Edmund Brumfitt
@ebrumfitt.bsky.social
Dealer in rare books, mainly before 1820, mainly European. Plus other distractions.
Always fun to be let in on Amtrak's inner monologue.
November 17, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Always fun to be let in on Amtrak's inner monologue.
By way of a lure, these are the endpapers...
November 4, 2025 at 10:42 AM
By way of a lure, these are the endpapers...
A puzzle. This was printed in 1740, for the 'ceremony battesimali' of the 'Secondigenito' of Francesco III, Duke of Modena. He had had four children (of whom the first two died in infancy, by 1727. So it seems unlikely that any would be being baptised in 1740. Can anyone shed any light on this?
November 4, 2025 at 10:27 AM
A puzzle. This was printed in 1740, for the 'ceremony battesimali' of the 'Secondigenito' of Francesco III, Duke of Modena. He had had four children (of whom the first two died in infancy, by 1727. So it seems unlikely that any would be being baptised in 1740. Can anyone shed any light on this?
Getting ready for this weekend's Chelsea Book Fair. A list of some of what I am taking is at lists.ebrb.co.uk/chelsea2025
October 27, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Getting ready for this weekend's Chelsea Book Fair. A list of some of what I am taking is at lists.ebrb.co.uk/chelsea2025
Bluesky is full of coincidences. The author of this guide to rural domestic economy, now on my desk, was entirely unknown to me until this week. And now a new edition has just appeared of a 1788 novel of hers.
October 18, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Bluesky is full of coincidences. The author of this guide to rural domestic economy, now on my desk, was entirely unknown to me until this week. And now a new edition has just appeared of a 1788 novel of hers.
My next little list of recent acquisitions has bits and pieces of Italian theatre in it, including this: Metastasio's Siroe was very popular as an opera libretto, serving as the basis for operas by at least 35 known composers, including Handel and Vivaldi.
October 13, 2025 at 2:46 PM
My next little list of recent acquisitions has bits and pieces of Italian theatre in it, including this: Metastasio's Siroe was very popular as an opera libretto, serving as the basis for operas by at least 35 known composers, including Handel and Vivaldi.
Feels like a week to think about constitutions. One of these was put into effect. The other was not put to a vote, and its proposer was arrested.
October 7, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Feels like a week to think about constitutions. One of these was put into effect. The other was not put to a vote, and its proposer was arrested.
Step aside Mozart: this is Austria's greatest contribution to humanity.
September 24, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Step aside Mozart: this is Austria's greatest contribution to humanity.
British Airways to the rescue with this phrase: any missed deadline will now be explained by requiring additional time to do it as quickly as possible.
September 22, 2025 at 5:01 AM
British Airways to the rescue with this phrase: any missed deadline will now be explained by requiring additional time to do it as quickly as possible.
All set for a slightly unexpected jaunt to the York Book Fair.
September 11, 2025 at 7:41 AM
All set for a slightly unexpected jaunt to the York Book Fair.
A lovely fresh copy in pink wrappers with original printed labels of Demoustier's Lettres à Émilie, sur la mythologie, tthrough which generations of French children learned the Greek myths, here printed by Renouard in 1803 Judging from the condition, I doubt this has gone anywhere near a child.
August 28, 2025 at 3:16 PM
A lovely fresh copy in pink wrappers with original printed labels of Demoustier's Lettres à Émilie, sur la mythologie, tthrough which generations of French children learned the Greek myths, here printed by Renouard in 1803 Judging from the condition, I doubt this has gone anywhere near a child.
A propos of nothing in particular, I do like DC.
August 25, 2025 at 6:03 PM
A propos of nothing in particular, I do like DC.
New arrival for any lovers of Mots d'Heures: Mousses, Rames. A 1784 method of learning English through a phonetic presentation of an English translation of Fénelon's Les Aventures de Télémaque. Bound to work.
August 22, 2025 at 1:26 PM
New arrival for any lovers of Mots d'Heures: Mousses, Rames. A 1784 method of learning English through a phonetic presentation of an English translation of Fénelon's Les Aventures de Télémaque. Bound to work.
Going through bits of paper and reminded how impressed I was that in Nancy they let people into the museum for free during the heat wave.
August 18, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Going through bits of paper and reminded how impressed I was that in Nancy they let people into the museum for free during the heat wave.
Finding all sorts of delights in a box I am going through. Duckling! Liebfraumilch! Potatoes in TWO forms!
August 8, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Finding all sorts of delights in a box I am going through. Duckling! Liebfraumilch! Potatoes in TWO forms!
Local celebrity cat has taken to basking on a different car roof each day. Not, it must be said, elegantly.
July 28, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Local celebrity cat has taken to basking on a different car roof each day. Not, it must be said, elegantly.
Time to dig these out of storage.
July 28, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Time to dig these out of storage.
It's time for a new list, of 25 books and manuscripts covering 150 years around the 18th century, including graphology, French protestants, Montesquieu, cosmology for children, the divine office, and more. Link in bio!
July 24, 2025 at 8:54 AM
It's time for a new list, of 25 books and manuscripts covering 150 years around the 18th century, including graphology, French protestants, Montesquieu, cosmology for children, the divine office, and more. Link in bio!
Never really got French gothic until today.
July 1, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Never really got French gothic until today.
Visited a colleague. Made a new friend.
June 21, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Visited a colleague. Made a new friend.
Seeing all these Father's Day posts made me go through some old boxes of my father's things. Along with the Yorkshire Post announcing the declaration of war in 1939 (on page 4), I found this. Any idea what the Taberdars' Room was?
June 15, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Seeing all these Father's Day posts made me go through some old boxes of my father's things. Along with the Yorkshire Post announcing the declaration of war in 1939 (on page 4), I found this. Any idea what the Taberdars' Room was?
The author of a book I am cataloguing, Enrico Gazzera (1772-1838), corresponded with Thomas Jefferson, who had a couple of books of his in his library. I thought Google might be helpful in pointing me towards a link. Not so much.
June 3, 2025 at 11:33 AM
The author of a book I am cataloguing, Enrico Gazzera (1772-1838), corresponded with Thomas Jefferson, who had a couple of books of his in his library. I thought Google might be helpful in pointing me towards a link. Not so much.
Maybe time to reread this.
May 22, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Maybe time to reread this.
Settling in for last-minute cataloguing for next week's Firsts book fair, with the Vatican News vox pops washing over me.
May 8, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Settling in for last-minute cataloguing for next week's Firsts book fair, with the Vatican News vox pops washing over me.
This 12-volume collection of eulogies (on Metastasio, Petrarch, Palladio, Leonardo, and more), collected by the Jesuit-turned-journalist Andrea Rubbi in 1782, includes 4 by Giovanni Battista Giovio, who was Chamberlain to the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, to whom Rubbi gave this copy.
March 24, 2025 at 9:05 AM
This 12-volume collection of eulogies (on Metastasio, Petrarch, Palladio, Leonardo, and more), collected by the Jesuit-turned-journalist Andrea Rubbi in 1782, includes 4 by Giovanni Battista Giovio, who was Chamberlain to the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, to whom Rubbi gave this copy.