Best Brattle Book Shop Podcasts (2024)

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Brattlecast #169 - Ken's Favorite Books (audio fixed) 14:26

5M ago14:26

14:26

In today’s episode we’re answering a question from a listener: what are Ken’s favorite books? Some people enjoy novels, but Ken is partial to handwritten historical documents, or a nice illuminated manuscript woven from silk. Then there are the two-for-ones: Spalding’s Baseball Guide, inscribed by Spalding himself to fellow Red Stockings player Geo…

1
Brattlecast #169 - Ken's Favorite Books 14:26

5M ago14:26

14:26

In today’s episode we’re answering a question from a listener: what are Ken’s favorite books? Some people enjoy novels, but Ken is partial to handwritten historical documents, or a nice illuminated manuscript woven from silk. Then there are the two-for-ones: Spalding’s Baseball Guide, inscribed by Spalding himself to fellow Red Stockings player Geo…

1
Brattlecast #168 - The Great Boston Fire in 3D 13:59

6M ago13:59

13:59

In November of 1872 a massive fire destroyed most of Boston’s financial district, from Washington Street to the harbor. Starting in the basement of a commercial warehouse, it spread rapidly along narrow streets packed with wooden-roofed buildings. The fire department was hindered by inaccessible alarm boxes, low water pressure, and an equine flu th…

1
Brattlecast #167 - Historic Photo Albums 12:53

6M ago12:53

12:53

Today we’re talking about another surprising Brattle find: a fairly nondescript album that turned out to contain photos of prominent 1800s abolitionists. The collection includes small, sepia-toned portraits of Charles Sumner, Phillips Brooks, and even Sojourner Truth. We’ll also discuss other historical photos that have arrived at the shop, and the…

1
Brattlecast #166 - Early Road Trip Books 12:54

7M ago12:54

12:54

Today in the studio we have a copy of New England Highways and Byways From a Motorcar by Thos. D. Murphy. This beautifully illustrated volume guides tourists on a then-novel automobile journey through early 20th century New England, with visits to charming towns, historic churches, and the rugged Maine coast. We’ll also discuss even earlier tourism…

1
Brattlecast #165 - The Grolier Club Lecture 14:10

7M ago14:10

14:10

In this episode we’ll be talking about Ken’s exciting upcoming lecture at the Grolier Club in New York City. Founded in 1884, the Grolier Club is America’s oldest and largest bibliophile society, with the objective to promote the study, collecting, and appreciation of books and works on paper. As a speaker, Ken strives to keep these events lively a…

1
Brattlecast #164 - Napkin Folding!

8M ago

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It’s the episode you’ve been waiting for: Napkin Folding! Inspired by a British how-to book on the topic from the late 1800s, we’ll talk about the surprising ways that this fine-dining flourish relates to origami, mathematics, and even NASA’s telescope technologies. Hear how it all unfolds—from tablescapes to outer space—on this deliciously elabora…

1
Brattlecast #163 - The New View Boston 17:53

8M ago17:53

17:53

Set to open this summer, View Boston is a new three-story observation deck at the top of the Prudential Tower. The venue will feature dining options, an open-air roof deck, and an immersive theater showcasing some of Boston’s most iconic locations—including your favorite secondhand book shop. We’re honored to be included, and to play our small part…

1
Brattlecast #162 - LIFE at the Brattle 13:55

8M ago13:55

13:55

Today we’re taking a look at some vintage issues of LIFE Magazine, half a truckload of which recently arrived at the shop. Full of iconic photojournalism and snappy graphic design, LIFE’s oversized pages are endlessly fun to flip through—and convey so much information about mid-century American culture. Listen to hear our favorite LIFE stories, fro…

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Brattlecast #161 - Postcard Collections 17:18

