LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Historical Society will host its first Vintage Book Offering and Wine and Cheese Tasting from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday in the lobby of the historic County Building. Mary Requileman, director of the society, said the
LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Historical Society will host its first Vintage Book Offering and Wine and Cheese Tasting from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday in the lobby of the historic County Building.
Mary Requileman, director of the society, said the public is invited to browse hundreds of titles, primarily Hawaiiana, that will be available at the sale to benefit the organization’s library.
“We have about 300 titles which are duplicates of books from the Grace Guslander Museum,” Requileman said.
“These include first editions, many out-of-print titles, and many of them signed copies. In addition to the books, we’ll have a selection of vintage prints and maps which have been turned into giclees,” she said.
The selected offerings include books on Hawaiian mythology, place names of Hawai‘i, ‘Iniki publications, an assortment of coffee table books, a selection of signed books, Ruling Chiefs of Kaua‘i, a Newsweek 9/11 commemorative magazine and other Kaua‘i Historical Society publications.
“These were copies which were in storage for about 15 years,” Requileman said. “The KHS board agreed we could share these, and the funds raised will go toward acquiring more books for the library.”
She emphasized the books on sale are duplicate copies and will not shrink the size of the library collection.
Prices for the books start at $5 and can range upwards to several hundred dollars, said volunteer MaryLou Bradley. She showed off a copy of a book she said last sold for more than $3,000.
“We’ll also have Koamalu, a rare two-volume history of Kaua‘i,” Requileman said. “But this is so rare, we’ll probably have it in the silent auction. The price of the last ones sold ranged from $400 to $700. This was a privately published work in 1931.”
She said a separate listing of premium books will be available for private viewing and purchase by serious collectors.
Additionally, people will be treated to a special tour of the Kaua‘i Historical Society offices located in the historic County Building.
“This is our first time offering vintage books and if it goes well, the board is not opposed to doing it again in the fall so people can acquire titles for Christmas giving,” Requileman said.
Call 245-3373 for more information, or visit www.kauaihistoricalsociety.org.
