The Empire State Rare Book and Print Fair, featuring 30+ exhibitors from across the country, will take over the historic Great Hall in Shepard Hall at City College of New York (160 Convent Ave. NYC) from September 27th to 29th, 2024. The second annual installment will take over the 14,000 square foot Late Gothic Revival structure and showcase tens of thousands of beautiful and rare books, prints, works on paper, historic documents and ephemera from around the globe.
The Promise of Liberty exhibition will debut at the fair and introduce museum-worthy, never seen in public items such as The Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln, the first public printing of the Declaration of Interdependence ($2,000,000), George Washington’s “Justice & the Public Good” Letter ($550,000) and his first Thanksgiving Proclamation, a letter from Albert Einstein alerting President Franklin Roosevelt to the possibility of the creation of an atomic bomb, Jesse Owens’ 1936 Olympic medal, and more.
Other exceptional items being offered include a book on jazz from the library of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts presented to him as a birthday gift by Mick Jagger ($15,800), a letter from Frederick Douglass on his return voyage as a free man ($450,000), a signed copy of Martin Luther King’s Stride Toward Freedom ($200,000), and a first edition of Breakfast at Tiffany’s signed by Truman Capote($10,500), the first printing of the iconic children’s Anne of Green Gables in one of five surviving jackets from 1909 or earlier ($40,000) and a rare first edition of one of Charles Dickens’ most popular novels Great Expectations (1861) ($25,000).
The weekend will include a variety of hosted events and entertainment. Highlights include a Q&A sessions and book signings with the “real life Carrie Bradshaw” Candace Bushnell, author of Sex and the City, and designer India Hicks, who among other things has authored five successful design books, been a network host, and modeled for Ralph Lauren.
Additional speakers include award-winning children and young adult author Lois Lowry, Beatles expert and author Kenneth Womack, critically acclaimed novelist and journalist Stona Fitch, and renowned fashion illustrator Richard Haines, whose clients include Prada, Tiffany & Company, Bobbi Brown, and more, who will be in conversation with DJ and Isaac Likes creator Isaac Hindlin-Miller.
The second annual edition of the fun-filled fair kicks off on Friday with a Preview Party featuring wine, canapes, and a preview of the exhibitors’ treasures. Live music will be provided by Brian Vander Ark, lead singer/songwriter for the multi-platinum alternative rock band The Verve Pipe. On Saturday evening, following her Q&A and book signing, there will be an intimate VIP champagne and caviar reception with India Hicks at nearby Imperial Fine Books.
Eve and Edward Lemon founded Fine Books Fairs in 2022, creating fun, affordable and welcoming fairs that instill the joy of books in a new generation of collectors. The couple, who are in their 30s, are respected collectors and experts in the field and host five fairs throughout the year.
“Our fairs are social, interactive events that cultivate a welcoming experience that instills the joy of collecting to all who attend,” stated Eve Lemon, who co-founded Fine Book Fairs with her husband Edward in 2022. “New York City is the pinnacle event of our fairs, and we wanted to create a bespoke, truly memorable experience for both exhibitors and collectors that also reflected the city itself. There seemed no better choice than to have Sex in the City author Candace Bushnell, who really epitomizes everything about The Big Apple, host a talk and take questions from the guests. And Shepard Hall, designed by George Browne Post, was the perfect venue to showcase books and art.”
SCHEDULE:
Friday, September 27th, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Price: $60.00 (valid for Saturday & Sunday) – Link HERE.
5:00 PM – 9:00 PM – Opening Preview Night with wine, canapes, live music & preview to books & prints
6:00 pm-7:00pm – Candace Bushnell, best-selling novelist and author Sex in the City, TV producer, and star of acclaimed one-woman show True Tales of Sex, Success and Sex and the City, hosts a talk, Q&A session and book signing.
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Brian Vander Ark, lead singer/songwriter for the multi-platinum alternative rock band The Verve Pipe will perform some of his hits.
Saturday, September 28th, 11:00 AM-7:00 PM
Price: $20 adults, $10 students, free for under 16 years of age or with valid CCNY student ID.
Link HERE.
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Lois Lowry, popular children & YA book author, will discuss her career and latest book Tree. Table. Book (2024).
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM – Stona Fitch, author of eight novels including the critically acclaimed Death Watch (Arrow Editions, 2023), has been praised by writers from J. M. Coetzee to Dennis Lehane and adapted for film.
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Richard Haines in conversation with Isaac Hindlin-Miller. One of today’s most sought-after fashion illustrator, Haines’ clients include Prada, Fédération de la Haute Couture, Tiffany & Company, Bobbi Brown, Polo Ralph Lauren, Todd Snyder, J. Crew, and more.
5:00 PM –6:00 PM– India Hicks, the London-born designer and author, comes from both British and design royalty. Her father was famed interior decorator David Hicks, her mother is Lady Pamela Hicks, and her Godfather is King Charles III. She has authored five design books, modeled for Ralph Lauren, among others, and been a host for networks ranging from Bravo to the BBC.
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM – India Hicks exclusive VIP champagne & caviar reception at Imperial Fine Books (790 Madison Ave. #601, NYC) – Link to tickets HERE.
Sunday, September 29th, 11:00 AM-5:00 PM
Price: $20 adults, $10 students, free for under 16 years of age or with valid CCNY student ID.
Link HERE.
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Kenneth Womack, author/editor of more than 40 books, including Long and Winding Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles (2007), the Cambridge Companion to the Beatles (2009), The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four (2014), and more.
The list of exhibitors include: The 19th Century Rare Book and Photograph Shop, Act 2 Books,
Artem Rare Books, B&B Rare Books, BlueMango Books and Manuscripts, C.S. Miller Books,
Christopher’s Rare Books, Commonwealth Books, Conspiration Editions, Courtside Books,
Edward T. Pollack Fine Arts, Imperial Fine Books, James Cummins Bookseller, Jeannot R. Barr Prints and Drawings, Jeffrey Bergman Books, Leaves Bookstore, Librairie Michael Seksik, Marc Chabot Fine Arts,
McBride Rare Books, Michael Steinbach Rare Books, Michael Weintraub, Inc, Old Editions Rare Books,
The Old Print Shop, Owl of Minerva Rare Books, Peter Harrington, Royal Books, Seth Kaller, Inc, Stan Gorski, Books & Ephemera, The Great Republic, The Verne Gallery, and Walnut Street Paper.
About Fine Book Fairs:
Fine Book Fairs was founded by Eve and Edward Lemon in 2022 to promote book and print fairs across the United States. Each of the fairs is a unique social event that combines rare books and prints, bespoke service to both exhibitors and attendees, live music, food and drink in a historic venue. Since its inception, Fine Book Fairs has hosted internationally attended book fairs in D.C., Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and New York, helping to make collecting accessible to a new generation of fans. www.finefairs.com
