Brigadoon and the Hobart, New York Book Village

I have a few bookplates done by or for children that have a folk art quality.This one was waiting for me when I returned from my central New York State trip (thank you , Tom).
It was a particularly enjoyable excursion and I hope to retrace my steps next year.

Click On Images to Enlarge http://www.hobartbookvillage.com/

Brigadoon was one of my all time favorite Broadway shows. It's about a town that magically appears in the mist every one hundred years and never changes. The book village in Hobart, New York is to my way of thinking such a place.It is a remarkably unchanged town where doors are rarely locked and everyone looks out for his neighbor.The booksellers are thoughtful and knowledgeable with a diverse inventory at reasonable prices.

The owners of The Boncranna Bed and Breakfast where I stayed for two nights went out of their way to make my stay comfortable.

If you want have a pleasant few days in the country while shopping for books, this place is well worth a visit.

The final stop on my bookplate safari was the Cooperstown Book Fair where I picked up several bookplates and some ephemera .The calling card shown above amused me.

Click on the image to enlarge it and read the fine print.

At the Cooperstown show, I had a most unusual experience.The first time this has ever happened in twenty five years. I make a point of stopping at every booth to ask for bookplates . Some dealers know me well enough to say no before I even have a chance to ask.

One dealer I chatted with said he had a bookplate with Lady Godiva riding a bear.The bookplate was unusual and I wanted it but the book it was in was priced at $250.00. I thanked the dealer for showing it to me and was about to leave when he volunteered to remove the bookplate for a reasonable and fair price. A deal was struck and when the plate arrives in the mail I will scan it for the blog. My wife suggested an apt title for that blog illustration: Bare Ass On A Bear.

See you next week.