9M ago17:18

17:18

In this episode, we’re talking about one of our favorite things to see in the shop: vintage postcards. While today they’re mostly used to show off vacation vistas, in the past postcards conveyed holiday greetings, commemorated historical events, and gave ordinary people an inexpensive way to keep in touch. Around the turn of the century, improvemen…

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Brattlecast #160 - Armed Service Paperbacks 12:45

9M ago12:45

12:45

Today we’re talking about Armed Service Editions: paperback books designed to be sent overseas to American troops during World War II. Edited and printed by the non-profit Council on Books in Wartime, they were small, portable volumes with oblong silhouettes that could easily fit into a uniform pocket. Complete and surprisingly uncensored novels by…

1
Brattlecast #159 - Math & Science Books 16:40

10M ago16:40

16:40

Usually if you walk into the Brattle with an introductory math textbook you’ll receive a polite ‘no thank you.’ However, it’s a slightly different story when that textbook was published in 1695. In today’s episode, we’re looking at a still-pretty-accurate antique trigonometry book, written in Italian and complete with engraved illustrations and fol…

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Brattlecast #158 - Vermont Sheds Books 18:41

10M ago18:41

18:41

A university without books? Today we’re talking about the recent announcement by Vermont State University that they’ll be building an “all-digital library” and getting rid of print books as a cost-cutting measure. The decision has drawn a strong backlash from students and faculty, but, as enrollments drop, funds are slashed, and courses move online…

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Brattlecast #157 - James Michael Curley 14:17

11M ago14:17

14:17

Today in the studio we have a collection of letters and speeches from one of the most colorful political figures in Massachusetts history. James Michael Curley served four terms as Mayor of Boston, a single term as Governor, and five months, for mail fraud, in Danbury federal prison. An Irish Catholic from a working class background, Curley frequen…

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Brattlecast #156 - Rock & Roll Collections 18:41

11M ago18:41

18:41

In this episode we’re talking about—or “riffing on”—a group of classic rock-related books, magazines, and memorabilia that recently arrived at the shop. While not the most monetarily valuable, it’s a fun collection to have around, mostly because it takes Ken back to his days as a young rocker in 1970s Boston. He saw The Stones at the Boston Garden,…

1
Brattlecast #155 - Pick Your Poison 11:35

12M ago11:35

11:35

Today in the studio we have a first American edition of the catchily titled Directions on the Treatment for Persons who have Taken Poison, and those in a State of Apparent Death, Together with the Means of Detecting Poisons and Adulterations in Wine, also, of Distinguishing Real from Apparent Death by Mathieu Joseph B. Orfila. While we wouldn’t nec…

1
Brattlecast #154 - Golden Leaves of Friendship 10:16

1y ago10:16

10:16

Today in the studio we have an 1852 copy of The Oasis: or, Golden Leaves of Friendship, edited by N.L. Ferguson. The Oasis is part of a whole genre of 19th century gift books: illustrated anthologies of poetry, essays, and short fiction with titles like The Keepsake, Forget-Me-Not, and The Book of Beauty. Published annually before the holiday seaso…

1
Brattlecast #153 - An Impressive Walk-In 17:32

1y ago17:32

17:32

One of the great things about working at the Brattle is that you never know what’s going to walk through that door. Recently, a customer surprised us by bringing in a copy of the Nuremberg Chronicle, one of the earliest printed books to feature illustrations. As if that wasn’t interesting enough, he also had a copy of the Kelmscott Chaucer, as well…

1
Brattlecast #152 - The American Cemetery 12:18

1y ago12:18

12:18

Today in the studio we have The American Cemetery, a monthly trade journal for graveyard proprietors and caretakers; all of the issues from 1929 have been bound into a large hardcover volume. While it may not seem like the most lively subject, The American Cemetery presents a darkly humorous juxtaposition of the mundane with the macabre. Ads extoll…

1
Brattlecast #151 - The Impactful Internet 12:05

1y ago12:05

12:05

In this episode we talk about the impact of the internet on the shop, and on bookselling in general. Dictionary and encyclopedia sales have declined precipitously as search engines supplant reference books, but it’s easier than ever to do our own research online. E-readers may be convenient, but even young people still enjoy the tactility and craft…

