We're about ten days late on this review, but as spring arrives we take a look at Zephyr Used & Rare Books catalogue of Winter Discoveries. These items are appealing regardless of season. Zephyr's material isn't what you typically find in a bookseller's catalogue. There are some books, but lots of varied ephemeral items, photographs, documents, archives, advertising, illustrations, and much more. There are things you never expected to find, or even knew they existed. In Zephyr's words, “discoveries.” Here are a few discoveries.
We begin with a type of book that was very popular with girls, primarily teenagers, in the 19th century. They have virtually disappeared with the advent of newer technologies. This is a friendship book created by Jane Weaver in 1844-45, when she was 15-16 years old. Friendship books generally contained favorite poems or quotes plus personal keepsakes. In this case, young Jane has copied some poems relating to Indians who inhabited her home state of Ohio. She had more of a conscience than most adults of her generation. She writes quotes from poems about Indians forced from their homes. One was written by William Walker, Jr., a Wyandotte forced to move from Ohio to Kansas. From there they were later pushed into Oklahoma, then Indian territory. Even that would later be lost to “Sooners.” The quote concludes with, “I long to see my native home.” Weaver has added some illustrations and her keepsakes are 27 braided hair locks from 27 friends and family. This may be all that remains of most of them. Jane herself mostly disappears from history. All I can find is that she married not too much later, in 1847 at age 18. Her husband was John Quincy Adams Bliss, who among his siblings were George Washington Bliss and James Monroe Bliss. One of John Quincy Adams and Jane Weaver's nine children was William Henry Harrison Bliss. The couple were farmers in Ohio, but John died in 1871 at the age of 46. Jane then moved to Missouri where she died in 1885. Item 201. Priced at $750.
Here's something that never goes out of style, though it ought to – quackery. The late 19th century was filled with useless patent medicine, but there were other sorts of fake cures at the time too. One was electricity. Early in the century when electricity was newly being harnessed it might be believable that it could create all sorts of miracles, but by the time of this book, 1883, evidence said otherwise. That did not stop George C. Pitzer, who advocated its use for all sorts of electrotherapeutics. His book is Electricity in Medicine and Surgery... Electricity is important in surgery, for such things as running monitors and turning on the lights. Pitzer claimed electricity could revive people from asphyxia, overdoses of chloroform, even reviving patients from overdoses of opium or morphine. He also claimed it could be used to test for life and death where it was uncertain, but this was not in conjunction with heart and brain wave monitors, but by direct application. It was later realized that electricity was a good method of turning life to death through the electric chair. He would later advocate its use in eye surgery and dentistry. Item 140 is a second edition from 1883. $275.
Next we have another book about good health, but while the author had his unusual health habits, as are some of his recommendations, the basic beliefs are valid though uncommon for his time. Sanford Bennett believed in exercise, particularly for older people who needed all the help they could get. The title of his 1913 book, though, is perhaps a bit optimistic - Old Age. Its Cause and Prevention. Perhaps old age's effects can be delayed, but prevented? He says that exercises, and he had a series of them he advocated, many of which could be performed in bed, could increase the size and elasticity of muscles. It likely could have increased the life span for many, but exercise making one's face look younger is questionable. He wisely said to get rid of of patent medicines, of mixed wisdom to stay away from doctors and other therapies, good advice to exercise. He also was an advocate for vegetarianism. Bennett himself was in excellent health at an advanced age and did look younger. He lived to age 85 and it probably would have been longer had he not succumbed to a demise no vegetarian should suffer. He choked on a chicken bone. Item 142. $50.
This is a really bad title for a book. Perhaps it was tongue-in-cheek. I don't know. From 1999, the title is Passing Gas. It has to do with inflight refueling of airplanes during the Vietnam War. The rest of the title is “the history of inflight refueling.” The author is Major Vernon Byrd. Item 24. $40.
This is a set of ten photographs of one of the most historic moments of the past century. They come from the first moon landing in 1969. The photographers were Neil Armstrong, first to set foot on the moon, and “Buzz” Aldrin, most being by Armstrong. They are taken while walking on the moon, setting up instruments, entering and exiting the lunar lander. The negatives had to be transferred to a stronger negative as the originals were very delicate. The prints then were made on Kodak paper, and sold or given to vendors associated with NASA. Item 178. $1,950.
Henry Ford was one of America's most successful businessmen, mass producing cars that were within the financial reach of many for whom automobiles would otherwise have been beyond their means. Ford was also a hate-filled man, antisemitism being his great cause outside of building automobiles. He published a newspaper from 1920-1927 filled with lies and hate directed at Jews. Some of his writings were published in this 1920 book, The International Jew: the World's Foremost Problem. Being a Reprint of a Series of Articles Appearing in the Dearborn Independent from May 22 to October 2, 1920. Ford blamed Jews for all the world's ills. They supposedly controlled business, government, whatever else. Everything that went wrong in America and the world was caused by the Jews. He required Ford dealerships to make the Independent available in their showrooms. Ford found strong support in Germany from Hitler and the Nazis. Ford was the only American written up positively in Hitler's Mein Kampf. Item 158. $450.
Zephyr Used & Rare Books may be reached at 360-695-7767 or zephyrbook@gmail.com.
