good morning. welcome to mosaic. it's a thrill to host the program today because one of my passions are books. good books, rare books, books period. my cohost and producer is out of town so he asked me to do the show and knew i would love to do it. today we have this month in february of course the book show here. it comes every two years. it is the 46th year. it is february 15th, 16th, and 17th.

one of our first guests here. >> how do you do? >> welcome. great to have you. you are one of the rare book sellers. >> yes i am. i have a business here in san francisco. i've been for many years on the committee that helps organize the antiquarian book fair we have every two years at the concourse exhibition hall coming up >> i see. it is three days. >> three days. friday, saturday, and sunday. this is at concourse at 8th and brannon. we sell three day passes or tickets that are good for either saturday and sn or just for sunday depending when people want to come. >> tell us about the history. is it books from all over the country? all over the world? >> there are 200, more than 200 exhibitors bringing from probably ten different countries. many from the u.s. but also from

england, france, canada. i don't know that we have any japanese dealers this year. i don't think so. italian dealers. but many from many european countries >> i understand there is an asian theme also this year. >> our special exhibit this year, loans from the cv star, one of the country's largest and most important checks of east asian material. they are loaning things for an exhibit. >> have you participated many times over the years? >> i have participated in the fair many times going back to when i first began working in the business, far too long ago >> i see. one of the questions i've asked earlier is why would persons be interested in rare books? what makes a rare book? >> well, a rare book is a book

there is a reason for someone to want in the first place either because it is a great work of literature or it represents the first publication of some interesting or important discovery in science or exploration or because it is particularly beautiful for its illustrations or the binding or the printing. people collect all kind of things and some people are attracted to books they read as children. >> are they best sellers necessarily? >> not necessarily. often best sellers will be books that were produced even if they were suspected to be best sellers produced very large numbers at the beginning. so those may not be rare. the other factor is the supply factor. if a book is famous and popular even in the first edition there

were a hundred thousand copies it is never going to be rare >> i see. so maybe a best seller this time like something like the purpose driven life that sells 40 million copies would that necessarily be a rare book? >> that's an area of -- it is not an area very much collected. i mean the first edition of that book people do collect first editions of the self-help, popular psychology books, first edition of dale carnegie, these kinds of things, because they are older. but the books of today often are produced in too many copies that anyone will have trouble finding it >> i see. well, i'm excited you brought rare books. in the next segment we'll get into them. >> all right. >> thank you for being with us. >> my pleasure. >> please join us. rare books. good books. find books.

welcome back to rare books. we've been speaking to thomas and he has brought some books. show us some of those great books. >> well, here is an example of a book that almost everyone knows. it is the first edition of the children's classic "charlotte's

webb" and looks the same as the editions currently published for the most part. >> you own that. >> yes. this is inventory midwife store. people look out for how do you tell the first edition? in this case it is easy. it says first edition on it and the code and month and year it was published >> i see. >> it is a book to -- >> would you sell it? >> oh, yes. it's part of my inventory. >> what price would you think you'd get for it? >> oh, if i can remember, this is $1,250. and this is a book you'll probably find more than one copy at the fair. it is not that rare but loved so much and people really want to have it. >> okay. >> another book that is sort of in that same category, people

enjoyed reading and found is this first edition of "catch 22." this copy is interesting because it is also signed by the author, inscribe by him to a collector from whom i got it. this is about ten years after "charlotte's web" 1961. >> okay. >> and this sells for about $10,000. >> wow. amazing. i think i might get another copy besides the $10,000 copy. >> well, it is a 50-year-old book and preserved in really nice condition and signed by the author and first edition so it has all the aspects that make it a collectible book. >> i can understand that. >> this is the first ob tainl

edition of "alice in wonderland." this was first printed in england in london in 1865, but they made -- louis carroll didn't like the way the illustrations were reproduced. he was a very particular character and he said the illustrations were badly printed but the publisher didn't want to waste the copies they'd already printed so they printed new title pages and sent the sheets to their partners in america in appleton who bound them up and sold them. so actually the first copies -- the 1865 one is almost an impossibly rare book. there may be only a handful of copies known. but this 1866 one uses the same sheets. so it is the first edition, what we call the second issue.

>> and there are illustrations. >> there are. the famous illustrations that have been used for a hundred years plus, still used. it is hard to see what carroll found as so objectionable about the printing but he was very finnicy. this is the original binding which is a point in its favor for collectors. >> that would probably sell for more than 12,000. >> that's what this is actually. $12,000. >> okay. this next one was fascinating, african american black history month, this is an exciting version here. >> this is the collection of the first book of spirituals, collected by the great african american poet james weldon

johnson and his brother did the orchestration for it. >> gave us the national anthem in the african american community "lift every voice." >> yes. i can't remember. i don't think that was included in here. this copy was particularly interesting because james weldon johnson gave it to his close friend george gershwin. >> isn't that something. >> so an interesting side fact to that is that roseman johnson would appear in the original cast of the first production of "porgy and bess" a couple years later so the johnson brothers were very close to gershwin and he was extremely influenced by black music, by the st the spirituals and jazz. >> right. i am reading a book on gershwin and some of the great songs so when i saw that, that they had dedicated to gershwin. >> there was a second book of

spirituals and in fact they dedicated some of the spirituals i think one or two, one of the spirituals dedicated to gershwin. the dedications in the book of the different works sort of - s "steal a to jesus" dedicated to roland hayes. >> the great singer. >> so these represent a who's who of 1920s -- >> what would that sell for? >> this one is $6,000 >> i can imagine. that is an absolute classic. i'll have to get my ties together to see if i can -- >> yeah. that would be an important addition to your collection i'm sure. >> at the fair will you have these books along with others? >> i'll have these books along with others in my stand at the fair. >> i am really appreciative of

you coming and bringing these books and i hope to go. >> thank you. i look forward to seeing you there. >> thank you, thomas, for being with us. we look forward to this book fair being exciting and always successful as it has been. >> great. appreciate it. >> glad you've been with us. our next two segments will be also an author and rare book collector.

