Collecting paleo-books

[Newt]

This is a little different from the other book threads - this one is about paleo-themed books as collectible objects. If you have books that are antique, rare, or special in some way, post them here! I'll start with two of mine:


This copy of Triassic Dicynodont Reptiles, (which is mainly a monograph on Placerias), was signed on the cover by senior author Charles L. Camp.  The signature was a surprise to me - the bookseller had not mentioned it!








This copy of Alfred Sherwood Romer's Review of the Pelycosauria was printed in 1980, 41 years after its original printing, as part of an important paleontology books series edited by Stephen Jay Gould. This was Gould's personal copy.

[Halichoeres]

A copy owned by the author of "The spandrels of San Marco" is a pretty good find. Also the author of turgid Structure of Evolutionary Theory. but never mind. I don't think any of my books have notable previous owners (or if they do, their bookplates aren't affixed). But these are both at least as good for their utility as references!

[Newt]

Indeed! I purchased them mainly for use as references. Gould's copy of Romer and Price was comparable in price to all other copies I could locate, so I figured, why not? As I mentioned, I did not know the Camp book was signed when I bought it. The connection to famous paleontologists is strictly a bonus.

I bought a copy of one of William Stout's paleoart books from Mr. Stout himself at a model kit convention, of all places; he signed the frontispiece and doodled a Styracosaurus on it in pink gel pen. I gave the book to my niece; I wish I'd gotten a copy for myself while I was at it, but I could only afford one at the time.

[Newt]

Got me a first edition of Othniel Charles Marsh's monograph on the Dinocerata (uintatheres), published in 1884.





This thing is a tome! When they call it a volume, they mean it takes up a lot of space. Here it is supported by a pile of ordinary-sized paleo-books.





Signed by the OC himself! The recipient was zoologist Spencer Fullerton Baird, then secretary of the United States National Museum (aka Smithsonian Institution). And now it's mine.

[Shonisaurus]

@Newt It must have cost you a fortune to get that book.

[ceratopsian]

The inscription makes it quite special.

[Newt]

@Newt It must have cost you a fortune to get that book.

It's the most expensive book I've ever bought, but wasn't as costly as you might expect. Less than a Sideshow Apatosaurus, for example. And less than other, unsigned copies of the book that I saw for sale.

[Newt]

The inscription makes it quite special.

Yeah. I almost feel guilty owning it.

[ceratopsian]

You shouldn't!  I'm sure that he will have inscribed a lot of books over his lifetime. Just enjoy!

The inscription makes it quite special.

Yeah. I almost feel guilty owning it.

[CityRaptor]

Besides that it is the seller's fault for not checking.

[Libraraptor]

How could I overlook a thread like this for so long? This is right up my alley. Although I haven´t got that valuable ones, I still do have a few interesting antique books on palaeontology. I´m going to show them to you as soon as possible.

[Libraraptor]

Barnum Brownie wife wrote this book.


This one is an excerpt from a bigger volume by Roy Chapman Andrews


This is from the German Democratic Republic, a translation of a Sovjet book about the Gobi desert.

[Shonisaurus]

This book looks good. It is an old book that will cost a lot of money today, by the way. Is it illustrated?

[Newt]

Cool stuff, @Libraraptor! Gotta love those old covers. As necessity is the mother of invention, so is limited printing technology the mother of creative design.

[Halichoeres]

Very cool @Newt, that's a once-in-a-lifetime find. I think the only book I have signed by a scientist is one by Franz de Waal--not as hard to come by, needless to say.

@Libraraptor I love those old covers with designs burnt into the boards. Beautiful.

[Newt]

@Halichoeres - Now that I have this, I feel I must get a Cope-signed book to maintain parity. And then of course I'll need a Leidy to keep Marsh and Cope from each other's throats. This hobby is going to beggar me yet...


@CityRaptor - The Marsh book was advertised as a signed copy. Only the Camp book came with a surprise signature. I really have no idea how booksellers choose to price their books; often two seemingly identical books - same edition, same condition - will have wildly different prices.

[CityRaptor]

Only the Camp book came with a surprise signature.

My earlier statement still stands.

I really have no idea how booksellers choose to price their books; often two seemingly identical books - same edition, same condition - will have wildly different prices.

I read that there is some kind of algorithm for that. Given how some sellers price their books, that is actually very likely. I've seen some books going from prices between 1 and 40 Euros in just a few hours.

[Stuckasaurus (Dino Dad Reviews)]

The oldest book I have in my collection is Roy Chapman Andrews' "All About Dinosaurs". This one I bought exclusively for the collectible aspect of it; I haven't even gotten around to reading it yet in the several years I've owned it!

[Newt]

@Stuckasaurus (Dino Dad Reviews) - Cool book! Nice photo too. Every time Andrews is mentioned I think of a quote from one of his fellows on the Central Asiatic Expedition - (paraphrasing here) - "Any time the water was up to our knees, it was up to Roy's neck." Apparently he was a notorious embellisher.