How to Create the Ultimate Home Library

By Adrienne Raptis | January 24, 2018 | Comments Off on How to Create the Ultimate Home Library

We have recently been featured in the Palm Beach Scout Guide and on their blog. This is what they have to say on their post: HOW TO CREATE THE ULTIMATE HOME LIBRARY It’s every book lovers dream to have a library in their own home. If you picture walking into your favorite room and having…

In The News – Speaking volumes: You’re bound to be drawn to this Worth Avenue antiquarian bookstore

By Adrienne Raptis | August 8, 2017 | Comments Off on In The News – Speaking volumes: You’re bound to be drawn to this Worth Avenue antiquarian bookstore

The following article was recently featured on the front page of The Coastal Star. View the original post on The Coastal Star‘s website here. By Ron Hayes “I was a unique child,” Matthew Raptis remembers. “My parents did not allow me to have video games, so I read books and played outside.” Reading gave Raptis a…

In the News – For Matthew Raptis, Rare Books Are More Than Just A Business; They’re A Key To The Past

By Adrienne Raptis | March 9, 2017 | Comments Off on In the News – For Matthew Raptis, Rare Books Are More Than Just A Business; They’re A Key To The Past

We have recently been featured in the Palm Beacher Magazine: Matthew Raptis doesn’t judge a book by its cover alone. He also judges it by its publication date, its condition and its relative rarity in the antiquarian book marketplace. Think print is dead? For avid collectors of rare books, it’s anything but. Mark Twain once…

The Life and Works of Albert Einstein

By Susan Christiansen | January 25, 2017 | Comments Off on The Life and Works of Albert Einstein

Perhaps best known for the development of his mass–energy equivalence formula, E = mc2, German born theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein’s surname has practically become synonymous with the term ‘genius’ in modern popular culture. Einstein received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1921 for his “services to theoretical physics” which included his development of the general theory…

The John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy Winter White House

By Susan Christiansen | January 9, 2017 | Comments Off on The John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy Winter White House

The coastal Kennedy estate on North Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach, Florida served as the “Winter White House” throughout the John F. Kennedy administration from 1961-1963. Sworn in as president on January 20, 1961, 41-year-old John F. Kennedy became the youngest person to be elected president in American history; 31-year-old Jacqueline Kennedy became the third youngest First Lady. As…

What’s Brewing: New antique book store opens on Palm Beach

By Adrienne Raptis | December 26, 2016 | Comments Off on What’s Brewing: New antique book store opens on Palm Beach

Raptis Rare Books has recently been featured on WPBF news on What’s Brewing with Stephanie Berzinski. To see the full news video follow this link or view the video here: Here is the transcript: Worth Avenue on Palm Beach Island is known for its extravagant jewelry stores, but there’s a new shop along the luxury shopping lane,…

The Florida Architecture of Addison Mizner

By Susan Christiansen | December 14, 2016 | Comments Off on The Florida Architecture of Addison Mizner

An architect who excelled at transforming an architectural fantasy into a practical, livable home, Addison Mizner was one of the most original and influential designers America has produced. The houses, clubs, and shops he built for the clients of Palm Beach and Boca Raton, Florida, evince a brilliant grasp of how to blend a building…

The Life and Works of Alfred Lord Tennyson

By Susan Christiansen | October 3, 2016 | Comments Off on The Life and Works of Alfred Lord Tennyson

Described by T.S. Eliot as “the saddest of all English poets”, Alfred Lord Tennyson is considered, to this day, to be one of Britain’s greatest poets. Heavily influenced by the strictly metered and often melancholic style of the English Romantic poets, Tennyson’s verse illustrated a mastery of rhythm and descriptive imagery drawing on both the…

Ten Rare Children’s Books

By Adrienne Raptis | September 6, 2016 | Comments Off on Ten Rare Children’s Books

Whether it is a beloved illustrated classic that takes us back to our own formative years, or a modern young adult title that reminds us of a child in our current life, children’s books hold a unique and special place in our hearts. Our collection of fine and rare Children’s Literature features beautifully illustrated stories like Ludwig Bemelmen’s…

Raptis Rare Books – Advanced Book Exchange Featured Booksellers

By Adrienne Raptis | March 25, 2016 | Comments Off on Raptis Rare Books – Advanced Book Exchange Featured Booksellers

Deep in the southern Vermont countryside, you will find an ornate Italianate villa simply packed with sumptuous books worthy of any collector’s bookshelf. Welcome to Raptis Rare Books and the world of husband-and-wife bookselling team Matthew and Adrienne Raptis.  Matthew and Adrienne specialize in fine first editions, signed and inscribed books, and books that are…

Antiquarian And Rare Book Glossary Of Terms You Should Know

By Adrienne Raptis | July 20, 2015 | Comments Off on Antiquarian And Rare Book Glossary Of Terms You Should Know

ABAA – Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America. ‘The mission of the ABAA is to promote ethical standards and professionalism in the antiquarian book trade, to encourage the collecting and preservation of rare and antiquarian books and related materials, to support educational programs and research into the study of rare books, and to facilitate collegial relations…

