Brooklyn Antiquarian Book Fair

The 6th Annual Brooklyn Antiquarian Book Fair will be an exceptional event this year thanks to more than 110 dealers with over 50,000 items on display and for sale, as well as the fascinating speakers who will be on hand.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:
• Proof that Antiquarian Book Fairs are not just for the older set, unique one-of-a-kind items such as a first edition Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, one of only 5,150 copies in wrappers, will be on display and on sale.
• Graphic Novel Author Barbara Slate will be on hand both days for a book launch and signing of her work titled, “Mueller Report Graphic Novel.”
• “One Day You’ll See: A History of Afrofuturism” Art Exhibit with unique views of the future of black people in America.
• “Charles A.A. Dellschau and the Mythology of Flight,” shows the drawings and collages of Charles A.A. Dellschau that reveal his alternate view of the history of flight.
• Former Brooklynite A. N. Devers, now a resident of London, will showcase select works from her carefully curated collection. Devers is challenging long held stereotypes in the rare book world as the female proprietor of The Second Shelf, a rare book business that focuses on women writers.
• Ten seminars on a variety of unique topics and a special opportunity for attendees to bring a book that is related to childhood memories and tell its tale to the live audience as part of a ‘Show and Tale’ seminar.
• There will be a special “Bagels and Books” preview on Saturday from 10 AM to noon, the proceeds of which will go to scholarships to the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Risa B. Hoag, 845-627-3000, risa@gmgpr.com

Brooklyn Antiquarian Book Fair Will be a Cornucopia of Culture for All Ages
As Millennials Become the Fastest Growing Segment of Collectors
September 7 – 8 at the Brooklyn Expo Center

(BROOKLYN – August 23, 2019) — On September 7th and 8th, 2019, the Brooklyn Antiquarian Book Fair will return to the Brooklyn Expo Center for the sixth straight year. Since Brooklyn is a recognized hub of underground culture, this year the Fair will focus on subculture and a number of new trends in collecting. Among the topics are magic, mysticism, witchcraft, underground fanzine culture and more.

The Fair features 110 dealers displaying over 50,000 items for sale including vintage books, vernacular photography, and rare paper, prints and ephemera – all priced from under $50 to many thousands of dollars. There will be something for everyone – from the seasoned collector to the first-timer.

But that’s not all. The Fair will also present two exclusive art exhibitions, ten seminars and a free-of-charge appraisal clinic. And proof that Antiquarian Book Fairs are not just for the older set, unique one-of-a-kind items such as a first edition Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, one of only 5,150 copies in wrappers, will be on display and on sale. More one of a kind items can be found at this preview link: https://www.brooklynbookfair.com/2019-gallery. Harry Potter books, seminars on collecting grimoires (spell books) and numerous other interesting finds are sure to appeal to millennials along with hundreds of other items that could jump start a young adult’s collection.

“Our goal is to get people to start great collections one object at a time,” states Marvin Getman, Show Organizer. “More and more people are understanding and appreciating the intrinsic value of finding an object that not only has a history, but an object that also appeals to who they are and what they stand for. I believe that’s why we are seeing more and more millennials coming to our shows and picking up books and other memorabilia to start a simple but meaningful collection,” he added.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

Graphic Novel Author Barbara Slate will be on hand both days for a book launch and signing of her work titled, “Mueller Report Graphic Novel.” There will be a Read-In at noon until 1pm on Saturday, September 7th where attendees will be able to participate by reading a page from the book which will be projected onto a screen. Barbara Slate has been praised as “emphatically of our time” by The New York Times, “titanically talented” by comics legend Stan Lee, and “a groundbreaking artist” and “industry trailblazer” by the Pennsylvania College of Technology, which brought her in as Keynoter for their third ‘Wildcat Comic Con.’
She is best known as a pioneering feminist cartoonist bridging mainstream and alternative comics. Her creation of the empowering character Ms. Liz in the mid 1970’s propelled her to wide recognition when it was adopted as a series of animated features on NBC’s TODAY show in 1982.

One of the art exhibitions is entitled “One Day You’ll See: A History of Afrofuturism.” Afrofuturism is an umbrella term coined by culture critic Mark Drey to describe the body of work by African American artists and writers which provides unique views of the future of black people in America. “One Day You’ll See” chronicles the history of Afrofuturism from 1920 to the present day through books, comics, drawings, paintings, zines, sculpture, broadsides, music, album covers and posters. For more information about this exhibition, go to www.brooklynbookfair.com/afrofuturism.
The other art exhibition, “Charles A.A. Dellschau and the Mythology of Flight,” shows the drawings and collages of Charles A.A. Dellschau that reveal his alternate view of the history of flight. The history of flight is well documented as taking place during the late 19th/early 20th centuries. Dellschau’s artwork calls that history into question. Beginning in 1893, Dellschau created a body of work illustrating an alternate history of flight – one in which a secret society of German expat engineers invented the first flying machines in the 1850s. This exhibition presents Dellschau’s drawings and blueprints of the flying machines the artist claims to have witnessed 50 years before the Wright brothers. In his later work, Dellschau created collages including newspaper clippings of airplanes, zeppelins, blimps, hot air balloons and even UFOs, with his signature enigmatic notations and symbols. For more information about this art exhibition, go to www.brooklynbookfair.com/dellschau.
Former Brooklynite A. N. Devers, now a resident of London, will showcase select works from her carefully curated collection. Devers is challenging long held stereotypes in the rare book world as the female proprietor of The Second Shelf, a rare book business that focuses on women writers. Devers is also a writer, arts journalist, and critic who has written for The New Yorker, New Republic, Los Angeles Times, The Paris Review, Slate, Fine Books, and The Washington Post, among other publications.
Devers will have on display Vanessa Bell’s personal copy of The Voyage Out, the first novel by her sister Virginia Woolf. In addition, she will be bringing a diverse selection of first editions by women, as well as a variety of scrapbooks and manuscripts by women whose work hasn’t been seen before.
The ten seminars, which take place across both days, include such topics as collecting grimoires, a history of the work of 19th century spirit photographer William Mumler, a unique slideshow on the once-heretical 17thcentury treatise on alchemy “The Atalanta Fugiens,” and a special opportunity for attendees to bring a book that is related to childhood memories and tell its tale to the live audience as part of a ‘Show and Tale’ seminar. For details about all the seminars, visit the Fair’s website: www.brooklynbookfair.com.
The art exhibitions are free with a paid admission to the Fair. Tickets can be purchased in advance for a discount at www.bit.ly/brklnbook. While the seminars are also free with a paid ticket, it is advised that attendees reserve their seats to the seminars of choice on the same ticket site.
The Brooklyn Antiquarian Book Fair takes place on the weekend after Labor Day from noon to 7pm on Saturday, September 7th, 2019, and from 11 AM to 5 pm on Sunday, September 8th, 2019.It will be held at the Brooklyn Expo Center, 72 Noble Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Directions can be found on the website www.brooklynbookfair.com. To see scenes from past fairs, visit this link: https://vimeo.com/143692234

There will be a special “Bagels and Books” preview on Saturday from 10 AM to noon, the proceeds of which will go to scholarships to the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia. The free appraisal clinic is on Sunday from 11 AM to 1 pm. People are invited to bring three books and/or ephemera for a verbal appraisal by experts. A ticket to the book fair is not required for the appraisal clinic. Tickets to the Book Fair are $15 at the door or $10 if ordered online in advance. For more information on the Fair, go to www.brooklynbookfair.com.