Alembic Blog

Astronomical Fashion: A Georgian Garnet Halley's Comet Brooch

Autumn is here, and it's time to update your wardrobe with fall colours. What could be more suitable than the rich reds of Georgian foil-backed almandine garnets? Even better, what if those garnets were in the shape of Halley's Comet?

An Introduction to the Arts & Sciences Owned by Three 18th & 19th Century Women

This illustration of the solar system is from the second edition of Richard Turner's An Easy Introduction to the Arts and Sciences, published in 1787. Our copy is particularly special, as it contains the ownership signatures of three different women —"Margarate [sic] Haymes", "Mary Ann White", and "Mary Hantt" — making it an excellent example of changes in middle and upper class British women's education during the Georgian Era.

Chic Parisian Infographics of the 19th Century

"Gas fittings" is not a term that screams elegance. Then again, the French have a way of making anything chic, as attested to by this remarkable statistical manuscript. 

Victorian Advertising Paradise - A Chromolithographic Pharmacy Catalogue

Imagine walking into a drug store and seeing these exuberant, enticing labels all around you. They're part of what's probably the most colourful item in our stock at the moment: a chromolithographic pharmacy catalogue dating from the 1890s.

Join Us at the ABA Rare Book Fair London

This month we're proud to be exhibiting at the ABA Rare Book Fair London, previously the Olympia Book Fair. 

Now celebrating its 61st year, and being held for the first time in central London's beautiful Battersea Park, this major three-day event is one of the largest and most prestigious antiquarian book fairs in the world, showcasing rare, unique and unusual items from more than 170 leading UK and international dealers. This year the fair will be specially opened by beloved broadcaster and bibliophile Sir David Attenborough at a public ceremony on Thursday at noon. And there will be a number of other special events, including demonstrations and workshops on hand-press printing and bookbinding, and guided tours and talks introducing various aspects of rare books and book collecting.

The graphic above is a ticket that admits two, and can be shown on your phone or printed out. We look forward to seeing you there!

Upcoming Fairs - Autumn 2017

We're delighted to announce that Alembic Rare Books will be exhibiting at two major book fairs in the coming weeks. This is a great opportunity to see our stock in person, so let us know if there's something specific you'd like us to bring. Continue below for details and free tickets.

A Rare Biographical Sketch of Rosalind Franklin by Her Mother

Dying at age 38 is a tragedy for anyone, but it is a double tragedy when that person is potentially a Nobel Prize winner with many more years of productive science ahead of them. When biochemist Rosalind Franklin died of ovarian cancer in 1958, only a few years after her work contributed to the discovery of the structure of DNA, her mother was distraught not only for the loss of a child but for the international recognition that her daughter had not achieved in life. The result of her grief was this touching autobiographical sketch, Rosalind, published privately a few years later, ostensibly for the much-loved nieces and nephews who would grow up with only dim memories of their aunt.

Atomic Reactors Serve Peace: A Soviet-Era Czech Guide to Nuclear Power

For many people nuclear energy conjures horrific images - barrels of radioactive waste that can't be safely stored, or the hulking sarcophagus of Chernobyl. But during the 1950s nuclear power had very different connotations. For the men and women who lived through the Second World War, the atomic bombing of Japan, and the rise of the Cold War, nuclear energy for civilian use represented the hope for a better future, one that would be powered by almost unlimited supplies of clean, inexpensive power. It would be "Atoms for Peace" instead of war, as President Dwight D. Eisenhower put it in a speech to the UN in 1953.

A Look Inside the Brunels' Thames Tunnel

In a city that's famous for its tunnels, one stands out. The Thames Tunnel between Rotherhithe and Wapping was the first tunnel to be successfully constructed under a body of water. It was designed and built by the engineer Marc Brunel, whose soon-to-be-famous son, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, also worked on the project. Among the new technologies involved was Brunel's innovative tunneling shield, which supported the structure of the tunnel as workers dug it out and paved the sides. This was the precursor to modern tunnel boring machines, such as those used to build Crossrail today.

Free Tickets to the Olympia Book Fair

We're very pleased to announce that we're exhibiting for the first time at one of the world's great book fairs, the ABA London International Antiquarian Book Fair at Olympia, June 1st-3rd, on stand F07. This is the perfect opportunity to have a look at our stock in person. If there's something you like on our website just let us know and we'll be happy to bring it along. The graphic above is a ticket for free entry - just show it on your phone at the door or print it out. 

Olympia is one of the largest and longest-running rare book shows in the world, and all 150+ exhibitors are fully-vetted members of the ABA and ILAB. There will be an incredible variety of books, maps, prints, ephemera, art, and manuscripts for sale, and it's an excellent opportunity for new collectors to meet dealers and learn about books. There is also an excellent line-up of guided tours and hands-on workshops. We hope to see you there!