Date: Fri 15-Aug-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDREA

Quick Words:

library-rare-books-Renjilian

Full Text:

Rarin' To Go: Specialty Books Offered At Library Book Sale

(with photos)

BY ANDREA ZIMMERMANN

The variety of rare and unusual books to be featured at the Cyrenius H. Booth

Library's 22nd Labor Day Book Sale is as broad as the range of prices

pencilled inside the book jackets - Civil War, handwritten poetry, Black

history, nature, sports, and commerce.

"It's very exciting and lots of fun to [come across an interesting book] and

do a bit of research on it," said John Renjilian, the rare books dealer who

contributes his time throughout the year to price and sell more valuable

volumes donated to the sale. "I live in Newtown. It's my way of helping the

community in general and the library in particular."

One of the most interesting finds has been Guthrie's Grammar of Commerce , an

1819 book with 26 fold-out maps of various countries designed for businessmen

engaged in commerce all over the world. It includes detailed information on

countries such as population, native language, how deep the harbors were. But

what is most intriguing is the disparity between date published and the date

of the text (not revised since 1785), maps (one created before 1764), and

typeface (that particular typeface where "s" looks like "f" was not in use

after 1800).

"Either [the publisher] found these sheets in a warehouse and added a new

title page, or he found the type still set in form and just reprinted it,"

said Mr Renjilian. This, perhaps the most expensive book at the sale, will be

"several hundred dollars."

Life and Campaigns of Lieut. General Thomas J. Jackson (Stonewall Jackson) by

R.L. Dabney, published in 1866, will be offered for $100. There are several

factors that make this book a collectible. "It is a book written by a

southerner about a southerner," said Mr Renjilian. "And its age, relative to

its subject - it was published two years after Jackson's death. It was

probably the first biography of him of any length."

Another book on the Civil War is Three Months in the Southern States: April to

June 1863 , written by Lieut Col Fremantle of the Coldstream Guards ($60).

Not all the items selected for inclusion are rare or expensive; some are

interesting and others, just plain fun, said the dealer.

For instance, the 1928 edition of Bases Full! by Harold Sherman. It's a fine

copy of a young adult book with a slightly chipped dust cover which, for a

kid's book, is remarkable, said Mr Renjilian. It bears a $10 price-tag.

Trout Fishing , by W. Earl Hodgson, is in with the rare books due to a

combination of its age and date it was published (1904). Similarly, The

Yellowstone National Park Historical and Descriptive , is "kind of neat"

because it was published in 1920.

Two volumes (one poetry, one stories) handwritten by Clara Greenwood between

1846 and 1883 will be offered for $125. A biography of Booker T. Washington,

written and inscribed by Shirley Graham, will go for $25. The Life of Roger

Brooke Taney, Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court by Bernard Christian

Steiner, is priced at $25 dollars because of the subject of the book and the

bookplate that indicates it was in the author's library. Also there is an

inscription by the three heirs of the author's estate.

Records will also be offered. Concert For Bangladesh (with booklet) will sell

for $30 at the library sale; a recent advertisement priced an unopened version

at $300.

"There is such a variety of really neat things," said Mr Renjilian, who has

been a rare books dealer since 1964. He is also an elementary school librarian

in Ridgefield. "There are a lot of decorated bindings, both in leather and

cloth, limited edition songbooks, 18th century, and new stuff that's cute."

By the end of the first day, about half of the rare books are sold, according

to Mr Renjilian.

The library book sale will offer 100,000 books and records, including

mysteries, novels, biographies, art, gardening, travel, cookbooks, sports and

children's books. Refreshments and a crafts fair will be held Sunday and

Monday.

The event will take place five consecutive days at Bridgeport Hall, Fairfield

Hills: August 30 and 31, 10 am to 5 pm; September 1, 9 am to 4:30 pm;

September 2, 2 to 8 pm; and September 3, 10 am to 4 pm. On Monday, from 9 am

to 2 pm, books will be sold at half-price; in the afternoon and all day

Tuesday, books will be $5 per bag. Any remaining books will be free on

Wednesday, but donations will be accepted.

Admission, $5, is charged on Saturday only.

For more information, call the library at 426-4533.