Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair 2018 - trip report

Visited the Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair this weekend. Dave Smith of Fantasy Illustrated sent me a pass for it, and having been there last year, I went again this year. Enjoyed it thoroughly, and for those who weren't there, a few photos.

Dave Smith (Fantasy Illustrated) had his usual wall of high grade pulps

Dave Smith (Fantasy Illustrated) wall of high grade pulps closeup

And more on the shelves, Courtroom Stories April 1932 

Heartwood Books were there too, and had some pulps - high grade Dime Detective, Ace Mystery and Blue Book

Dr. Richard Meli of Heartwood Books showing me a treasure - see photos below

The original typed manuscript for Black Colossus by Robert E. Howard

The original typed manuscript for Black Colossus by Robert E. Howard, inscribed to Robert H. Barlow

Some other dealers had a few pulps too

Some pulp-related stuff:

Pen Sketches by Charles M. Russell 

A couple of Conan the Barbarian first editions from Gnome Press

Second collection of short stories by Murray Leinster, first edition by Shasta Press
(Stories originally appeared in Astounding and Thrilling Wonder Stories)

Collection of short stories mostly from the pulp magazines, edited by Rex Stout
(Stories taken mainly from the detective pulps - Black Mask, Detective Magazine, Detective Tales, Popular Detective, Speed Detective and a few from the slicks - Atlantic Monthly, Cosmopolitan, Woman's Home Companion)

Slaves of Sleep. a heroic fantasy novel written by L. Ron Hubbard,  first edition from Shasta Publishers
(Story originally appeared in Street and Smith's Unknown)

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov first edition from Gnome Press
(Stories originally appeared in Super Science Stories and Astounding Science Fiction)

First edition of Dune by Frank Herbert
(Stories originally appeared in Analog)

Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles first edition
(Many stories originally appeared in Weird Tales, Planet Stories and other magazines)

Alfred Bester's The Demolished Man first edition
(Story originally appeared in Galaxy magazine)

Robert A. Heinlein's The Moon is a harsh mistress
(Originally serialized in Worlds of If)

All of Robert A. Heinlein's published fiction and non-fiction
(Special box set of the Virginia Edition)

A few of George R.R. Martin's books in the Game of Thrones series were there

Some James Bond first editions

Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird British first edition

P.G. Wodehouse - three American first editions

Old and relatively new first editions side by side

Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman, first edition

First editions - The Godfather by Mario Puzo, Poirot loses a client by Agatha Christie and The Dead don't care by Jonathan Latimer

More firsts - The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett, My gun is quick by Mickey Spillane and Psycho by Robert Bloch

Some artwork and art-related books:

The art of Walt Disney with a hand-drawn sketch of Mickey Mouse by Disney himself inside

A Peanuts cel from one of the cartoons

W. Heath Robinson cartoon

F.C. Yohn illustration for Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

A rare Disney publication

An original cel from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

A complete set of tickets to the Columbian Exposition (Too late to go there now)

Many other things weird and wonderful were there, like this set of clothing samples in a salesman's display box from the 1930s

It's all calculated to drive you Mad.

Issue Review - Western Story Annual, 1948

[It's taken only 70 years to get this issue reviewed. Gives me hope that I'll catch up on my reading someday, and be able to positively answer that question that all of us book and magazine readers and collectors have to endure, namely "Have you read all those books?"]

Western Story Annual [1948] (Street & Smith Publications, Inc., 25¢, 228pp, large pulp)

Western Story Annual 1948, a Street and Smith annual compilation

Not even a single story from 1948 or 1947 is included in this issue, a little misleading considering the title. It’s still a good selection of stories from Western Story and one story from Western Adventures. The highlights are the stories from Eli Colter, Bennett Foster, L.L. Foreman and Frank Richardson Pierce. There are six issues known of this magazine, and maybe more exist.

Adventure House Pulp and Collectibles Show – Trip Report

Adventure House held their first pulp convention in Maryland recently. I found cheapish tickets for the trip, and there I was. A good beginning to what I hope is a new annual show. Rain depressed attendance (Hurricane Florence sent preliminary rain storms up and down the east coast) and flights and in general I got the impression that Seattle weather had somehow been packed in my luggage and let loose when I unpacked.

I was too busy talking to friends to take many photos, here are a few:

Dealers room at the Adventure House one day convention

Adventure House’s Wall of Pulp

Todd’s Wall of high-grade Pulp (They look like replicas because they're in such good condition)

A pair of Argosy cover paintings by Paul Stahr in fantastic condition. Already sold, or else I might have grabbed one and run…

Some pulps at the show:

Always great to meet old friends and make new ones. Another highlight of the show was the discussion with David Saunders, pulp art expert. David had a table at the convention covered with many rare pulps with his father’s (Norman Saunders) art.

This one was apparently inspired by a famous J.C. Leyendecker illustration. Maybe this one?

Looking at the collection of magazines spread out on the table, I asked David a question about his dad’s art. I noticed that he rarely painted people standing upright. (All pictures of original art  courtesy Heritage Auctions). It was always people leaning,

falling,

cringing,

running,

or being carried

David told me his father used a composition technique called dynamic composition, where diagonal lines brings a feeling of action to the viewer. Didn't know that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udhhGzGr3ZQ has details.

Headed home after a couple of long flights and a goodish pile of loot. The trip was worth it.