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PODCAST

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books

Brattle Book Shop

At one of America"s oldest bookshops, there are just as many stories to be told outside the pages as in them. Join Brattle Book Shop proprietor Kenneth Gloss and co-host Jordan Rich as they share insightful and entertaining conversations and histories surrounding Boston"s favorite spot for bibliophiles. Topics range from military autobiographies to regional cookbooks and everything in between. Updates every two weeks.

arts literature

All Episodes

00:14:26

Brattlecast #169 - Ken's Favorite Books (audio fixed)

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books ·

2023/11/22

In today’s episode we’re answering a question from a listener: what are Ken’s favorite books? Some people enjoy novels, but Ken is partial to handwritten historical documents, or a nice illuminated manuscript woven from silk. Then there are the two-for-ones: Spalding’s Baseball Guide, inscribed by Spalding himself to fellow Red Stockings player George Wright, a book on jazz inscribed by Billie Holiday to Louis Armstrong, and a copy of The Great Gatsby inscribed by F. Scott Fitzgerald to T.S. Eliot

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00:14:26

Brattlecast #169 - Ken's Favorite Books

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books ·

2023/11/21

In today’s episode we’re answering a question from a listener: what are Ken’s favorite books? Some people enjoy novels, but Ken is partial to handwritten historical documents, or a nice illuminated manuscript woven from silk. Then there are the two-for-ones: Spalding’s Baseball Guide, inscribed by Spalding himself to fellow Red Stockings player George Wright, a book on jazz inscribed by Billie Holiday to Louis Armstrong, and a copy of The Great Gatsby inscribed by F. Scott Fitzgerald to T.S. Eliot

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00:13:59

Brattlecast #168 - The Great Boston Fire in 3D

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books ·

2023/11/07

In November of 1872 a massive fire destroyed most of Boston’s financial district, from Washington Street to the harbor. Starting in the basement of a commercial warehouse, it spread rapidly along narrow streets packed with wooden-roofed buildings. The fire department was hindered by inaccessible alarm boxes, low water pressure, and an equine flu that left them short of horsepower. Raging for about 12 hours, the Great Fire caused millions of dollars in damages and reshaped downtown Boston (plus fire

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00:12:53

Brattlecast #167 - Historic Photo Albums

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books ·

2023/10/24

Today we’re talking about another surprising Brattle find: a fairly nondescript album that turned out to contain photos of prominent 1800s abolitionists. The collection includes small, sepia-toned portraits of Charles Sumner, Phillips Brooks, and even Sojourner Truth. We’ll also discuss other historical photos that have arrived at the shop, and the way that studio photography democratized image-making during the Civil War era, offering life-like portraits for a fraction of the cost of a

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00:12:54

Brattlecast #166 - Early Road Trip Books

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books ·

2023/10/10

Today in the studio we have a copy of New England Highways and Byways From a Motorcar by Thos. D. Murphy. This beautifully illustrated volume guides tourists on a then-novel automobile journey through early 20th century New England, with visits to charming towns, historic churches, and the rugged Maine coast. We’ll also discuss even earlier tourism—promoted heavily by railroad companies—to the new national parks of the American West, as well as a 1916 cross-country travel memoir by an unexpected

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00:14:10

Brattlecast #165 - The Grolier Club Lecture

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books ·

2023/09/26

In this episode we’ll be talking about Ken’s exciting upcoming lecture at the Grolier Club in New York City. Founded in 1884, the Grolier Club is America’s oldest and largest bibliophile society, with the objective to promote the study, collecting, and appreciation of books and works on paper. As a speaker, Ken strives to keep these events lively and fun, with an emphasis not so much on the books themselves but on the fascinating stories behind them. This lecture will take place on Thursday, October

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Brattlecast #164 - Napkin Folding!

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books ·

2023/09/12

It’s the episode you’ve been waiting for: Napkin Folding! Inspired by a British how-to book on the topic from the late 1800s, we’ll talk about the surprising ways that this fine-dining flourish relates to origami, mathematics, and even NASA’s telescope technologies. Hear how it all unfolds—from tablescapes to outer space—on this deliciously elaborate new #brattlecast.

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00:17:53

Brattlecast #163 - The New View Boston

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books ·

2023/08/29

Set to open this summer, View Boston is a new three-story observation deck at the top of the Prudential Tower. The venue will feature dining options, an open-air roof deck, and an immersive theater showcasing some of Boston’s most iconic locations—including your favorite secondhand book shop. We’re honored to be included, and to play our small part in the unique and character-rich life of this historic city, especially in a time of increasing cultural homogenization across the US. Listen to learn

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00:13:55

Brattlecast #162 - LIFE at the Brattle

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books ·

2023/08/15

Today we’re taking a look at some vintage issues of LIFE Magazine, half a truckload of which recently arrived at the shop. Full of iconic photojournalism and snappy graphic design, LIFE’s oversized pages are endlessly fun to flip through—and convey so much information about mid-century American culture. Listen to hear our favorite LIFE stories, from Woodstock to working moms, on this eye-opening new #brattlecast.

