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BOOKS IN OAKLAND

TBW BOOKS


Artist/publisher Paul Schiek runs TBW Books out of this sunlight-soaked studio. The space is a lot like his publications: spare, beautifully thought through, and made by hand in Oakland, CA. From here he makes small, richly printed volumes of art photography that in only 5 years have turned into collector must-haves.  I love that he's done it all against the grain of current conventional wisdom about publishing. Cheap printing in China? Digital editions? Not for TBW, whose every paper and ink book is printed & handmade in California. Twitter? No Thanks, says Schiek, who lets subscribers, as well as outlets like Colette and Dashwood, do the talking for him. And that's worked out just fine; many TBW editions sell out almost immediately.  You can get your own copies if you order early, but, (as yet another jab against conventional wisdom) he'll even show you what it takes if you want to try doing it yourself.

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ETC.

VITSOE ON FACEBOOK


Vitsoe is up on Facebook now, where they update their most recently submitted customer images (like this one). I love the Carravagio next to the Complete Calvin & Hobbes in this shot. More here as well.

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BOOKS IN PORTLAND

MONOGRAPH BOOKWERKS


Most spots with gallery-white floors and walls give off a rarified, "don't-touch" feel, but Monograph (opened in 2010 by artists Blair Saxon-Hill and John Brodie), is a beautful exception. The small shop is cozy and colorful, and its fantastically smart selection is enlivened by equally well chosen objects and artwork, as well as events that even much bigger shops would be lucky to have.

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WIRE AND MESH SHELVING

MATHIEU MATEGOT


Mathieu Mategot's time as a WW2 prisoner of war proved to have a silver lining. Having designed planting boxes using perforated metal during his gardening duties as a POW, Mategot turned the material to good use by creating some of the most distinctive furniture of post-war France with his patented version, Rigitulle. While most of his chairs have striking and inventive lines, it seems more inviting to lounge about reading in his take (above) on the Barcelona daybed.  Though produced in small numbers, his work abounds in auction houses, and it looks like a few designs have even been re-issued.

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LITERARY JOURNAL

BOOKS AND BOOKMEN


Published from the mid 1950s to the mid '80s, Books and Bookmen had a good run during the last few decades that a book review could maintain itself while focusing on literature rather than politics & current events. UK bookseller Gary Walker stocks a nice selection of copies & he's graciously scanned many of the remarkable covers.