Kenneth Gloss, proprietor of the internationally known Brattle Book Shop in Boston’s Downtown Crossing section, will give a free and open talk, and will give free verbal appraisals of books, on Wednesday, November 16 at 6:30 pm at Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT. Ken will discuss the value of old and rare books.
Ken, who is also a frequent guest appraiser on PBS’ Antiques Roadshow, will talk in part about the history of his historic bookshop (www.brattlebookshop.com), which goes back to around 1825. Ken will talk about and show some of his favorite finds and describe some of the joys of the “hunt,” as well as explain what makes a book go up in value. He has many fascinating anecdotes to share as well as guidelines for what to look for when starting a collection.
There is also a Q&A session before the conclusion of his talk. Following the talk and question-and-answer session, he will give free verbal appraisals of all books that attendees have brought with them.
Yankee Magazine Editor’s Choice Award for Best of New England, the Brattle Book Shop is one of America’s oldest and largest antiquarian bookstores. 2016 is the 67th year of Gloss family ownership. Kenneth Gloss succeeded his late father, George Gloss, a well-known figure both in Boston and national antiquarian circles. He had worked in the store since childhood and chose to go into the book business rather than pursue a doctorate in chemistry. He became the sole proprietor upon his father’s death in 1985. “I found that books were in my blood and that I would never be really happy if I abandoned the business.”
Kenneth Gloss is a member is the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America, the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers, the New England Antiquarian Booksellers of America, the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Antiquarian Booksellers Association, the Committee for the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair and the Boston Society. He also is a Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society as well as serving on the Board of Overseers of the USS Constitution Museum.
The Brattle Book Shop is proud to have been a contributor to the WGBH Annual Auction each year that the station has held this fund drive. Ken has appeared as a guest appraiser on PBS’ Antiques Roadshow numerous times over the years and has been a popular guest on WBZ Radio as well as other radio, TV, and cable stations numerous times. His bylined articles continue to appear in various antique journals and in print and online consumer publications. The Brattle Book Shop is also the recipient of several “Best of Boston” awards in the categories of Best Book Shop or Best Antiquarian Book Shop. In addition, it has been included in a list as one of North America’s best bookstores.
For further information about this talk and more about book-collecting, appraisals, and future free and open talks, call them toll-free at 800-447-9595, or visit their website, www.brattlebookshop.com.
Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301
Contact us at info@brookslibraryvt.org or 802-254-5290
