Book Club

[Flatbush]

I have a book published in N.Y. in 1900 called "The Cripple of Neremberg"by Felicia Buttz Clark. I was given the book as a gift, but only recently began to read it. It has gold on the top page edges and some on the cover. Unfortunately, since reading the book, the cover is separating from the book and the pages, which are shiny and thick, are on the verge of coming loose.I love my old book, and will keep it anyway. So what is the oldest book you own?

[ALRATIBA]

I think it's my sets of Schlegel's German American Families in the United States.  They were written between about 1916 and 1920 and sold by subscription.  I was able to find two sets for myself and one set for my parents.  I don't know what the number of sets that were printed.   The Amerian Historical Society was the publisher.

Our family is one of the families noted - my father was the youngest member of our family who was listed ... he was 2 years old at the time - "our" volume was printed in 1917..

And ...a number of other families who are related to us are also in the books - probably also  because of business and/or fraternal organizations relationships.  

I used to have a kind of ragged copy of a book that was printed just after the Civil War called "A History of Slavery" - but one of my uncles borrowed it and I never saw it again.  He's gone now ... and so is the book. The condition was rather poor - binding was bad, but the pages were all intact and there were quite a few drawings that might have been worth something ...I didn't pay much for it .... so I'm not heartbroken about it.  But - it was nice to have.

[Desertdi]

My personal one is an early edition of "The Joy of Cooking".    I also have a very old prayer book that "probably" belonged to my mother............

[Foxxee]

I have a few first edition Nancy Drews dated 1930.  

[Peaches McPhee]

We have a signed "Grant's Memoirs" from 1885, and a family Bible from about 1875.  I also have a women's magazine from about 1910.  It is falling apart, but still read-able.  You should see the ads!

[SXMGirl]

A family that I babysat for gave me a first edition Gone With The Wind.   They gave me the book when I was about 14.  It has a beautiful glossy red cover; and, no matter where I have lived, that book has always gone with me.  

[proudlyfromNJ]

A Bible my Great Grandmother’s brother gave her in the 1800’s with writing inside. It will probably get trashed when I die. 

[tobe]

VOYAGES AND TRAVELS      ~   Printed in London 

in 1813   I have 2 of these volumes.

[Perkup]

Possibly not my oldest, but definitely my favorite.  It's a cookbook called "Southern Cookiing" by Mrs. S. R. Dull, first published in 1928  She was, for many years, the food guru of the Atlanta Journal. (Needless to say Atlanta was my birthplace.) This is a simple, but amazingly complete, cookbook -  no pictures, but information galore.  My aunt, who was a fabulous home cook, chose this as the only cookbook she ever owned or needed. I will never be the cook my aunt was, but I've cherished this book through the years and refer to it at least once a week. 

I also have a complete set of The World Book publlished in 1934. It's fun to see what was important in those days. I was born in 1934.

[SparklesMcGee]

I have the first book I was given when I was born, Richard Scarry's Best Mother Goose Ever. It's a treasure and I have purchased copies for all my children, nieces, and nephews because it is so special to my brothers and me.