Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books Brattle Book Shop

Today we’re talking about one of the shop’s biggest recent book buys: about 30,000 volumes from Albany, New York. Motivated by a fear of missing out, we made the long trip and were rewarded by a house (including the kitchen cabinets) packed with vintage pulp paperbacks, art books, comics, and even some racier adult material. When you move so many books there are a lot of logistics—ten 6:00 am drives, hundreds of flights of stairs, snow management, and boxes stacked to the ceiling of the Brattle’s capacious basement—but we’re happy to bring this especially fun collection to our customers. Pop by and browse it for yourself if you plan to be in Boston any time over the next few years.

They say that in life, change is the only constant, and this is true of LIFE Magazine collecting as well. While older readers collected specific issues for personal nostalgia reasons, their children and grandchildren find the magazines to be fascinating time capsules of mid-century American design, fashion, and culture. We’ll talk about the decline and unexpected resurgence of the LIFE secondhand market, part of the same wave of interest in vintage styles that repopularized the vinyl record and the Eames lounge chair—both of which you might find stylish, copy-heavy advertisements for in an old LIFE Magazine.

Care to join us for a drink? Today in the studio we’re taking a look at one of the very first books on cocktails, punches, and—of course—nogs. Considered the father of American mixology, Jerry Thomas published his 'Bar-Tender's Guide' in 1862. Thomas’s libations range from the familiar (a nice mint julep) to the antiquated (you never see White Tiger’s Milk on the menu anymore) to the alarmingly flammable (if you must mix yourself a Blue Blazer, please make it your first drink of the night); he also includes general bartending advice and recipes for temperance drinks (mocktails today). We’ll discuss Thomas’s flashy, fascinating career, other collectable cocktail guides, and a little bit of ice history on this intoxicating new #brattlecast.

It’s the first book ever printed, and the most commonly printed book in the world: today we’re talking about the Bible. Because there are so many copies out there, older Bibles command a wide range of prices—from nicely bound Victorian volumes with mostly sentimental value to the famous Gutenberg Bible, a single page of which can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. There are also pre-printing press Bibles, worth millions but historically priceless, as well as copies that collectors want because they belonged to famous figures like JFK or Elvis. We’ll even talk about where old Bibles go to retire (because nobody wants to just throw them out).

Today we’re talking about one of the simplest, but most crucial, lessons: the importance of being nice. While many imagine the rare book dealer as an unhelpful curmudgeon, Ken believes that, not only is it nice to be nice, it’s also good for business. We’ll talk about times when the shop’s friendliness paid off, inadvertently building relationships with mayors, newspaper editors, and the New England mafia—as well as doormen, secretaries, and restaurant staff. Settle in and get comfortable with this convivial new #brattlecast.

Recently appearing in Alexander Payne’s acclaimed new film, 'The Holdovers,' the Brattle is no stranger to celebrity encounters. In today’s episode we talk about an unexpected visit to the shop from actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard (in happier days, or at least less publicly unhappy ones). Depp shopped in the rare book room, learned about a Catholic convent of local superfans, and posed for photos with the staff. We’ll talk about some other famous faces that have popped up in the shop, as well as how difficult it can be to recognize these people out of context, on a star-studded new #brattlecast.