The Prize-Winning Literature of V.S. Naipaul

By Adrienne Raptis | March 11, 2015 | Comments Off on The Prize-Winning Literature of V.S. Naipaul

Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul, also known as V.S. Naipaul was born in Trinidad in the early 1930s. Naipaul’s father had emigrated from India with his grandparents in the 1880s, who sought work as indentured servants in Trinidad’s sugar plantations. Three years before Naipaul’s birth, his father began contributing to the Trinidad Guardian as an English-language…

How to Care for Rare and First Edition Books

By Adrienne Raptis | December 28, 2014 | Comments Off on How to Care for Rare and First Edition Books

[fusion_text]A rare book is a treasure that is meant to be preserved for your lifetime and beyond. Building your own personal library is a way to conserve a cultural heritage and create a lasting legacy for future generations. These books cannot be easily replaced, and it is vitally important that you understand how to take…

Alexander Pope & His Famous Translations of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey

By Adrienne Raptis | November 17, 2014 | Comments Off on Alexander Pope & His Famous Translations of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey

Alexander Pope taught the world that to be inspired by greatness could earn you your own name in history. In addition to his credentials as the third most quoted literary figure by The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, topped only by Shakespeare and Tennyson, and a celebrated poet and essayist, Pope is best known for his…

American Presidents

By Adrienne Raptis | October 7, 2014 | Comments Off on American Presidents

United States Presidents have carried out countless important acts for our country, including the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870 that allowed US citizens of any race or color to vote in any state, the New Deal relief programs that helped the country out of its Great Depression in the 1930s, and the initiation of Project Apollo,…

Charles Dickens & His Works

By Adrienne Raptis | September 30, 2014 | Comments Off on Charles Dickens & His Works

More than a famed writer and social critic of the Victorian period, Charles John Huffam Dickens touched the lives of people with the very human complexity of his fictional characters. Through his critically acclaimed novels, Dickens invoked profound thought and criticism around “social evils, injustice, and hypocrisy.” In a commentary on a rare, extensive collection…

The Roosevelts

By Adrienne Raptis | September 26, 2014 | Comments Off on The Roosevelts

In his fourteen-hour PBS special, The Roosevelts: An Intimate History, Ken Burns highlights the extraordinary journey of the Roosevelt family’s American legacy in the White House. Beginning with Theodore’s birth in 1858 and ending with Eleanor’s death in 1962, the seven part film documents the influential family’s enormous part in shaping the country throughout the…

Author Spotlight – Cormac McCarthy

By Adrienne Raptis | June 23, 2014 | Comments Off on Author Spotlight – Cormac McCarthy

Cormac McCarthy has become a household name for his various novels that have won him a Pulitzer Prize, landed on the New York Times bestseller list, and been turned into blockbuster films. The now 80-year-old writer lives in Providence, Rhode Island, and is still somewhat of an enigma in the literary world. McCarthy was born…

Father’s Day Gift Ideas

By Adrienne Raptis | June 10, 2014 | Comments Off on Father’s Day Gift Ideas

Still deciding what to get the father in your life for Father’s Day? A rare book is a collectable he will cherish for a lifetime and remember you by every time he opens it. We have a variety of rare, unique books that are perfect for any father. If your father loves golf, we have…

Remembering Maya Angelou

By Adrienne Raptis | May 29, 2014 | Comments Off on Remembering Maya Angelou

With Maya Angelou’s recent passing, we thought we would commemorate the amazing author, poet and role model by writing a bit about her life and works. Angelou was born in 1928 in Missouri, the child of working-class parents who divorced shortly after she was born. When Angelou was eight, she was sexually abused by her…

William Shakespeare: The Second Folio

By Adrienne Raptis | May 28, 2014 | Comments Off on William Shakespeare: The Second Folio

We carry a rare Second Shakespeare Folio, also known as Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies. Besides being extremely excited about having this unique book and piece of history, we wanted to share exactly what the Second Folio is and why it is so important. The Second Shakespeare Folio is essentially the second edition…

All About Golf

By Adrienne Raptis | May 13, 2014 | Comments Off on All About Golf

With the spring weather greening up the grass and Father’s Day just around the corner, we thought we’d highlight several of our favorite rare, first edition books all about golf. The name Jack Nicklaus is synonymous with golf and it’s no surprise that he has written a variety of books about the game. My 55…

Dick Francis: The Thrill of Horse Racing

By Adrienne Raptis | May 1, 2014 | Comments Off on Dick Francis: The Thrill of Horse Racing

With the Kentucky Derby just days away, we are getting in the horse racing mood and being rare book enthusiasts, can’t help but think of Dick Francis and his body of work. Francis, who grew up in Berkshire, England, was a professional jockey and won over 350 races in his accomplished career. He was first…

Rare Books, Wine, and Food: The Perfect Pairing

By Adrienne Raptis | April 28, 2014 | Comments Off on Rare Books, Wine, and Food: The Perfect Pairing

At Raptis Rare Books, we love to throw parties. This week we had a lovely blind wine tasting, along with a wine and book exchange. Like an aged Cabernet and high quality steak, books about wine and food go together seamlessly and are some of the most popular books to give as gifts for birthdays,…

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