>> you see the www.cabookfair.com is where you can check with this wonderful fair coming into town this month. it is exciting because if you followed these first segments, this is a time to be in touch with these great books. i'm excited about it. our next guest with us is carl

bloomgram. >> hi. >> welcome. >> nice to be here. >> welcome. tell us your background and history and your involvement. >> i grew up in a house full of books and got interested in selling books in my early 20s. i've been involved in the business ever since. i love books and i think they are fascinating and i like to work in that field. >> the love came at a young age? >> yeah. always a big reader and and i enjoyed the history of books. i am a specialist in foesk books and also illustrated books. i was fascinated with that. that is one of the areas that i focus on. >> great. you brought some books.

let's go right into it. >> okay. one of the books that might be of interest right now is this is a book, a photographic book "roll, jordan, roll" which i believe is a spiritual, african american spiritual song. >> that's right. >> and this book is considered one o imptant photographic books of the 20th century >> i appreciate you bringing books with american history with the black history this month. >> yes. so julia peterkin was an author of pulitzer prize winning author. she wrote books that -- about southern history. she married a man who had a plantation in the south.

and doris ullman did the photographs on the plantations in south carolina. almost all of the photos are of african americans who are, many of whom were actual, had been slaves or were descendents of slaves. the photos were in a style, a little soft focus images but very beautifully done. this book, itself, is the second printing of it. the first trade printing is what this would be called. it was preceded by a limited edition that is very, very scarce and this would be the first trade edition. >> how much would this book cost? >> this would be about a

thousand dollars. >> okay. >> because it has the original dust jacket. it is hard to find in the original dust jacket. and good condition. the limited edition would be worth more like $40,000. unfortunately i don't have that. >> thank you. you have some huge ones there. >> all right. well, this is of local interest. historical atlas of santa clara county from 1876 by thompson and west. it has, at that time santa clara county was primarily agricultural and the population was very small relative to now. so it is illustrated with these large plates of nurseries,

farms. this is the fredericksburg brewery in san jose. 1876. it has -- here is santa clara college. this is a double page spread on this santa clara college. >> i don't see the new san francisco stadium yet. >> no. >> not quite yet. >> here is a business scene on a street in san jose. horse drawn carriages and flags flying. >> well, that is quite history there. i think the mayor would love that. the mayor of santa clara. >> yes. well, santa clara county has changed tremendously since 1876.

>> let's look at another book before our last segment. woel' have another five minutes or so after this. let's look at one more book before we move on. >> all right. i have a book on fish, british fresh water fish from 1879. it was written by reverend houghton a clergyman in england and the book is illustrated with 41 gorgeous plates that show the fish in -- >> interesting why he was interested in fish. >> he was a naturalist and ie a. the book was written for naturalists but also for

fishermen who would help identify what they were catching or looking for. this is golden carp, which is like a gold fish but beautifully printed. here is another one, golden tensch which is described as an extremely handsome fish. >> what would that book cost? >> this is about $1,500. >> okay. >> the santa clara one? >> the santa clara atlas is also about 24s dollars for that one. >> okay. these are fascinating. we have another segment and i think you have another book >> i can show that, yes. >> okay. thanks for being with us. >> we have been watching and looking at rare books and we hope that has inspired you to come to the antiquarian book

fair this month.

thomas jefferson once said that a room without books is a life without meaning. and we have looked at some great books and we have this fair this month that we want to encourage you and hopefully add some meaning to your life. tell us more about the antiquarian book fair. >> the book fair is hosted by the abaa which is the

antiquarian book sellers association of america. it is associated also with the ilab which is the international league of antiquarian book sellers. so there will be international book sellers attending and exhibiting. >> what about discovery day? >> there will be on sunday between 1:30 and 3:00 there will be discovery day at the fair in which you can bring in books that you think might be of some value or you want to find out more about them and some of the members will be there to evaluate them and tell you about them and i believe that'll be free on that sunday for the discovery day. i believe you still have to pay admission to come in. >> but you can bring your books. >> yeah. they'll give you a free evaluation. >> how many people do you

anticipate at these events? >> several thousand. >> a good number. >> will attend. there will be about 200 book sellers there. >> okay. and i don't know the exact numbers we usually get. it brings in a big crowd and the concourse is a pretty big exhibition hall. >> okay. we have one more book you want to show us. the olympics took place this past year, so exciting. this is concerning the olympics here? >> yes, so the olympics were in london this year of course. >> right. >> in 1936 the olympics were in berlin and during the nazi reign. this book was by a controversial but very important woman, director, actress and photographer. she made a film about the

olympics called olympia and this book is a german book which contains photographs she also took at the olympics. the title in german is -- [ speaking in other language ] which basically means something to the effect of, the beauty of the olympics. >> i see. jesse owens. >> jesse owens is in this book. >> right. fantastic. >> he was one of the big winners there who represented america and adolph hitler was there presiding over it. >> criticized him and yet he won four gold. he had to walk out on him. >> right. this is a -- considered one of the more beautiful, photographic books about the olympics. >> we're almost out of time but

we got them all in. i want to thank you for being here. i hope to see you there, too. >> yes. i'd love to see you there and encourage people to come and take a look at all the great books with us. >> thank you. thank you for joining this day with us for these rare books.

firefighters are battling a fire from the north bay and we will break down that fire. and oakland's persistent problems have bedeviled and befuddled politicians. and now, what canceled the saving grace for one school's trough. and now to the forecast. >> thank you, devin. the window of the bay shows the start of another day that we are

waking up to