1
Brattlecast #150 - Antiques Roadshow Memories 20:21

1y ago20:21

20:21

In this episode, Ken talks about some especially notable TV appraisals from his years on Antiques Roadshow. The highlights include a Civil War letter with a surprising twist, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph, and one item that… actually didn’t work out so well. The show is currently in the midst of its 27th season; you can catch new episodes Mon…

1
Brattlecast #149 - All Those Signed Copies 14:14

1y ago14:14

14:14

Today we’re talking about a great recent book buy: a library of about 25,000 interesting, well-cared-for volumes, many autographed by authors like Kazuo Ishiguro, Salman Rushdie, and P.D. James. There’s even a book of Robert Mapplethorpe photographs signed by his subjects. It took a lot of heavy lifting to get all those books back to the shop, but …

1
Brattlecast #148 - A World of Jell-O 14:24

1y ago14:24

14:24

There’s always room for Jell-O… cookbooks! As colorful and light as the iconic dessert itself, these recipe booklets were given out as free promotional items starting in 1904, and played a large part in Jello’s meteoric and jiggly rise to fame. Some feature illustrations by artists like Maxfield Parrish and Norman Rockwell; all contain congealed co…

1
Brattlecast #147 - Specialized Travel Guides 17:39

1+ y ago17:39

17:39

Today we’re talking about older travel guides written for people from historically marginalized groups. With the advent of the internet, planning a trip is easier than ever, and most of us take it for granted that we’ll be welcomed at our destination rather than hassled or even harmed. Sadly, this was not always the case, especially for Black Ameri…

1
Brattlecast # 146 - Prepping a Book Collection 16:24

1+ y ago16:24

16:24

On today’s episode we’re answering a question from a listener: If you want to sell a large library, what can you do to prepare before Ken, or someone like Ken, comes to take a look? The good news is, we don’t really care how tidy or organized your shelves are, within reason—in fact, we’ve almost certainly seen much worse. Our top tip is to decide i…

1
Brattlecast #145 - Book Fair Postscript 14:24

1+ y ago14:24

14:24

This episode is a recap of the recent Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair, which recently returned to the Hynes Convention Center after years of online-only events. How did it go? The short answer is, Great! It was well attended, with over 120 dealers exhibiting, so everyone could enjoy seeing old friends – and making new ones – in person ag…

1
Brattlecast #144 - The Astronaut Book 15:28

1+ y ago15:28

15:28

Today we’re looking at a fresh arrival to the shop: a copy of The Astronauts: the Story of Project Mercury, America's Man-in-Space Program, by Martin Caiden. On its own, it’s an interesting account of the early space race, but a handful of illustrious signatures really cause this particular volume's value to skyrocket. We’ll explore this and other …

1
Brattlecast #143 - Home Staging 13:20

1+ y ago13:20

13:20

If you’re getting ready to sell a house, you may already know about painting the walls eggshell white and popping a tray of cookies into the oven, but have you considered paring down your library? Home buyers tend to be dreamy and fickle: something as innocuous as a Harry Potter hardcover collection in the living room can prevent them from envision…

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Brattlecast #142 - Post-Covid Changes 20:12

1+ y ago20:12

20:12

As the Covid-19 pandemic slowly draws to a close, we’re taking stock of some of the changes it’s caused—to downtown Boston, the secondhand book business, and, especially, the Brattle. Differences at the shop run deeper than masked employees and plexiglass barriers: after a disastrous first year, we’re busier than ever before, and our new customers …

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Brattlecast #141 - Boston Book Fair 2022! 16:29

1+ y ago16:29

16:29

This year’s Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair takes place at the Hynes Convention Center on the weekend of November 11 - 13. After two long years of online-only events, we’re looking forward to seeing all our favorite booksellers and book shoppers in person again. Admission is free on Saturday and Sunday—but the Brattle might be able to ho…

