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The Florida Architecture of Addison Mizner

The Florida Architecture of Addison Mizner

By Susan Christiansen | December 14, 2016
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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…

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ABAA News – Raptis Rare Books Moves to Palm Beach, Florida

ABAA News – Raptis Rare Books Moves to Palm Beach, Florida

By Adrienne Raptis | December 12, 2016
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We have recently been featured in the ABAA news blog, The New Antiquarian by Rich Rennicks. At a time when some brick and mortar antiquarian bookstores are closing their doors in favor of an internet-only presence, Matthew and Adrienne Raptis, of Raptis Rare Books, have gone against the grain and recently opened a rare bookstore…

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For Rare Book Lovers, This May Be Coolest New Shop on Worth Avenue

For Rare Book Lovers, This May Be Coolest New Shop on Worth Avenue

By Adrienne Raptis | December 9, 2016
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By Barbara Marshall – Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Posted: 7:00 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016 (View the article on mypalmbeachpost.com here) Every day, Matt Raptis holds Western civilization in his hands. He can page through Captain James Cook’s illustrated account of his 18th century journeys to the South Pacific, follow Charles Darwin’s evolutionary reasoning…

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The Lives of the Sisters Brontë

The Lives of the Sisters Brontë

By Susan Christiansen | November 30, 2016
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Raised in the mid 19th-century in the parsonage of Haworth in a small village in the countryside of Northern England, Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë created what have come to be considered some of the greatest works of literature, despite the isolation and often devastating conditions that defined their short lives. The sisters experienced grief…

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Revisiting Raptis Rare Books

Revisiting Raptis Rare Books

By Adrienne Raptis | November 26, 2016
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[fusion_text]We have recently been featured in Fine Books Magazine. Here is what they have to say: So pleased to see the new print edition of the Raptis Rare Books catalogue, in which Matthew and Adrienne Raptis announce they’ve moved from Vermont to a glittering new gallery on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, Florida. Raptis specializes in modern first…

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Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

By Susan Christiansen | October 25, 2016
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19th century French novelist Jules Verne has often been referred to as the “Father of Science Fiction” as well as a ‘prophet of scientific progress’ for his uncannily predictive depictions of scientific innovations and inventions long before their time. Born the son of a prominent lawyer in the seaport of Nantes, Verne was raised with…

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The Life and Works of Alfred Lord Tennyson

The Life and Works of Alfred Lord Tennyson

By Susan Christiansen | October 3, 2016
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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…

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Ten Rare Children’s Books

Ten Rare Children’s Books

By Adrienne Raptis | September 6, 2016
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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…

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First Edition Novels by Thomas Pynchon

First Edition Novels by Thomas Pynchon

By Adrienne Raptis | July 8, 2016
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20th century American novelist Thomas Pynchon was known for his brilliant, yet maddeningly complex works including postmodern novel Gravity’s Rainbow, the powerful and popular The Crying of Lot 49, and V. Born in Long Island, his ancestry reached as far back in America to William Pynchon, who founded Springfield, Massachusetts in 1636. Ever since, his ancestors have accumulated wealth…

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The Adventurous Life and Works of Jack London

The Adventurous Life and Works of Jack London

By Adrienne Raptis | June 6, 2016
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Jack London was the most successful writer in America in the early 20th century, and his books have been cherished by travelers, environmentalists, and activists for decades. Born and raised in the Bay Area, he was the first American novelist to achieve worldwide celebrity status from his fiction alone. His works surrounded radical topics at the time,…

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