Golden waters

Water not clouds 

Golden waters at sunset make up for the lack of spectacular sky colors.

Triangle in the ground

Equilateral and rounded

This Observation Monitoring Well cover was made by the Universal Valve Co. of Elizabeth, NJ.  The equilateral triangle and rounded corners provide a needed respite from the round and square covers one usually sees in the street beneath our feet.

The Secret Lives of Lawrence of Arabia

"The Secret Lives of Lawrence of Arabia" was published in England in 1969; the paperback came out in 1970.  This copy of the book has had as almost an interesting journey as the subject of the book itself:  printed in the U.K, sold in Teheran, brought to New Mexico, bookmarked with a postcard from Texas that had been mailed in Washington, donated in early 2020 to the used book bin at a library 1900 miles away that then put it in its recycling bin.

Front cover of the paperback edition

Back cover showing the prices for the U.K., Australia, 
New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada 

This particular copy of the book was at the Iranian Amalgamated Distribution Agency (I.A.D.A.) located at what was then 151 Avenue Soraya in Teheran  That was also the location for the Mebso Bookshop.   That address is now 151 Khiaban Soraya in Tehran.  

"Primate" page with bookstore stamps 

The price was listed as 90 rial.

"I.A.D.A" Bookstore stamp and price 

Inside the book was a postcard showing:  "President Lyndon B. Johnson & friend by the banks of the Pedernales River."  

 By the river with LBJ and the bull

The postcard was mailed on August 30, 1990 from Washington D.C. to St. John's College in Santa Fe.  Sheila, the sender, writes: "So here's a card from Texas, but not really.  Back in DC, where it's cold & rainy - sound familiar?".  She continues:  "How many fresh seafood dinners have I had?  A. Too many to count.  Have I been to the beach?  A. Yes!!!"  Her missive to Mark and Greg ends with:  "I prefer green mountains to brown ones but miss y'all pow'ful bad.  Love, Sheila".

Crocuses by the step

Crocuses at the step

Many items are measured "by the ...".  These crocuses, and a few snowdrops, are "by the step".

Impersonation Of A Lady

"Impersonation of a Lady" was published by Maude Parker in 1934.  

Title page

Page 1 of "Impersonation of a Lady" 

Inside front cover with with library book plate and book store sticker 

The Redwood Library of Newport, Rhode Island acquired the book through the Bookshop for Boys & Girls, a book store operated by the Women's Educational & Industrial Union, then located at 270 Boylston Street in Boston.   

Colophon with Cutter catalog number and dedication page with acquisition date stamp 

The book was copyrighted by Maude Parker on August 28, 1934; the edition notice page lists the copyright to Maude Parker Pavenstedt, her married name.  Born on July 30, 1892, she passed on November 12, 1959.  Her husband, Edmund W. Pavenstedt, renewed the copyright on  September 5, 1961.

The Redwood Library entered the book into its holdings on November 3, 1934 under the catalog number P2272i, using the Cutter classification system.  The copyright page shows their unique cataloging system. 

Inside back cover due dates and library rules

The book was first borrowed on November 10, 1934 and enjoyed seemingly constant readership for the next year, until November 2, 1935.  The book was then borrowed once in 1939 and twice in each calendar years of 1944, 1946, 1961, and 1966.  After enjoying some thirty two plus years on the library shelves, "Impersonation of a Lady" was withdrawn.  

Pasted in the inside back cover of the book are the "Selections From The Rules" of the Redwood Library.  Some of the rules of note are that:  overdue book fines increase the longer a book is overdue; not paying the overdue fines will debar one from the library; books cannot be lent to anyone outside the borrower's house; and, the very explicit defacement and damage criteria and consequences.

Nothing is known of the books whereabouts until late 2019.  Then, the book appeared in the donation box for used books that are resold by a library.  Deemed not salable nor donatable, it was relegated to the recycling bin; its story is told here.