The New York City Book and Ephemera Fair will have its inaugural running on Saturday, April 11th at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola’s Wallace Hall on Park Avenue.  It is the newest fair to join Rare Book Week, the annual spring round-up of auctions and selling exhibitions aimed at book collectors, curators and those fascinated by historical maps, vintage photographs and ephemera, the fair will host more than 50 prominent dealers.

Marvin Getman, President of Impact Events Group, a respected New England producer of specialty antiques and book fairs since 1981, positions the one-day event as an affordable complement to the ABAA Antiquarian Book Fair at the Park Avenue Armory. 

The New York City Book and Ephemera Fair opens at 8 a.m. to give collectors and dealers access to a wide range of collectibles before they head to the multi-day event at the Armory.  Since many buyers will start their day at Wallace Hall, Mr. Getman will make it easy for shoppers to get to the Armory in time for its noon opening by providing free shuttle bus service. The shuttle will run continuously from 8 a.m. until noon.

The new show promises items that will appeal to both seasoned collectors and new audiences. Among the books will be works by favorite authors, deceased and living, as well as first editions and volumes on subjects from abstraction to zoology.

Ephemera enthusiasts will discover unique items, mostly printed, that were not meant to have lasting value but survived because they were popular, coveted or held in esteem.  

Among the highlights of the fair is a signed 24-volume set of Arthur Conon Doyle’s complete works, valued at $15,000. Browsers will also come across a rare copy of "Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There". It is #26 of fifty copies produced in full leather binding reserved for Penny Royal Press subscribers. Its price is $5,500.

Meanwhile, a selection of matted, hand-colored prints such as a woman and girl entitled “Kundur Tartars", circa 1800, will anchor the fair at just $50. A 1966 Grateful Dead-Lightening Hopkins-Loading Zone poster from a Fillmore concert will go for $350.   

Given the range of material, it could be said the New York City Rare Book and Ephemera Fair is for music lovers, art lovers, photography collectors, educators, historians and readers.  

For instance, what classical musician or philharmonic goer could resist an inscribed photograph of Dmitri Shostakovich for $1,400? A copy of Gertrude Stein’s "Portraits and Prayers", with inscription, is a first-hand account of Paris’ seething early-20th century art world. At $1,750 it is a must-have for anyone building an art collection. A 1932 illustrated book by Edward Weston, signed by the photographer, valued at $3,500 cannot be overlooked by photography buffs or collectors.

Traditionalists scouring the New York City Rare Book and Ephemera Fair will turn-up Revolutionary period and Civil War memorabilia and equipment. A Tyler-Giles facsimile of the Declaration of Independence carries a $6,000 price tag. An Indian War Soldier’s service rifle en suite with Native American cabinet card photos will be offered for $6,750.   

For those who collect New York items, an early Sanitary and Topographical map of the island paints a fascinating engineering picture. It is valued at $5,000. 

Perhaps the earliest bit of printed history will be found in "Calvin’s Institutes", 1575, the historic theological tract.

With a wealth of collectibles in highly desirable “portable” formats, some antecedents of the digital age and others part and parcel of it, the New York City Rare Book and Ephemera Fair at Wallace Hall promises to be the best place to spend a few hours exploring on Saturday, April 11th. A discount admission coupon is available at www.bookandpaperfairs.com.  Tickets at the door are $15 and $10 if purchased online in advance.

For a complete list of dealers appearing at the first New York City Rare Book and Ephemera Fair at Wallace Hall, please visit http://www.bookandpaperfaris.com.