John C Lewis' Self-Published Autobiography

This book was part of a nondescript pile of books unceremoniously donated to a charity book sale. I picked it up for the dollar they asked for hardcovers and was pleased and surprised to find inside a typescript letter expressing Christmas wishes from the author of the thin tome, in 1990, to an unnamed friend.

I have spent a few relatively fruitless hours searching for Mr. John C. Lewis. His autobiography, published when he was 50, is very short though it does show he enjoyed life and has some very nice black and white photos, most of children. Mr. Lewis was apparently a photographer of some notice. Born near St. Louis in 1900 he seems to have lived and worked in New York City.

I would be very interested to hear from anyone who might have known Mr. Lewis, who can fill in the 40 years between the book and the letter.

Book Ephemera?

In my thirteen years of selling books I have concentrated on learning about the books, the bindings, the authors, etc. I have not paid much attention to the things that have fallen out of the books when I flip through them, determining wear and value.

For example, the above small advertising insert would have ended in the circular file even a couple years ago but I would have spent hours finding out that Gautier had a very broad bibliography, being a prominent writer of the 19th century and that this book, a collection of six short stories, was published late in his life but were saucy and adventurous enough to spawn several vaudeville acts 40 years later on.

Now, having slowed down a bit, I am more interested in the story of these small bits. I've seen many of these small pieces of paper advertising a specific book from a specific publisher. Printed on "regular" paper, often in two colors, I am coming to question their efficacy, history, prominence, etc.

Unfortunately, the provenance of these advertising slips, and the larger bookmarks, seems to me much more difficult to ascertain. Perhaps because I do not know the terminology or where, really, to start.

Do you have any suggestions? Have you seen one of these that was particularly memorable? Comment or send me a note and let me know!