I love Kevin's information and the idea for a new illustated book. THANKS Arianne Laidlaw On Mon, Nov 13, 2017 at 7:31 PM, Peter Salwen <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Kevin, it sounds like you may have the makings of a new illustrated MT book > on your hands. > > On Nov 13, 2017 9:23 PM, "Kevin Mac Donnell" <[log in to unmask] > > > wrote: > > > The Mark Twain Scrapbook is nicely written up in a book on scrapbooking > > that > > I reviewed in the Forum a few years ago. As claimed in the > advertisements, > > it was a clear improvement over the practice of having to apply your own > > paste. That could get messy. I have over 50 examples--all different cover > > designs and sizes--and this includes some unused ones. The pages do often > > stick together, but this should not comes as a surprise for a book kept > > over > > 100 years in a barn, house, or attic without the benefit of humidity and > > temperature control. I'd get a bit sticky myself, probably within days. > But > > I have many more examples whose pages have not stuck together, and the > glue > > is remarkably stable. The glue used in some self-adhesive photo albums of > > the 1970s is notoriously unstable and often reacts very badly and > destroys > > whatever is stuck in the album. Not so with the Mark Twain Scrapbooks. > > > > The thing was a success and was produced from 1877 to at least 1901 (the > > date of the last catalogue I have listing them). > > > > Kevin > > @ > > Mac Donnell Rare Books > > 9307 Glenlake Drive > > Austin TX 78730 > > 512-345-4139 > > Member: ABAA, ILAB > > ************************* > > You may browse our books at: > > www.macdonnellrarebooks.com > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Martin Zehr > > Sent: Saturday, November 11, 2017 12:46 PM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Re: Mark Twain Scrapbook > > > > Mark Twain scrapbooks are not in the rare category of Twain collectibles, > > as far as I can determine, and Kevin Mac Donnell can attest. They come > in a > > variety of covers and sizes, with the "Mark Twain" trademark prominently > > displayed inside the front cover. They come up on ebay once in awhile and > > I've purchased three over the years, none which were expensive. They > were > > available from the 1870s into the 20th century. The examples I have were > > used and are interesting artifacts to peruse, the owners inserting news > > items, bad poetry and personal items. An unused example would > undoubtedly > > be more expensive, but undoubtedly less interesting. > > Martin Zehr > > > > <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_ > > source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail&utm_term=icon> > > Virus-free. > > www.avast.com > > <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_ > > source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail&utm_term=link> > > <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> > > > > On Sat, Nov 11, 2017 at 3:17 AM, Arianne . <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > > > Thank y ou so much. One of his scrapbooks plays a large part in > > > my interest in Twain. I've never checked, but I wonder if any blank > > > ones ever come up for sale. I imagine plenty of used ones might. I > > > assume the collection of scrapbooks held by the Mark Twain Project > > > in Berkeley contain examples of scrapbooks the family created before > > > the patent and some they made after. > > > > > > THANKS! > > > Arianne Laidlaw > > > > > > On Fri, Nov 10, 2017 at 11:38 AM, Robert M Ellsworth < > [log in to unmask] > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > Here is a direct link to the Google Patents page for the > > =91Improvements > > > = > > > > in Scrap-books=92 patent, from which you can download a PDF copy if > the > > > > = > > > > online documentation is too hard to read (as it very often is!) > > > > > > > > https://www.google.com/patents/US140245 > > > > > > > > The idea is rather interesting: he covers the whole page with = > > > > water-soluble glue or mucilage, and a user moistens just the area > where > > > > = > > > > something is to go, presumably most easily with a small brush or blot > > of > > > = > > > > paper. Contemporary ads appear to show something between the > treated = > > > > gummed pages, perhaps material to which the gum left exposed between > = > > > > pasted items won=92t self-stick in humid locations. Presumably there > > is > > > = > > > > some care to provide =91adhesive=92 that will not stick until > desired, > > = > > > > perhaps dusting with (dyed) cornstarch or similar material to form > what > > > > = > > > > parents with diapered children might know as =91a barrier layer=92. > > > > > > > > The accounts I=92ve read say that he made ample profit from this = > > > > invention, and my guess is that the name recognition was a large part > > of > > > = > > > > the attractiveness. Perhaps it would still be, if anyone decided to > = > > > > =93re-introduce=94 these with modern materials =85 I can think of a > few > > > > = > > > > improvements just looking at the patent drawings.= > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > Arianne Laidlaw A '58 > > > > > > -- Arianne Laidlaw A '58