The American Collector


Book Description




The Collector's Apprentice


Book Description

The bestselling author of The Art Forger and The Muralist delivers a page-turning historical thriller of art and revenge, of history and love, that will transport readers to 1920s Paris and America. It’s the summer of 1922, and nineteen-year-old Paulien Mertens finds herself in Paris—broke, disowned, and completely alone. Everyone in Belgium, including her own family, believes she stole millions in a sophisticated con game perpetrated by her then-fiancé, George Everard. To protect herself from the law and the wrath of those who lost everything, she creates a new identity, a Frenchwoman named Vivienne Gregsby, and sets out to recover her father’s art collection, prove her innocence—and exact revenge on George. When the eccentric and wealthy American art collector Edwin Bradley offers Vivienne the perfect job, she is soon caught up in the Parisian world of post-Impressionists and expatriates—including Gertrude Stein and Henri Matisse, with whom Vivienne becomes romantically entwined. As she travels between Paris and Philadelphia, where Bradley is building an art museum, her life becomes even more complicated: George returns with unclear motives . . . and then Vivienne is arrested for Bradley’s murder. B. A. Shapiro has made the historical art thriller her own. In The Collector’s Apprentice, she gives us an unforgettable tale about the lengths to which people will go for their obsession, whether it be art, money, love, or vengeance.




Rare Book Hunting


Book Description

My essays and escapades span over thirty years of rare book hunting--an exciting journey that is ongoing. Many of my friends are rare book people, and much of my free time revolves around bookish pursuits. I can't recall a day without thinking about a book and seldom without handling one. I write regularly on my blog about rare books I've found and their history. Recently, my wife and I began plans to expand our library space by converting the attic above the garage, so it seems inevitable that the book you hold in your hand would come to fruition. If you're already a rare book hunter no further prelude is needed. If you have found this book through curiosity or happenstance, and it creates a spark within, I strongly encourage you to follow your own book hunting path. The rewards are great and the space concerns never-ending. Kurt Zimmerman is a highly regarded book collector and author. He has been collecting for over thirty years in two areas: association items related to book collecting history (currently 7,000+ items) and first editions of Latin American literature (over 2,000 items). He received his Master's in Library and Information Science degree from UT-Austin while completing a three year internship at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center. There he learned bibliography and rare books from the best in the field. He worked in the rare book trade and as director of the rare books & maps department at Butterfield & Butterfield auction house (now Bonham's) in San Francisco. Zimmerman is a co-founder of the Book Hunters Club of Houston. His established is popular blog bookcollectinghistory.com in 2011. The author can be reached directly at [email protected].




American Axe


Book Description

From bronze axes of the Viking conquests to the American homesteader’s felling axe, this is a tool that has shaped human history like few others. American Axe pays tribute to this iconic instrument of settlement and industry, with rich history, stunning photography, and profiles of the most collectible vintage axes such as The Woodslasher, Keen Cutter, and True Temper Perfect. Combining his experiences as a forester, axe collector, and former competitive lumberjack, author Brett McLeod conveys the allure of this deceptively simple woodcutting implement and celebrates the resurging interest in its story and use.




The Art of the Muscle Car


Book Description

“Just what is a Muscle Car?” Road Test magazine asked in June 1967. The answer: “Exactly what the name implies. It is a product of the American car industry adhering to the hot rodder’s philosophy of taking a small car and putting a BIG engine in it. . . . The Muscle Car is Charles Atlas kicking sand in the face of the 98 horsepower weakling.” Unconcerned with such trivial details as comfort and handling, the vintage American muscle car was built for straight-line speed and quickly became the ride of choice for power-hungry racers and serious gearheads. In a country where performance was measured in brute force, a quarter mile at a time, the muscle car was the perfect machine. In the intervening years, these down-and-dirty, high-performing beauties have earned their place in the automotive pantheon. As prized by collectors and aficionados as they are by denizens of garages and drag strips, classic muscle cars now fetch upwards of a million dollars at auctions and feature in any story of America’s automotive glory days. The icons of muscle car art—including Camaro and Chevelle SS, the Hemi and 440-6 ’Cuda, Challenger, Roadrunner, Super Bee, GTX, Super Bird, Daytona Charger, Super Cobra Jet and Boss Mustang, Talladega Torino, Buick GSX and W30 Oldsmobile 442, and AMX Javelin—are all here, on full display in this lavishly illustrated volume, each described in a detailed essay followed by a gallery of portraits and special gatefold presentations that capture the art of the muscle car at its finest.




