BOSTON, MA – The Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair celebrates its 40th Anniversary at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston’s Back Bay, October 28-30, 2016. For the anniversary, organizers are offering free admission on Saturday and Sunday to encourage a broader audience to attend this rare literary event that happens in only two other U.S. cities annually. Attendees will experience a vast selection of rare and collectible books, modern first editions, fine and decorative prints, photographs, manuscripts and pop culture ephemera that has been delighting loyal audiences for years.

More than 120 dealers from the United States, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Denmark and Australia will exhibit and sell all weekend. Whether just browsing or buying, patrons will find something for every taste and budget—books on art, politics, travel, gastronomy, science, sport, natural history, gardening, literature, music, and children’s books—that will appeal to bibliophiles and first-timers alike.

Special events at this year’s Fair includes Collecting the Boston Music Scene: 1976-2016, a curated exhibition of a select group of one-of-a-kind items from the vast David Bieber Archives of Boston music memorabilia; the popular Typewriter Rodeo, a group of poets who create custom poems on vintage typewriters; a talk by Boston College English professor Paul Lewis on Edgar Allen Poe and the rediscovery of Boston’s citizen poets after the American Revolution; and The 15th Annual Ticknor Society Roundtable, a panel discussion of professional librarians from New York and New England talking about their own personal collections. Visit www.bostonbookfair.com for complete event listings.

Among the highlighted items for sale will be rare and first editions of works by James Baldwin, Jonathan Swift, Stephen King, Toni Morrison, Lewis Carroll, and Sylvia Plath; a souvenir program and scorecard for the 1915 World Seriesbetween the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies, won by Boston in five games and Babe Ruth’s first as a rookie; a rare original watercolor drawing by British artist Arthur Rackham; one of the earliest printed works in the world,Hyakumanto Dharani, a 1250 year old relic of East Asian high culture; Albert Einstein’s childhood building blocks; signed photos from the horror films The Exorcist, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Psycho; Elvis Presley’s first record; two sketchbooks by the renowned Ukrainian-born Jewish-American sculptor and graphic artist Chaim Gross; a very unusual autographed press book for the 1968 legendary film Night of the Living Dead; the original watercolor painting depicting Hogwarts, for the British edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; a masterfully illustrated Japanese version of Don Quixote; and a signed & inscribed photo of legendary illusionist Harry Houdini.

For attendees wanting to start a collection without breaking the bank, there will be dealers offering “Discovery” items, including a selection of children's books and decorative cloth bindings, priced at $100 or less. On Saturday, an expert “Discovery” panel will give tips on the best ways to shop a book fair and start your own collection. And on Sunday from 1-3pm, attendees are invited to bring in their own books for free appraisal.

The Fair gives visitors the opportunity to see, learn about, and purchase the finest in rare and valuable books and ephemera. Tickets are $20 for Friday night’s exclusive Opening Night preview event, an opportunity for the public to get a first look at items for sale at the Fair. In celebration of the Book Fair’s 40th Anniversary, organizers have decided to offer free admission on Saturday and Sunday in order to attract a larger audience of book-loving attendees.

Friday, October 28                 5:00-9:00pm             Tickets: $20.00 - Opening Night                      
Saturday, October 29              12:00-7:00pm          Free Admission
Sunday, October 30                12:00-5:00pm          Free Admission

Hynes Convention Center
900 Boylston Street
Boston, MA
www.mccahome.com

The Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair is sponsored by the New England Chapter of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America. A portion of the ticket sales will benefit the Boston Public Library and the American Antiquarian Society. Tickets will be sold online at www.bostonbookfair.com and at the show’s box office during Friday evening show hours. For more information, please visit www.bostonbookfair.com or call 617-266-6540.

The Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair is produced by CommPromo, Inc. www.commpromo.com

EVENTS AT THE FAIR - CALENDAR LISTINGS

SPECIAL EXHIBITION!  Collecting the Boston Music Scene: 1976-2016

On display all weekend - October 28-30

David Bieber, formerly of WBCN and the Phoenix Media Group, displays highlighted selections from his extensive archive of rock posters, albums, and ephemera chronicling 40 years of Boston’s music scene. View items from Aerosmith, The J. Geils Band, The Cars, and many one-of-a-kind pieces.

DISCOVERY: Starting Your Own Collection

Saturday, October 29 1:00pm

Panel Discussion - A rare opportunity to ask the experts the best way to start your own collection. Afterwards, shop the Fair and visit our “Discovery” exhibitors for items $100 and under to help you begin your collection.

Typewriter Rodeo

Saturday, October 29, 2:00-5:00pm

The Typewriter Rodeo poets will be on hand to write an original poem for you on any topic you choose on their eclectic collection of vintage typewriters.

Librarians Who Collect: Ticknor Roundtable

Saturday, October 29, 3:00pm

The Ticknor Society collectors’ roundtable will feature Mindell Dubansky (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) on her collection of blooks (objects that look like books), Christian Dupont (Boston College), Silvia Dupont (Newton North High School) collection of 18th and 19th century Italian grammar books and Joshua Lupkin (Harvard University) on a collecting books about cats and dogs - discussing interesting collections outside of their institutional holdings

Adventures in Literary Archaeology – Edgar Allen Poe & Boston

Sunday, October 30, 12:30pm

Paul Lewis, professor of English at Boston College and president of the Poe Studies Association, discusses his work on Edgar Allan Poe’s relation to Boston’s literati and on recovering a generation of poets who published in Boston during the early national period.

FREE Expert Appraisals!

Sunday, October 30, 1:00 - 3:00pm

Bring your books & ephemera to get expert free appraisals. You might find you have a valuable treasure!

For digital images, or for further media information, contact NinaJBerger@gmail.com or call 617-543-1595.

The Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair is produced by CommPromo.