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Select bookshop’s exhibition of rare English and foreign language books is on from today
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Masterpiece The frontispiece is designed by Pablo Picasso
The table of contents of July 1962 edition of The American Review shows several interesting entries. Besides the regular quota of poems and book reviews, it has Dr. John Kenneth Galbraith’s note on “A Positive Approach to Economic AidR
21; written just before the author was appointed US Ambassador to India; Prof. Mark Schorer’s “Main Street” on how Sinclair Lewis’s book became the most sensational event in twentieth-century American publishing history; and so on.
Most importantly there is Robert Frost’s “Some Remarks on the Occasion of the Tagore Centenary” based on the tape-recording of a talk given by the poet (Frost) on April 19, 1961. “I can look at Tagore in two ways: as a great nationalist, one who took part in the making of the nation- and I guess that’s my first interest in him….Then let’s think of him as a person who declared himself an artist for art’s sake. He wasn’t afraid of that.”
Select Bookshop belongs to that rare breed of antiquarian bookshops whose shelves are packed with many treasures. Started more than sixty years ago by late K.B.K. Rao, it is being managed enthusiastically by his son, K.K.S. Murthy in a by-lane off Brigade road.
Select is a well-known destination for bibliophiles. Besides selling rare second-hand books on a variety of subjects, the shop also publishes its own books periodically.
Select’s exhibition at Alliance Francaise de Bangalore begins today. “We chose Alliance because we want to have a large number of foreign language books on display,” explains Murthy. “Of course, there will also be a fair sampling of English and Kannada books too.”
The visitor should not miss the French book, “Ludmilla, ma mere” published in Paris in 1955 whose frontispiece was designed by none other than Pablo Picasso; it also has a evocative sketch by the master dated 15.6.1954.
There are many really old books on display like Walter BoBhard’s Indien Kampf! (1931/German) with rare photographs of Mahatma Gandhi; The Tale of Tales (May 1943 edition) translated by Sir Richard Burton; and Sydney Smith: His Wit and Wisdom published in 1900. For those interested in prints, the German book on Frans Masereel is a real treat.
This small 70-page book which has an essay by Herman Hesse is dominated by Masereel’s fascinating woodcuts. For young ladies, there is The Art of Attracting Men, a small 65-page pamphlet, offers ‘a practical course of lessons on the underlying principles by which women attract men – leading to the proposal and culminating in marriage.’ This publication by the Psychology Press, University City, Saint Louis was published in 1922.
The exhibition is on till August 9 at Alliance Francaise, Vasantnagar. For details, call 9986117041.
GIRIDHAR KHASNIS
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