1
Brattlecast #140 - The Power of Instagram 18:58

1+ y ago18:58

18:58

Something interesting is happening: the Brattle’s traditional demographic of bookish older men (No offense! We love you!) is being edged out by younger, more diverse, and dare we say, hipper customers. Why? Our photogenic outdoor sale lot has become popular on Instagram, creating a cycle of visits, alfresco shopping selfies, likes, organic advertis…

1
Brattlecast #139 - A Russian Diary 16:00

1+ y ago16:00

16:00

Today in the studio we have a diary that was kept by a teenage girl during her family’s emigration odyssey from Russia to the United States. They left Moscow in 1917, embarking on a year-long journey that took them across the continent on the Trans-Siberian Railroad, then through Vladivostok, Yokohama, Hawaii, and San Francisco. Mostly written in C…

1
Brattlecast #138 - After the Gold Rush 17:35

1+ y ago17:35

17:35

In the late 1890s a young man named Charles Leach—along with some friends and about 100,000 other prospectors—traveled to the Yukon, hoping to strike gold. The punishingly harsh conditions and chaotic boomtowns of the Klondike gold rush have been mythologized in fiction, poetry, and film, but Mr. Leach’s letters home deliver an exceptionally rare c…

1
Brattlecast #137 - Hollywood Calling! 15:36

1+ y ago15:36

15:36

The Brattle often rents books out as props, and sometimes serves as a set for student films, but recently, for the first time, a major Hollywood movie filmed a scene at the shop. The Holdovers, directed by Alexander Payne (Sideways, The Descendants) and starring Paul Giamatti (American Splendor, Billions) is set at a New England prep school over th…

1
Brattlecast #136 - So Many Subsets 16:24

1+ y ago16:24

16:24

In the second episode in our series on how the shop works, we’re talking about specificity. Before the Brattle can buy a group of books, we have to figure out what they are. Sounds simple, right? But often, the person calling us is not the person who collected the books, and they’re not sure what they have. We’ll ask, ‘What kind of books are they?’…

1
Brattlecast # 135 - Big Book Hauls 19:13

1+ y ago19:13

19:13

When people think about the secondhand book business, they rarely think about all the literal heavy lifting that goes on behind the scenes. In this episode Ken breaks down the nitty-gritty logistics of getting 15,000 books from a three-story Victorian house outside of New Haven to the shop in downtown Boston. It takes eleven trips, employee overtim…

1
Brattlecast #134 - A Signing by Hancock 14:31

2y ago14:31

14:31

Today in the studio we’ve got volume three of James Hervey’s Theron and Aspasio: Or, A series of dialogues and letters, upon the most important and interesting subjects. On the edge of your seat yet? With apologies to Mr. Hervey, this item would be what we call in the book business a ‘piece of junk’ if it weren't for a certain famous signature on i…

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Brattlecast #133 - Wine + Spirits 13:20

2y ago13:20

13:20

Whether you prefer beer, wine, or cocktails, collecting books on beverages can be nearly as enjoyable as actually drinking them. On this week’s episode we’ll talk about a book on winemaking from the late 1700s, a drinks menu from the 1930s, and one of the first books on mixology – with a local twist. Pour yourself a glass of your favorite red and s…

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Brattlecast #1 - The History of The Brattle Book Shop (Pilot) --Repeat of a classic 26:20

2y ago26:20

26:20

In the pilot episode of Brattlecast, proprietor Kenneth Gloss discusses the history of one of America's oldest rare and antiquarian bookshops. Learn the story of George Gloss and his son Kenneth: the Brattle's journey from historic Brattle Street through urban renewal, a disastrous fire, and the business of secondhand bookselling today.…

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2y ago

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Brattlecast #132 - Old Time Travel Pics 14:02

