While doing some research on the internet prior to purchasing a canoe, I kept coming across references to a book by W. P. Stephens called Canoe and Boat Building for Amateurs, which was published before the turn of the century. For some reason, this sounded kind of familiar to me, and to make a long story short, it turns out that I have a copy of this book. I purchased it on a whim, really, at a thrift store maybe ten years ago. I put it up on the bookshelf and forgot about it. The references to this book that I've seen on the internet all refer to either the 1889 edition or the 1891 edition. The one I have is from 1885, with a copyright date of 1884. So I'm assuming that the one I have is either a first or second edition. I haven't seen any references at all to this edition -- only to the 1889 or '91 editions. The book itself is in very good or excellent condition, given that it's over 100 years old. Since I barely know which end of the screwdriver to hold on to, it is unlikely that I will ever build a canoe. It seems a shame to have a book like this imprisoned on the bookshelf on one so inept, and so I would be interested in finding an organization or club that might actually use the book. I'm not really interested in giving it to some library that already has 50 copies of the book, but rather, maybe some place that doesn't have a copy of this book, or some organization that would actually use it in building a canoe. I'm not at all in touch with the boat-building community, and so I would appreciate any leads you could give me. Please help me find this book a good home. I'm not much interested in selling it for money, and don't even know what it might be worth. I paid ten cents for it. jim holman holmanj_at_ohsu.edu Portland, Oregon *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
From: James Holman >While doing some research on the internet prior to purchasing a canoe, I kept coming across references to a book by W. P. Stephens called Canoe and Boat Building for Amateurs, which was published before the turn of the century. .................. > It seems a shame to have a book like this imprisoned on the bookshelf on one so inept, and so I would be interested in finding an organization or club that might actually use the book. I'm not really interested in giving it to some library that already has 50 copies of the book, but rather, maybe some place that doesn't have a copy of this book, or some organization that would actually use it in building a canoe. >I'm not at all in touch with the boat-building community, and so I would appreciate any leads you could give me. Please help me find this book a good home. I'm not much interested in selling it for money, and don't even know what it might be worth. I paid ten cents for it. > The best place I can think of is the new Canadian Canoe Museum, up near Peterborough, Ontario. They already have a solid collection of canoes and materials related to their use and construction. I have a URL for them somewhere... I'll have to find it and pass it on. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
If I were you I would contact a few sellers of old books before giving it away. It could be much more valuable than you think. Matt Broze -----Original Message----- From: James Holman <holmanj_at_ohsu.edu> To: PaddleWise_at_lists.intelenet.net <PaddleWise_at_lists.intelenet.net> Date: Thursday, July 08, 1999 3:52 PM Subject: [Paddlewise] Stephens's "Canoe and Boat Building" >While doing some research on the internet prior to purchasing a canoe, I kept coming across references to a book by W. P. Stephens called Canoe and Boat Building for Amateurs, which was published before the turn of the century. > >For some reason, this sounded kind of familiar to me, and to make a long story short, it turns out that I have a copy of this book. I purchased it on a whim, really, at a thrift store maybe ten years ago. I put it up on the bookshelf and forgot about it. > >The references to this book that I've seen on the internet all refer to either the 1889 edition or the 1891 edition. The one I have is from 1885, with a copyright date of 1884. So I'm assuming that the one I have is either a first or second edition. I haven't seen any references at all to this edition -- only to the 1889 or '91 editions. The book itself is in very good or excellent condition, given that it's over 100 years old. > >Since I barely know which end of the screwdriver to hold on to, it is unlikely that I will ever build a canoe. It seems a shame to have a book like this imprisoned on the bookshelf on one so inept, and so I would be interested in finding an organization or club that might actually use the book. I'm not really interested in giving it to some library that already has 50 copies of the book, but rather, maybe some place that doesn't have a copy of this book, or some organization that would actually use it in building a canoe. > >I'm not at all in touch with the boat-building community, and so I would appreciate any leads you could give me. Please help me find this book a good home. I'm not much interested in selling it for money, and don't even know what it might be worth. I paid ten cents for it. > >jim holman >holmanj_at_ohsu.edu >Portland, Oregon > > >*************************************************************************** >PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List >Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net >Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net >Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ >*************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Below is a snipped message from Jim Holman, and my response to it: At 10:51 AM 6/27/99 -0700, you wrote: >While doing some research on the internet prior to purchasing a canoe, I kept coming across references to a book by W. P. Stephens called Canoe and Boat Building for Amateurs, which was published before the turn of the century. [snip] The one I have is from 1885, with a copyright date of 1884. So I'm assuming that the one I have is either a first or second edition. I haven't seen any references at all to this edition -- only to the 1889 or '91 editions. [snip] The best place to look for descriptive information on out of print books, ones that are held in major libraries, is a subscription-only database, the World Cat[alog], from OCLC in Ohio. In that database on a quick and dirty search, I have found no holdings for a paper format copy of this presumably first edition. Two libraries list microform holdings that are copies of it. By 1891 it was in its 5th edition. In 1987 the Mystic Seaport Museum published Fifty Plates from...the 1885 and 1898 editions, "Printing plates were made directly from the original plates, preserved by the G.W. Blunt Library"[Mystic Seaport Museum?]. Presumably that library has the book as well as the plates, but that's not a certainty. I'd be delighted to have a copy of this book here in the Williams Library, Texas Maritime Academy, Texas A&M University at Galveston. Your local public library would no doubt be interested too, or the Hatfield Marine Science Center Library there in Newport, Oregon. Natalie, "the paddling librarian" Natalie Wiest, Library Director Jack K. Williams Library, Texas A&M University at Galveston P.O. Box 1675 Galveston TX 77553 U.S.A. Phone: (409)740-4567 Fax: (409)740-4702 Email: wiestn_at_tamug.tamu.edu *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
While I'm not an accountant or a tax person, I would assume this potential first edition may have a monetary value which could be a deduction on income tax if the book is given to a museum or library. I suggest a value be determined prior to making the donation so that Jim can get some credit for having the wisdom to buy the book and keep it in good condition all this time. Now I have to go look at the back of the picture I bought at that garage sale to see if an original Declaration of Independence happens to be there. Larry Mills > -----Original Message----- > From: Natalie Wiest [SMTP:wiestn_at_tamug.tamu.edu] > Sent: Friday, July 09, 1999 11:26 A.M. > To: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Stephens's "Canoe and Boat Building" > > Below is a snipped message from Jim Holman, and my response to it: > > At 10:51 AM 6/27/99 -0700, you wrote: > >While doing some research on the internet prior to purchasing a canoe, I > kept coming across references to a book by W. P. Stephens called Canoe and > Boat Building for Amateurs, which was published before the turn of the > century. > [snip] The one I have is from 1885, with a copyright date of 1884. So I'm > assuming that the one I have is either a first or second edition. I > haven't seen any references at all to this edition -- only to the 1889 or > '91 editions. [snip] > > The best place to look for descriptive information on out of print books, > ones that are held in major libraries, is a subscription-only database, > the > World Cat[alog], from OCLC in Ohio. In that database on a quick and dirty > search, I have found no holdings for a paper format copy of this > presumably > first edition. Two libraries list microform holdings that are copies of > it. By 1891 it was in its 5th edition. In 1987 the Mystic Seaport Museum > published Fifty Plates from...the 1885 and 1898 editions, "Printing plates > were made directly from the original plates, preserved by the G.W. Blunt > Library"[Mystic Seaport Museum?]. Presumably that library has the book as > well as the plates, but that's not a certainty. > > I'd be delighted to have a copy of this book here in the Williams Library, > Texas Maritime Academy, Texas A&M University at Galveston. Your local > public library would no doubt be interested too, or the Hatfield Marine > Science Center Library there in Newport, Oregon. > > Natalie, "the paddling librarian" > > > > Natalie Wiest, Library Director > Jack K. Williams Library, Texas A&M University at Galveston > P.O. Box 1675 Galveston TX 77553 U.S.A. > Phone: (409)740-4567 Fax: (409)740-4702 > Email: wiestn_at_tamug.tamu.edu > > > ************************************************************************** > * > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ > ************************************************************************** > * *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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