The Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA) and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) at The Concourse Exhibition Center, 8th and Brannan Streets: The California International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Comment: Once every two years, well over 200 of the world's top antiquarian book dealers convene in San Francisco to offer the finest in rare books, manuscripts, maps, photographs, autographs, posters, brochures, catalogues, and ephemera including, for you artsters, a generous helping of art-related items. Sponsored by the Northern California Chapter of the ABAA, this fair is generally regarded as the best and largest of its kind on the face of the planet. In addition to bookselling, the fair also features seminars and special exhibts. The exhibits, for example, are highlighted by a selection of exceptional Hippie posters and memorabilia, plus you'll find calligraphy and book arts demonstrations, and have opportunities to meet and speak with bookbinders, paper conservators, book artists, and more more more.

The show is so overwhelmingly mammoth (running the entire length of the Concourse from 7th to 8th Streets) that even seasoned book afficionados such as myself can't come close to seeing and appreciating everything. If you've never attended an antiquarian book fair, I can promise that you'll be amazed at the astonishing array of items humankind has put into print over the centuries. Here's a sampling...

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