2y ago14:02

14:02

Today in the studio we have an album of vacation photos from the 1890s, taken by an anonymous but well traveled amateur photographer. Interest in collecting these sorts of vernacular photos has been increasing, in part because the work of well known photographers has become prohibitively expensive, but also because of their unstaged quality and fas…

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Brattlecast #131 - Great Gifts Anytime! 10:56

2y ago10:56

10:56

Good books are always a gift, especially when they’re.. well, given as one. A thoughtfully chosen vintage travel guide or piece of ephemera can jog memories of a vanished world, encouraging the recipient to reminisce and share stories about their own life. On this episode we’re discussing the specialized book-gifting preferences of some of our regu…

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Brattlecast #130 - Edward Bernays, Father of PR (audio fixed) 15:08

2y ago15:08

15:08

On this week’s episode we’re talking about friend of the shop Edward Bernays. Known as “the father of public relations,” Bernays had an enormous influence on the way that products—and politics—are marketed to the American public. He sold Lucky Strike cigarettes as ‘Torches of Freedom’ and he helped sell the idea that a modestly left-leaning Central…

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Brattlecast #129 - Handling Adversity 18:28

2y ago18:28

18:28

At an event to mark the release of Jordan’s new book (On Air: My Fifty-Year Love Affair with Radio), fellow author and CEO Victoria Bondoc gave a thought-provoking talk on overcoming adversity. Ken has learned some lessons about resilience from having his family’s only slightly insured bookshop burn down one cold February morning, destroying all th…

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Brattlecast #128 - Walt Whitman Treasures 19:01

2y ago19:01

19:01

In this episode we’re talking about the great American poet Walt Whitman. A few exciting Whitman items have come into the shop recently, and we have them here in the studio with us today. There’s a signed photograph, a first edition copy of Leaves of Grass, and a slightly later edition that was owned by the artist and illustrator Elihu Vedder and c…

1
Brattlecast #127 - Travels in Space 18:08

2y ago18:08

18:08

In the studio with us today we have a somewhat surprising volume: Travels in Space: A History of Aerial Navigation, published in 1902, a year before the Wright Brothers’ historic flight. Although it may seem that the history of aviation had yet to be written at the time, people had already been taking to the skies for over 100 years, in hot air bal…

1
Brattlecast #126 - Old Textbooks 15:39

2y ago15:39

15:39

Today in the studio with us we have a group of primary school textbooks from the mid-1800s. Because so many of these books were printed and distributed, they’re not especially monetarily valuable, but they're still interesting and fun to flip through, and they make great gifts for teachers or recent graduates. On today’s episode we’ll talk about fi…

1
Brattlecast #125 - Cemetery Collections 13:20

2y ago13:20

13:20

Not many people go to the graveyard to buy books, but not many people are Ken Gloss. He stopped by Boston’s Forest Hills Cemetery the other day to pick up a collection of works by some of the cemetery’s permanent residents: Anne Sexton, E. E. Cummings, Eugene O'Neill, and William Lloyd Garrison. Inspired by Mount. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Fore…

1
Brattlecast #124 - Duck and Cover 12:02

2y ago12:02

12:02

While cleaning up the bookshop, Ken unearths a creepy little piece of Cold War-era ephemera: a $.05 pamphlet entitled Should an A-Bomb Fall. Published by the Offices of Civil Defense in 1951, it's full of advice for surviving a nuclear explosion such as, “Go under your desk,” “Don’t look directly at the explosion,” and, “If you are at least 18 bloc…

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Brattlecast #123 - Who is Jimmy Cagney? 16:11

2y ago16:11

16:11

Remember Jimmy Cagney? Of course some do, but it’s fewer and fewer people every year. For those of you who don’t remember, Cagney was one of the biggest stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood, who won acclaim for his performances in films like White Heat, Yankee Doodle Dandy, and The Public Enemy. Even fewer people remember him as a talented amateur …

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