The Passionate Collector


Book Description

"Few living persons have served the Metropolitan Museum of Art-indeed, the entire world of art and art museums-longer, or with more distinction, than Roy Neuberger. A man of taste, passion, persistence, and generosity, he has shared much of his great private collection with the public, and for generations has supported activities that bring people to museums, and motivate them to return again and again. Now, this giant of a man has recorded eighty years of his life-and the result is entertaining, illuminating, and, like the tireless gentleman himself, inspiring." -Philippe de Montebello, Director, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Equal to his passion for investing is Roy Neuberger's love for art-which he has collected and encouraged for eight decades. In The Passionate Collector: Eighty Years in the World of Art, you'll follow this fascinating financial figure and great patron of the arts from the streets of 1920s Paris to the museums of New York as he develops the eye of a connoisseur and begins to collect great contemporary art. Vivid detail puts you in the center of the action as Neuberger collects the brilliant artists of his time-Milton Avery, Jackson Pollock, Ben Shahn, Edward Hopper; works with legendary art dealers Paul Rosenberg, Betty Parsons, Sidney Janis, and Leo Castelli; and befriends avid collectors, including the incomparable Duncan Phillips. You'll follow Neuberger as he strives to further the cause of contemporary American artists by exhibiting, lending, and donating from his growing collection, and becoming an activist for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney. You'll also see how the Neuberger Museum of Art was created at the urging of Governor Nelson Rockefeller, and how it continues to fascinate art enthusiasts today. Part personal memoir, part history of art, The Passionate Collector offers a unique view of twentieth-century American art from a man who has lived it.




Collecting American Paintings


Book Description

In this comprehensive book with more than 300 photographs and more than 450 illustrations, he outlines the necessary steps in selecting a painting, authenticating a painting, determining a value, acquiring a painting at auction, and evaluating the condition of a piece. Both major and minor artists are briefly discussed, and overviews of Impressionism, Tonalism, The Aschan School, African-American and Southern Women artists, and contemporary folk art are presented. There are even tips on managing your art collection, the realities of funding and financing, and collecting what you can afford. The beauty of American art is evident in this collector's guide -- a must-have for collectors of American paintings and collectors of art in general.




Halloween in America


Book Description

Next to Christmas, more money is spent on Halloween decorations and novelties than on any other holiday. This wonderful book has been credited with inspiring the Halloween collecting craze, giving its devotees a chance to celebrate the holiday all year round! In addition to color photography and a brand new price guide, there are also many fascinating insights into Halloween. Most people are familiar with the symbolsghosts, Jack-O'-Lanterns, witches, bats, skeletons, and black catsbut few know about Halloween's past. Why does it exist? What is the origin of trick-or-treating? Why does it fall on October 31st? Through these pages you will experience Halloween celebrations of the past and take a look at Halloween today. For collectors, this is one of the largest collections of Halloween memorabilia.




The Camel Club


Book Description

After witnessing a shocking murder, four conspiracy theorists team up with a Secret Service agent to uncover the government corruption that threatens to cause an international terrorism crisis in this New York Times bestselling thriller. Welcome to THE CAMEL CLUB. Existing at the fringes of Washington, D.C., the Club consists of four eccentric members. Led by a mysterious man known as "Oliver Stone," they study conspiracy theories, current events, and the machinations of government to discover the "truth" behind the country's actions. Their efforts bear little fruit--until the group witnesses a shocking murder...and becomes embroiled in an astounding, far-reaching conspiracy. Now the Club must join forces with a Secret Service agent to confront one of the most chilling spectacles ever to take place on American soil-an event that may trigger the ultimate war between two different worlds. And all that stands in the way of this apocalypse is five unexpected heroes.




Will H. Bradley


Book Description

This comprehensive book brings together all of Will H. Bradley's finest printed oeuvre in a single volume. Nearly 200 illustrations reveal his fertile imagination, incomparable sense of design, and unmatched merging of art and typography. 60 colour & 117 b/w illustrations