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00:17:18

Brattlecast #161 - Postcard Collections

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books ·

2023/08/01

In this episode, we’re talking about one of our favorite things to see in the shop: vintage postcards. While today they’re mostly used to show off vacation vistas, in the past postcards conveyed holiday greetings, commemorated historical events, and gave ordinary people an inexpensive way to keep in touch. Around the turn of the century, improvements in postal service, printing, and eventually photography set the stage for a golden age of postcards in the United States and Europe. Their popularity

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00:12:45

Brattlecast #160 - Armed Service Paperbacks

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books ·

2023/07/18

Today we’re talking about Armed Service Editions: paperback books designed to be sent overseas to American troops during World War II. Edited and printed by the non-profit Council on Books in Wartime, they were small, portable volumes with oblong silhouettes that could easily fit into a uniform pocket. Complete and surprisingly uncensored novels by authors like Jack London, Ernest Hemingway, and F. Scott Fitzgerald were a hit with the armed services—so much so that it’s hard for collectors to find

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00:16:40

Brattlecast #159 - Math & Science Books

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books ·

2023/07/04

Usually if you walk into the Brattle with an introductory math textbook you’ll receive a polite ‘no thank you.’ However, it’s a slightly different story when that textbook was published in 1695. In today’s episode, we’re looking at a still-pretty-accurate antique trigonometry book, written in Italian and complete with engraved illustrations and folding diagrams. We’ll talk about what makes technical volumes valuable—aside from sheer age—and why Brattle is less math-phobic than most secondhand book

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00:18:41

Brattlecast #158 - Vermont Sheds Books

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books ·

2023/06/20

A university without books? Today we’re talking about the recent announcement by Vermont State University that they’ll be building an “all-digital library” and getting rid of print books as a cost-cutting measure. The decision has drawn a strong backlash from students and faculty, but, as enrollments drop, funds are slashed, and courses move online, it makes a gloomy kind of sense. Uncomfortable questions are being raised about the future of higher education in the United States. For the children of

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00:14:17

Brattlecast #157 - James Michael Curley

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books ·

2023/06/06

Today in the studio we have a collection of letters and speeches from one of the most colorful political figures in Massachusetts history. James Michael Curley served four terms as Mayor of Boston, a single term as Governor, and five months, for mail fraud, in Danbury federal prison. An Irish Catholic from a working class background, Curley frequently clashed with the city’s WASP establishment, becoming known for his wit, generosity, and corruption. He got jobs for constituents, built beaches and

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00:18:41

Brattlecast #156 - Rock & Roll Collections

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books ·

2023/05/23

In this episode we’re talking about—or “riffing on”—a group of classic rock-related books, magazines, and memorabilia that recently arrived at the shop. While not the most monetarily valuable, it’s a fun collection to have around, mostly because it takes Ken back to his days as a young rocker in 1970s Boston. He saw The Stones at the Boston Garden, Van Morrison at Harvard Stadium, and—he thinks—Jimi Hendrix at the South Shore Music Circus (if you can confirm that this show happened please email the

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00:11:35

Brattlecast #155 - Pick Your Poison

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books ·

2023/05/09

Today in the studio we have a first American edition of the catchily titled Directions on the Treatment for Persons who have Taken Poison, and those in a State of Apparent Death, Together with the Means of Detecting Poisons and Adulterations in Wine, also, of Distinguishing Real from Apparent Death by Mathieu Joseph B. Orfila. While we wouldn’t necessarily recommend following its medical advice, the book provides a fascinating look at early toxicology. It describes the effects and (alleged)

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00:10:16

Brattlecast #154 - Golden Leaves of Friendship

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books ·

2023/04/25

Today in the studio we have an 1852 copy of The Oasis: or, Golden Leaves of Friendship, edited by N.L. Ferguson. The Oasis is part of a whole genre of 19th century gift books: illustrated anthologies of poetry, essays, and short fiction with titles like The Keepsake, Forget-Me-Not, and The Book of Beauty. Published annually before the holiday season, they were intended to be given as presents, often with a handwritten inscription from gifter to giftee. Gift books were frequently criticized and

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00:17:32

Brattlecast #153 - An Impressive Walk-In

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books ·

2023/04/11

One of the great things about working at the Brattle is that you never know what’s going to walk through that door. Recently, a customer surprised us by bringing in a copy of the Nuremberg Chronicle, one of the earliest printed books to feature illustrations. As if that wasn’t interesting enough, he also had a copy of the Kelmscott Chaucer, as well as a handful of volumes inscribed by their publisher (William Morris) to their illustrator (Edward Burne-Jones) for good measure. In this episode, we’ll

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00:12:18

Brattlecast #152 - The American Cemetery

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books ·

2023/03/28

Today in the studio we have The American Cemetery, a monthly trade journal for graveyard proprietors and caretakers; all of the issues from 1929 have been bound into a large hardcover volume. While it may not seem like the most lively subject, The American Cemetery presents a darkly humorous juxtaposition of the mundane with the macabre. Ads extolling readers to “bury cemetery upkeep costs” share page space with landscaping tips, industry gossip, and photo illustrations of new and notable graves,

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00:12:05

Brattlecast #151 - The Impactful Internet

Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books ·

2023/03/14

In this episode we talk about the impact of the internet on the shop, and on bookselling in general. Dictionary and encyclopedia sales have declined precipitously as search engines supplant reference books, but it’s easier than ever to do our own research online. E-readers may be convenient, but even young people still enjoy the tactility and craft of a good old fashioned paper-style book. Overall, more information is accessible to more people – and that’s a good thing. Learn how we’re adapting on

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