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Theatre/Dance Related Books - Estate Sale


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Hello everyone! I'm posting this with Alexandra's permission. If you have ever heard of George Verdak, who was a Ballet Russe dancer long ago, founder of Indianapolis Ballet Theatre and a great collector, the books from his estate (he died 9 years ago) are being sold now. I can't begin to tell you how many there are; there were over 2000 in the living room of his house alone and there are 2 other rooms full of books. They are all dance or theatre or music related. They're being offered for sale now; some have come to pick out a few here and there, but it's just incredible how much there is and what is there. It would be very hard to "fill" an order for a particular book, but to give an idea, there are books in Russian, French and many other languages, books going as far back as the 1700s, boxes and boxes of souvenir programs and magazines. Everywhere I turned there was something else incredible. I picked up what was on top of one box and I was holding the program for the opening night of Balanchine's Don Quixote. At any rate, the sellers asked that I pass this on, and I did check it with Alexandra. I think they would probably prefer that if someone is a serious collector, that they make an appointment and come out to the house, but as I said, if you were looking for something special, I'd be glad to relay messages.

Patricia

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Alas, I did NOT win the Christmas Day Power Ball lottery. It sounds as though they want somebody to buy the whole collection?

Mme. Hermine, what should someone do if they are interested? Should they email you, or PM you? (If it's a new person or someone just looking in, they won't be able to use PMs.)

Have you contacted the Dance History Scholars? They're all poor as churchmice, of course, but they may know a museum that's looking for material.

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Hi, I know the feeling!

They don't necessarily want to sell only to people who'll buy them all, but the sheer number makes it very difficult to look for anything specific, even though they're grouped in sections. I think if people wanted to e-mail me that would be fine. Let me know how to post something like that. And you're free to send this to anyone, I'll take all messages and forward them as I am going there a few times over the next couple of weeks. I think they'd like to get it done as soon as possible so that the house will be emptied, that is the only feeling I had of urgency.

Thanks Alexandra!

P

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Much as I'd like many of these items for myself, I hope that some generous and civic-minded person will buy the collection for libraries like the one at Lincoln Center — somewhere where anyone can go in and look at them.

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