Public Exhibition
Blooks: The Art of Books That Aren't
Charles P. Stevenson Library. Bard College.
Annandale-on-Hudson, New York
August 23-October 30, 2016
(second floor exhibition closes on October 14)
From January 27 through March 12, 2016 at the Grolier
Club in New York City, I curated the first exhibition of my collection of
blooks, which included over 200 book-shaped objects representing over 250 years
of their development from many countries. As a part-time resident of Tivoli,
New York, I am aware of the important and active role that Bard College has in
its community and am pleased to participate in its artistic and scholarly
dialogue by presenting a segment of the original Grolier Club exhibition at the
Stevenson Library. I hope that some of you will get the chance to visit the exhibition before it closes next month. Below is a list of objects on view. Most are illustrated in my book.
Marble (memorial)
book. American, 19th c.
Sewing box. Bibel. German, 19th c.Gift box with hand mirror. Curly Locks. American, late 19th-early 20th c.
Ladies’ dresser set. Milady’s Fancy. Vol. XVII. Enesco. American, 1920s.
Negative box. Tylar's Unique Negative Storer. English, mid–late 19th c.
Biscuit tin. Book. Huntley & Palmers. English, 1920.
Pencil box. American, late 19th c.
Case
2:
Baking pan from T.
H. Nelligan Bakery, Troy, NY. [American], c. 1947.
Yarn box. Knitting Volumes. American, mid-20th c.
Toy. Secret Sam’s Spy Dictionary. Topper Toys. American, 1966.
Freemasonry symbolic sculpture. Holy Bible. American, 20th c.
Case 3:
Exploding book. The Bare Facts of Nudism. Adams Co. American, c. 1945.
Punch line book. A Collection of Shapely Pin-Ups. American, mid-19th c.
Trick snake book. American, mid-late 19th c.
Shock book. World’s Greatest Jokes. Franco-American Novelty Co., New York. American, mid-20th c.
Clutch bag. Chelsea Husbands. A.Hindmarch, London. English, c. 1990s.
Bath products. Secrets by Dermay. Dermay Perfumes, Inc., New York. American, c. 1920-1930s.
Reading light. Magic Booklite. Eagle Electric Manufacturing Co., Inc., New York. American, c. 1949.
Alarm clock. Lava Time. Lava Simplex. Chicago, Illinois. American, 1976.
Recipe file. Chef-an-ette. Terry’s Origin-ettes. Chicago, Illinois. American, c. 1957.
Child’s lunch box. Book Bento. Sanwa Seiko Co., Ltd. Japan, c. 1960s.
Second Floor
Candy box. Life Savers: A Sweet Story. American, 1941–1948 and advertisement from Life Magazine. American, 1940s.
Crosley book radio. New Crosley Transistor Book Radio. Fantasy. Avco. Cincinnati, Ohio. American, c. 1954 and advertisement (Lekmayer’s).
Trade catalog. Jellinek. Paris. French. Early 20th c.
Office supply set. Dennison Manufacturing Co. Framingham, Massachusetts. American, c. 1940–1942.
Table lighter. The Book of Smoking Knowledge. Ross Electronics Corp., Chicago, Illinois. American, made in Japan, c. 1960s.
Trench Art lighter, World War I. Marie. French, c. 1914–1918.
Betel box, Mrs. Crosby. Indian or English, c. 1912–1918.
Coal carving. James Fagen. American, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, 1897.
Slate paperweight. L. K. E., 1871-1909. American, early 20th century.
Frida (Kahlo) icon. Mexican, c. 2010.
Salt box. Cook Book Salt. Barton Salt Co., Hutchinson, Kansas. American, c. 1940s.
Bookie Blox, Vol. 1. Bookie Blox Co. American, 1922.
If you can't make it to the exhibition, you can still order my book on this website.
Yarn box. Knitting Volumes. American, mid-20th c.
Toy. Secret Sam’s Spy Dictionary. Topper Toys. American, 1966.
Freemasonry symbolic sculpture. Holy Bible. American, 20th c.
Case 3:
Exploding book. The Bare Facts of Nudism. Adams Co. American, c. 1945.
Punch line book. A Collection of Shapely Pin-Ups. American, mid-19th c.
Trick snake book. American, mid-late 19th c.
Shock book. World’s Greatest Jokes. Franco-American Novelty Co., New York. American, mid-20th c.
Clutch bag. Chelsea Husbands. A.Hindmarch, London. English, c. 1990s.
Bath products. Secrets by Dermay. Dermay Perfumes, Inc., New York. American, c. 1920-1930s.
Reading light. Magic Booklite. Eagle Electric Manufacturing Co., Inc., New York. American, c. 1949.
Alarm clock. Lava Time. Lava Simplex. Chicago, Illinois. American, 1976.
Recipe file. Chef-an-ette. Terry’s Origin-ettes. Chicago, Illinois. American, c. 1957.
Child’s lunch box. Book Bento. Sanwa Seiko Co., Ltd. Japan, c. 1960s.
Second Floor
Case
1 (facing cases, from left to right):
Lunch box with
flask. Noonday Exercise. American, c.
1875 and U.S. Patent 170,441. 1875.
Case
2:
Educational
device. The Book of Books. Endeavor
Printing Co., Anniston, Alabama. American, c. 1918 and U.S. Patent 1,262,269.
1918. Candy box. Life Savers: A Sweet Story. American, 1941–1948 and advertisement from Life Magazine. American, 1940s.
Crosley book radio. New Crosley Transistor Book Radio. Fantasy. Avco. Cincinnati, Ohio. American, c. 1954 and advertisement (Lekmayer’s).
Trade catalog. Jellinek. Paris. French. Early 20th c.
Case
4:
Souvenir box. Dictionary. Made by C. H. Haines.
Canadian, 1885.Office supply set. Dennison Manufacturing Co. Framingham, Massachusetts. American, c. 1940–1942.
Table lighter. The Book of Smoking Knowledge. Ross Electronics Corp., Chicago, Illinois. American, made in Japan, c. 1960s.
Trench Art lighter, World War I. Marie. French, c. 1914–1918.
Betel box, Mrs. Crosby. Indian or English, c. 1912–1918.
Coal carving. James Fagen. American, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, 1897.
Slate paperweight. L. K. E., 1871-1909. American, early 20th century.
Frida (Kahlo) icon. Mexican, c. 2010.
Salt box. Cook Book Salt. Barton Salt Co., Hutchinson, Kansas. American, c. 1940s.
Bookie Blox, Vol. 1. Bookie Blox Co. American, 1922.
If you can't make it to the exhibition, you can still order my book on this website.
