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Fun Stuff => ENJOY => Topic started by: Aurjay on 29 Nov 2009, 19:11

Title: Darwin down the toilet
Post by: Aurjay on 29 Nov 2009, 19:11
Or at least his 1st edition of The Origin of Species could have been. Recently it  was found sitting on a bookshelf sitting above a guest toilet in England. Makes me wonder whats the rarest or most expensive book you people have. Mine is a 1901 copy of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poetry. Its a collection of all her poetry in a very nice leather bound volume. Love it even if i never ever read it for fear of damaging it.
Title: Re: Darwin down the toilet
Post by: JD on 29 Nov 2009, 19:47
I've mentioned this before, but I have a Hebrew Bible from 1793. It's in superb quality too.
Title: Re: Darwin down the toilet
Post by: Inlander on 29 Nov 2009, 20:02
The oldest book I have is an pocket edition of Matthew Arnold's poetry, published in 1900; however I only paid A$10 for it at a local second-hand bookshop so obviously it's not very valuable.

I'm still rather amazed that it was so cheap, actually. It's in good condition and it features a beautiful illustrated title-page which is in perfect condition.
Title: Re: Darwin down the toilet
Post by: a pack of wolves on 30 Nov 2009, 05:29
I've got an illustrated volume one of Dante's inferno with some fantastic engravings from around 1900. It's in nowhere near mint condition so I doubt it's worth much at all but it's a really lovely volume, it's folio size (I think) so you really get the most from the engravings.

Quote from: Zombiedude on 29 Nov 2009, 19:47
I've mentioned this before, but I have a Hebrew Bible from 1793. It's in superb quality too.

Nice. What's it like?
Title: Re: Darwin down the toilet
Post by: Scandanavian War Machine on 30 Nov 2009, 10:19
oldest? Probably something by Tolkien (can you guess what?).

Most valuable? Probably the 8 or 9 James Bond books I have, which may or may not be first editions, I'm not sure. I found them stacked with a bunch of yearbooks in a junk store when I was in highschool, borrowed the money from my parents, and went back to buy them the next day. I spent maybe 30 or 40 bucks on them and a little checking around leads me to believe I could get much more than that for just one of the books (Casino Royale, in particular as it's the first). They are in great condition but have no slip covers. In fact, I doubt they've ever even been read, judging by the spines.
Title: Re: Darwin down the toilet
Post by: JD on 30 Nov 2009, 12:01
Quote from: a pack of wolves on 30 Nov 2009, 05:29
Quote from: Zombiedude on 29 Nov 2009, 19:47
I've mentioned this before, but I have a Hebrew Bible from 1793. It's in superb quality too.
Nice. What's it like?

Well I don't actually know how to speak or read hebrew, so I can't say. I assume it's like the bible, only in hebrew. Perhap I should take some pictures of it.
Title: Re: Darwin down the toilet
Post by: a pack of wolves on 30 Nov 2009, 12:09
Yeah, I was thinking more typeface, size, any illustrations, that kind of thing.
Title: Re: Darwin down the toilet
Post by: Boro_Bandito on 30 Nov 2009, 19:38
I have a 1913 print of The Evolution of Man by Wilhelm Bolsche. Not too terribly famous or old, but its a bit of family history and he's not a completely nameless figure.
Title: Re: Darwin down the toilet
Post by: JD on 30 Nov 2009, 19:45
Quote from: a pack of wolves on 30 Nov 2009, 12:09
Yeah, I was thinking more typeface, size, any illustrations, that kind of thing.

It doesn't have any illustrations. It's just a fat book full of words I don't understand.

I'm absolutely no help, am I?
Title: Re: Darwin down the toilet
Post by: David_Dovey on 01 Dec 2009, 03:01
Quote from: Scandanavian War Machine on 30 Nov 2009, 10:19
oldest? Probably something by Tolkien (can you guess what?).

Silmarilllllllllllion
Title: Re: Darwin down the toilet
Post by: KickThatBathProf on 01 Dec 2009, 07:13
Return of the King (cause then we would have the same book)
Title: Re: Darwin down the toilet
Post by: a pack of wolves on 01 Dec 2009, 08:06
Quote from: Zombiedude on 30 Nov 2009, 19:45
It doesn't have any illustrations. It's just a fat book full of words I don't understand.

I'm absolutely no help, am I?

That's alright, it's not like I know anything about this kind of thing so it wouldn't necessarily mean much to me anyway. I was just intrigued.
Title: Re: Darwin down the toilet
Post by: celticgeek on 01 Dec 2009, 08:59
The following are among the oldest books I have:

Title:  Wells Natural Philosophy
Author:  David A. Wells, A.M.
Year:  1857


Title:  The Elements Of Natural Philosophy
Author:  Edwin J. Houston, A.M.
Year:  1879


Title:  A Text-Book Of Physics
Authors:  G. A. Wentworth, A.M. and G. A. Hill, A.M.
Year:  1898, 1905

I acquired them from the library of a junior college, where I was
teaching.  They were moving to a new building and were planning to
throw them out, but the librarian thought that I might be interested
in having them.  And I was.    

And, yes, I have read them.  They might have been used as text books
the year before I started teaching there.  :)

And I do have copies (somewhere) of the Lord Of The Rings.  
I don't have the copyright date, but I read them sometime between
1967-1970.  I will continue to look for them.
Title: Re: Darwin down the toilet
Post by: Ozymandias on 01 Dec 2009, 13:22
It's not my oldest book, but I own a first edition of Animal Farm from 1945.

My oldest book is an 1886 copy of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.