By Beau Henry

This past February, I found myself at the 55th Annual California Antiquarian Book Fair (https://www.abaa.org/cabookfair) in Pasadena, CA. Rare booksellers from all over the world gathered at the Pasadena Convention Center to sell unpublished manuscripts, ephemera, and rare first editions that spanned six centuries and several continents. The event was well attended but not overly crowded, and it was a very pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon. 

Among the incredible books at the fair were signed first editions of James Joyce’s Ulysses, signed Harry Potter first editions, and a partial first draft manuscript of Infinite Jest By David Foster Wallace. Prices for these artifacts ranged from what you might pay for a decent car to a significant down payment on a house, and I contemplated selling everything I owned for a rare book and switching careers entirely. Luckily, my partner pushed me along the path between displays, and I did not have a chance to start bartering.

In addition to all of the books, there were a number of displays that demonstrated how antique printing presses worked, and some that even offered to print things for you on the spot. Several attendees received custom printings and many stood around watching the process. On the outside edges of the convention center, there were a number of sellers who specialized in rare comic books and prints from the 1900s that represented various social and political movements.  Some of them were scary, and some of them were inspiring. Other sellers specialized in pulp fiction and genre writing like science fiction and fantasy, and had a number of books with unique covers.

As an inexperienced visitor, I found the history of literature to be fascinating. I found myself enamored with everything from gruesome medical literature to authors as modern as George Saunders, and it felt like there was a real literary continuity, despite the differences in content. There was a sense that this was a community, and that books mattered to the sellers. Despite the lucrative nature of antiquarian bookselling, this was a collection of people who believed that books should be preserved.

My hope is that in the future, we’ll still have this community.