29 June 2010

Take Ivy - Take Two

In the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge...

is a book publisher I wish I knew a year ago.


They've been busy working on a translated re-issue of, Take Ivy.

Their version is $24.95. I paid $200. Some paid more.

I can't read mine but I can read theirs.

And it's an amazing read. (click on images to read)

I was asked to review the book. I thought of scanning it.

But it's cheap and it's out there. Or will be soon.

I sat down this afternoon with Wes Del Val and Craig Cohen of powerHouse Books in their Brooklyn offices. They're the guys behind the re-issue of Take Ivy and they're hero's stars in my book. The first printing is 10,000 copies of which 6,000 have been pre-sold. In my business we call that selling to a narrow but deep niche. You get that Assouline?

It's hard to go wrong at $24.95 (16.47 on Amazon) and I take my hat off to Wes and Craig for not slapping a $100 price tag on this. I tried to take some of the mystery out of Take Ivy by scanning all of the images back in December of 2008. Some fashion folks were critical of this. They couldn't believe I would go to the trouble of getting the book and then sharing it - for free - with anyone. I guess I'm a Socialist at heart but this book brought The Trad out of an Ivy backwater to readers around the world. I'm damned proud of that.

There is nothing like holding this little book and flipping through the pictures but that's only half of it. The translation adds a charming and insightful description of how we Americans dressed at one time. With taste and style. Maybe, God willing, this book will help bring taste and style back home where they belong.

14 comments:

R.A. said...

Thanks for the preview! I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a copy.

Anonymous said...

Books like that make me curse my Kindle addiction.

Of course that little gadget doesnt look nearly as nice on my coffee table as that book would/will.

Anonymous said...

Victorian dance hall!
Thanks for the info, baby cakes.

Anonymous said...

Wow, and you even went to Brooklyn.

Seriously I don't think you can ever authentically have the 'style' because the style is inherently w/ the character and the 'new elite' or those aspiring to be so, just don't have the same values and character, and never will.
Lipstick on a pig.

Giselle said...

Thanks for the preview. I look forward to getting a copy. :)

Unknown said...

Can't wait to get my hands on a copy!

Enzo AGC said...

I was actually doing my own comparison yesterday. My binded, printed out scans (a la you) have served me well but it is nice to finally be able to read the prose. Glad powerHouse looped you in as well!

Zelda's was awesome. Thanks for all the tips. I'm currently racking my brain on how I could swing moving to Jamestown.

Memphis88 said...

I was already looking forward to the day my copy arrives, but actually being able to read what's in it just further increases that excitement.

William Fitch said...

Trad,

Would love to know of any other books you might recommend ? I love the India Hicks book!

Best,
Fox in the hole

Anonymous said...

love the blog. I think you want "heros" rather than "hero's" just an ocd fyi
thanks again for the daily inspiration

Josh said...

Love looking at people's bookshelves... Picked up a battered copy of the Batterberry at the Strand a few months back. Have yet to crack it. Looking forward to getting the lowdown on all of NYC's erstwhile 'lobster palaces.'

Winthorp said...

Hopefully you'll get a commission on the many copies sold because of your review. I just bought one.

Anonymous said...

MrRonfeld means "heroes".

Scott said...

I must correct you - Your act of sharing the book was one of philanthropy, not socialism.

Thanks for that...

Scott