s staff traveled to Venice, to En ..read more

The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America is proud to announce sponsorship of the David Ruggles Prize.  The David Ruggles Prize is an international book-collecting prize to encourage and support young collectors of color. The Prize honors the legacy of David Ruggles, an early American abolitionist, publisher, and Underground Railroad conductor. The New York grocery store he opened in 1828 soon became the country's first Black-owned bookstore. Beyond rewarding existing collectors, this Prize hopes to encourage young book lovers to become book collectors.  The Prize awards ..read more

  The April Brown Bag Lunch Series will feature a panel discussion with ABAA members on the Expansion of Materials of the Antiquarian/Rare Books Trade. The webinar will focus on unique and unusual items, dealers expanding the diversity of traditional materials represented as antiquarian books, and more.   Please join the Gender Equity Initiative on Zoom on April 24th, 2024, at 2 PM ET for a panel discussion with Blank Verso Books, Munster & Company, and Toadlily Books.  Click here to register   Expansion of Materials of the An ..read more

The ABAA Gender Equity Initiative is proud to announce the fourth year of the ABAA Mentorship Program, designed to further the ABAA’s mission to promote ethical standards and professionalism in the antiquarian book trade, encourage the collecting and preservation of rare and antiquarian books and related materials, and facilitate collegial relations within the trade.   Goals ●  Further the mission of the ABAA. ●  Provide dealers early in their careers with the opportunity to advance their professional development. ●  Build a recruitment pipeline for the Association that e ..read more