The Holy Grail

[Connemara]

Yep, you've guessed it. Today I unearthed the Holy Grail. It's a bit heavier than I imagined, but that doesn't trouble me.

For months now, I've been conditioned to think that to get a copy of the elusive Esquire's Encyclopedia of 20th Century Men's Fashions, I'd need about $800 in liquid cash. Not so.

Today, while searching through my university library's catalog, I practically dropped dead when the aforementioned title popped up. I was already thrilled to discover they have Esquire on microfilm here (hello L. Fellows on .pdf), but this was the icing on the cake. I'm looking through it right now, and the pictures alone are enough to elicit ecstasy. 700 pages of bliss. I'll be reading for a long time.

 

[kitonbrioni]

Maybe it'll come out DVD sometime like the New Yorker.

 

[Duveen]

KB - not a bad idea at all. Any enterprising college kids feel like scanning 700 pages and bootlegging it? I bet there would be eager takers...

And if Esky sues, push them to reissue!

 

[Aureus]

My college has it available as a Reserve 2 hour loan... what makes this book so special exactly?

 

[rdawson808]

Originally Posted by Aureus

My college has it available as a Reserve 2 hour loan... what makes this book so special exactly?


Do you mean "special" because it's on 2-hour reserve? That's probably just because it is considered reference material and many libraries don't circulate reference materials.

bob (engaged to a librarian)

 

[Kent Wang]

Bob, please ask your fiancee what is the name of the fancy piece of string found in certain books -- often bibles and other weighty texts -- that is used as a bookmark. I recall reading that there was a big hoopla in librarian circles a few years ago when they finally reached a consensus on the term.

 

[mrchapel]

Originally Posted by rdawson808

Do you mean "special" because it's on 2-hour reserve? That's probably just because it is considered reference material and many libraries don't circulate reference materials.

bob (engaged to a librarian)

I don't think he means that; I think he means why is the aforementioned book considered the Holy Grail. I myself am wondering that too, for I've never heard of it.

 

[designprofessor]

The librarians freaked when I showed them how to get books past the security

 

[alflauren]

Man, you weren't kidding. The best I can find it for is $580, and that's for a copy rated 3/5 condition.

 

[mrchapel]

I just searched my university's library online, and they have a copy. Classes don't start until the last week of the month, but I live close so I may pop in after work to see what the worshipping is all about.

 

[jml90]

My local library also has it. I didn't think it was that special?

 

[Manton]

It's a very good book, and excellent on historical questions. I disagree that it is the Holy Grail. That honor I would reserve for the Apparel Arts rerpint. Or rather, for a complete collection of Apparel Arts itself.

 

[Sid]

Manton:

Is that the Apparel Arts book someone asked about recently sold through the German website? Is it worth the price?

 

[Manton]

That's the one. E 150 is a steal. I have never seen it offered for less than $300. And one seems to pop up for sale at most once a year.

 

[Sid]

Thanks. I'm going to pull the trigger if I can figure out how to order it.