Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books

In today’s #brattlecast, we step away from the shop to check out 1776: Declaring Independence, on view now through December 19th at the Massachusetts Historical Society. Marking the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, this exhibition showcases rare printings of the Declaration of Independence—plus handwritten copies by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson—alongside contemporary letters, diaries, and newspaper accounts that help place the Declaration in its historical context.Even in history-rich Boston, the Massachusetts Historical Society feels like something of a hidden gem, and Declaring Independence offers a fascinating introduction to their collections. Learn more and plan your visit at masshist.org.

To modern eyes, the Victorians displayed a number of toxic traits—not least of which was a penchant for poisoning themselves. After a long day of applying lead-based cosmetics and eating adulterated bread, a person of the 1800s might kick back under the indoor gas lamp with a brilliant green book bound in arsenic-dyed cloth. A sickening number of these volumes are still in circulation today—posing a potential health hazard to librarians and researchers who handle them frequently. Today we’re talking about the Poison Books Project, an initiative of the Winterthur Library and the University of Delaware. The PBP identifies and catalogs books bound with toxic pigments and offers safety tips for those who work with them. Enjoy this to-dye-for new #brattlecast—and learn more about the Poison Books Project here.

In today’s episode, we pivot away from books and shake things up by talking about Ken’s own personal collection of over 250 snowdomes. He and his wife, Joyce, have been picking up the snowdomes as souvenirs for years—on family vacations and while they're traveling for Antiques Roadshow. We’ll discuss their criteria for what makes a good dome (glass vs. plastic, snow vs. glitter) and about new challenges that bedevil the snowdome connoisseur (TSA liquid restrictions). Settle in for a chilly and charming #brattlecast that perfectly encapsulates everything we love so much about the shop and its proprietors.

Today we’re looking at two classic American magazines: TIME and LIFE. Published weekly for most of the 20th century, these sister periodicals offer complementary perspectives on the biggest stories of the era, with LIFE’s vivid photojournalism bringing immediacy and emotional resonance to TIME’s in-depth reporting. They’ve always been popular items at the shop, but while past collectors sought out issues that commemorated special events or milestone dates from their own lives, a younger generation of readers are embracing these magazines for the design language they helped define—as archives of iconic mid-century modern fashion, architecture, typography, and consumer goods. Explore the way that objects slip from personal nostalgia into cultural history as time and life march irrevocably forward on this new-for-now #brattlecast.

This week, we’re unwrapping (not literally) a little piece of local journalistic history: one of 150,000 condoms distributed by The Boston Phoenix. In 1987, the alternative weekly published an issue that included a condom—donated by Trojan—and a guide to safer sex with every newspaper. They intended to raise awareness of the burgeoning AIDS crisis, and to court some controversy at a time when contraception itself was still up for debate in heavily Catholic Boston. As usual on this podcast, the story behind the story is just as fascinating, and Ken’s got insider info on the unique logistical challenges posed by getting all those condoms into all those papers. Join us for a tale of courageous publishing—and shortsighted stapling—on this slightly-racier-than-usual #brattlecast.

When you visit a different stranger’s home almost every day of your working life, you end up having a lot of interesting experiences—some incredibly elevated, and others rather harrowing. On today’s episode, we’re going over some of those highs and lows from Ken’s decades in book buying, from palatial estates filled with priceless antiques to hoarding situations infested with fleas. We never know what we’re going to find when we set out in the morning, which is what makes this job such an adventure. Join us as we revisit some of the most memorable spaces in the greater Boston area—for better or worse—on a hospitable new #brattlecast.

Ken’s a busy guy—we’re lucky he can even make time for this podcast. In today’s episode, he’ll break down one of his typically action-packed weeks, from early morning chores and laborious book buys to photo shoots at the shop and high-end appraisals. We say at the Brattle that Ken only works half-days: from 5 a.m. until 5 p.m. Make some room in your schedule to learn more about the demands and rewards of bookshop proprietorship on this occupying new #brattlecast.

Today we’re flipping through some fresh arrivals to the shop: issues of Ebony magazine from the 1970s. In print from 1945 to 2019 (and still published online), Ebony documented mid-century Black life in the United States with the same upbeat and aspirational tone that mainstream magazines once reserved for white America. From glossy fashion spreads and celebrity profiles to coverage of politics, civil rights, and everyday life, Ebony built a vivid visual record of a rapidly changing country. Today, Ebony offers a rich and fascinating archive of the African American experience, along with a quietly radical reminder that Black people’s lives were always worthy of glamour, curiosity, and cultural memory.

The Brattle has been in Ken’s family since 1949—before GPS, electronic mail, or even the podcast. In today’s episode, we discuss how modern tools have changed our daily routines at the shop, from appraising collections and setting up appointments to navigating the roads of New England. One piece of communication technology that hasn’t changed? The books themselves. They still deliver information and delight readers just as well as they did fifty, one hundred, or two hundred years ago. Join us for a look at the past and present of the bookselling on this timeless new #brattlecast.

Astute Brattlecast listeners may have already noticed this, but Ken really loves to tell a good story. Did you know you can see him speak in person as well? Today’s episode is about Ken’s lectures: informative, entertaining presentations drawn from his decades in the book business and delivered at venues throughout New England. These talks are always followed by a Q&A with the audience and a look at any books attendees have brought in for appraisal. Visit brattlebookshop.com to see when Ken might appear at a library, museum, or historical society near you—or to book him for your own event.