I gave the Book Thing a glancing blow between the local garden club's plant sale and lunch with my mother. As has been the case the past few months, the design/decorating shelves were pretty bare, except for a stack of old Architectural Digests, which don't hold up very well.
A spin by the mystery section landed me a couple of easy reads and the travel/geography section came up with a book on life on a small island off the coast of Maine. 
After trolling the biography section, and being knocked into several times by a woman with a cart for her books, I spotted "Once Upon a Time, A True Story by Gloria Vanderbilt". 
With all of the buzz about the room she helped create at the Kips Bay Show House this spring, I thought it would be interesting to read how she describes her first 17 years, which were quite tumultuous.
After trolling the biography section, and being knocked into several times by a woman with a cart for her books, I spotted "Once Upon a Time, A True Story by Gloria Vanderbilt". With all of the buzz about the room she helped create at the Kips Bay Show House this spring, I thought it would be interesting to read how she describes her first 17 years, which were quite tumultuous.The most interesting find was the 1982 edition of the Social Register. Of course, the first thing I did was look up my family and there we were, listed at our old address. It's always funny to see how cryptic everything in there is, with lots of abbreviations of clubs and societies. 
Many cities, including Baltimore, used to have their own editions, but all of the cities were merged into one thick volume. Here's Brooke Astor's 1982 listing.
Many cities, including Baltimore, used to have their own editions, but all of the cities were merged into one thick volume. Here's Brooke Astor's 1982 listing.It takes sponsorship from five people currently listed to be reviewed for admission or a marriage to someone already listed. The section called "Married Maidens" lists women by their maiden names, and "Dilatory Domiciles" lists summer residences which came too late for the winter edition. Archaic, but fascinating.
What cool finds...books are wonderful...especially when they have special meaning...thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteFunny - I just ran across the register for Kansas City from the '60's and also flipped to Mr. B's family name. There they were - he as yet absent from the crew.
ReplyDeleteVery fascinating!
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Would it be a crime to use pages from old books to decoupage something? I'm thinking maybe not...?
ReplyDeleteI totally envy you--Book Thing! I would be there every day. Taking stuff in and taking stuff home ;-)
ReplyDeleteJAPRA... Luckily (or not), Book Thing is only open on weekends!
ReplyDeleteThanks for playing along in my thrifty party. I hope you'll come back again when you find more treasures to share!
ReplyDeleteYes the Book Thing, it within my reach, I just need to make the time.
ReplyDeleteOooh I love books, especially old ones
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I have an old Social Register somewhere at the beach. It's a hoot to look through!
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ReplyDeleteI was going to write a piece on "Mrs. Astor Regrets," but with the son's trial in the news right now, I decided to refrain. More along the lines of families that will shred each other over money.Everyone from dead mother to son to friends of mother have acted appallingly.
ReplyDeleteThat Vanderbilt room is a dream, isn't it? I saw it featured in "New York Social Diary." I love her vision of the room's memory as well: wisteria vine covered in snow, cobbled stone streets, the faint rustle of silk curtains.
Why am I not surprised you are in the social registry, my classiest friend? are yall still listed today? is there even one today? I remember the first time I ever saw it - I had never even heard of it before, not too many Jews in there, i was about 13 and i was babysitting with a friend at her neighbor's house and she excitedy showed me how they were in the registry. I wasn't too impressed at the time!!! but funny how I have never forgotten that. my first time. with the social registry. When are you going to get up the nerve and knock on your old house and go inside and take pictures for us to see how it looks today?
ReplyDeleteOh wow, the mother load of treasures! I also stumbled across a copy of the social register although i can not recall which year and it is in storage. And, honestly, I think I found it at a Salvation Army! When I first had a wall of built-ins to fill I went there and found all kinds of goodies and classics. But, alas my family is not listed...I also really enjoyed going back and looking at pics of your childhood home. What a beautiful place!
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