This summer, the American Library Association is auctioning off a rare collection of its iconic Read posters to commemorate the organization. 150th year of doing business.
Thanks to a partnership with Heritage Auctions, the world’s largest collection auctioneer, readers everywhere can now own a piece of literary history. The books are (so to speak) open, and the bets are on until 10th July.
Any Millennial or Gen
And of course, part of the fun of digging through this collection comes from revisiting those book/celebrity pairings. Some are more convincing than others. For example, who would have guessed that the late Bernie Mac would Bible-thumper? Or that Kelly Ripa will ride narnia series?
The selection of other celebrity books carried an underlying meaning. Pay attention to the poster of defector Mikhail Baryshnikov ferry crime and punishment. Or this one, where magician Nic Cage does a Hermann Hesse trick Siddharth.
Other pairings are more bizarre, or at least invite additional questions. Perhaps, there’s something ironic about the politically fickle Roseanne Barr Dickens’s claim (a tale of Two Cities; Current bid $1). See also: One of Rob Schneider, Claiming to know how to read at all.
Whatever your reasoning – irony or truth – there is probably a poster for you among the 240+ for sale. But you ask, what are we looking at price wise? It’s a gamut.
Susan Sarandon’s Poisonwood Bible The poster is currently affordable, with a $50 current bet. But others are spreading hysteria. This onecharacteristic of buffy Cast, currently going for $750.
If you’re looking for gifts, I’ll bet there’s a dad out there who could use this darling Promotion from Sir Patrick Stewart As a late Father’s Day gift. Or this chew posterWhich doesn’t necessarily prove that Wookiees are in the stack.
Personally, I would buy for myself. This happy citizen of the People’s Republic of Kazakhstan has her sights set on re-education.
If this poster KRS-One imitated Walter Rodney how Europe underdeveloped Africa If this had been made on the wall of my high school library, we could all have saved a lot of time.
Again, mileage will vary. But if you love a celebrity from the ’90s, there’s a good chance they’ll have a READ poster you can bet on today.
Here is a brief list of other subjects with looks and books for sale: Dr. Ruth; Rupert Grint; Oprah; Tony Hawk; cast of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman; Chef Emeril; rem (Current bid: $410!); Doubt; sting; Spike Lee: Coolio; Christy Yamaguchi; Rosie O’Donnell; Michael Keaton; barbie; Weird Al; Indigo Girls; Keira Knightley; Macaulay Culkin and Anna Chlumsky; The Simpsons. And of course, Xena the warrior princess.
It’s more than just a memory you take home. its history! As Charles Epting, director of pop culture/historic consignments at Heritage Auctions, told ALA, “These posters are more than promotional material, they are cultural touchstones that have inspired generations of readers.”
I am with the lions. Hear hear.
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