New Life for Old Tomes: Pipe and Tobacco Book Reprints
Exclusive to pipedia.org
Blogging is essentially writing, photography, and other media that’s self-published online. It started as an opportunity for individuals to write diary-style entries, but it has since been incorporated into websites. Its hallmarks include frequent updates, informal language, and opportunities for readers to start a conversation. It can be used for group discussion, peer review, and collaborative projects. People share, because they like the idea of having others comment and engage. Blogging is a cost-free way to learn about pipes and pipe-smoking. Two alternative avenues are pipe shows and pipe clubs. There’s also the age-old source for self-education: books. It’s not just my opinion, but books command more respect than blogs. Nowadays, however, the almighty Internet is the premier resource for reading and research.
Here’s my take on blogging. In more than 50 years of writing about tobacco and pipe history for various publications, I have explored many esoteric and off-beat topics that have never gotten any traction, not an attaboy, not any feedback. I had hoped that some of my online articles on pipedia.org since 2022 would generate dialogue from pipe smokers and pipe collectors alike … but none so far. To me, the online world of pipes and tobacco consists of casual commentators and rapporteurs who offer opinions, observations, reflections, remarks, and views, but contribute little of substance. I have found that a spirited exchange is also relatively absent on these popular collaborative forums: pipesmagazine.com, briarreport.com, rebornpipes.com, and brothersofbriar.com. Could It reader nonchalance or reader indifference?
Smokingpipes.com is an exception. It has a serious web presence. The assortment of well-written articles from the notable Chuck Stanion and several other contributors inform, educate, and entertain. It’s as if Pipes & tobaccos magazine has been reincarnated in digital format that prospers as the “Daily Reader Blog” on its website. (Its counterpart, the smokingpipes.eu Blog, is also very active.)
The best way I know to grow as a writer is to get peer feedback but, for some strange reason, the community of online readers lacks the inclination or interest to engage, participate, comment, or compliment the writers who contribute to our knowledge and understanding of pipe lore. I’m not a Rodney Dangerfield “I don’t get no respect” person, but maybe it’s what the screen writer Quintin Tarantino says: “As writers, if no one will give us respect, we have to take it.” When I read Stephen Marche’s “The Better You Write, the More You Will Fail” (The New York Times, February 26, 2023), it became clear to me that writers rarely experience moments of triumph. Marche argues that writers are peculiar beings, and asserts “Failure is the body of a writer’s life, and success only ever a temporary attire.” Don’t know how other online writers feel about the absence of any positive (or negative) commentary to their contributions, but, irrespective of the absence of any online exchange with fellow pipers, I’ll keep on keeping on, doing what I’ve done for a half century.
Now from that digital device to the digital book, a challenging topic, because the publishing industry is experiencing some sizable shifts. Everyone should know that for quite some time there’s been an exponential transformation, a digital disruption from physical books to e-books. Both have their pros and cons, so I won’t do battle about the benefits or advantages of paper versus screen, textbook versus technology, e-book (a multibillion-dollar business) versus physical book. It is fact that the print book is easier on the eye, and it is believed that the reader will absorb more information. Print books are here to stay, although they are cheaper to read online, if you have a computer, a mobile phone, or e-readers, such as Kindle, Nook, Tablet, iPad, and others. Goodreads.com and several similar platforms are also great sources, but good luck finding a tobacco or pipe book to read on any of these sites. An audiobook? Try listening to an audiobook to envision pipes. Are there many pipe or tobacco books as Portable File Documents? Too few to mention.
My opinion about the Web and books parallels that of Stanion: “Most of us find our information online these days, and the internet is certainly convenient, but it’s sobering to realize the enormous resources available through books that will likely never be downloadable or viewable through a website.” In his biography of Billy Taylor, “Collecting: The Pipe” he writes: “Pipe collectors tend to collect more than pipes; often equally important is the difficult collecting of information and the history of the manufacturers behind those pipes. It’s as much fun and as challenging to find information as it is to find exactly the right pipe.” He’s right, because books are a very good source of information, but a pipe smoker may not be interested in acquiring a collection of relevant books. And those who collect only pipes may not necessarily be into books. Neither person may be a cross-over collector. It’s a personal decision, a personal choice, as to whether pipes and books are a natural go-together. (BTW: there is no explicit symbiosis between being a pipe smoker and being a pipe-book collector.)
In 2009, collecting was best defined by Charlotte P. Lee and Claran B. Trace, “The Role of Information in a Community of Hobbyist Collectors” (depts.washington.edu): “Casual collectors have far less interaction with collecting peers and, although they enjoy adding to their collections, they have little interest in learning how to identify and procure rare specimens. Social collectors, by contrast, enjoy collecting primarily as a social activity rather than as an acquisitive or information gathering activity.” And quoting from the Abstract: “This collecting community represents a layer of a social system with complex interactions and specialized information needs that vary across collector types. Only the serious collectors habitually engage in information seeking (my italics) and, occasionally, in information dissemination…” The key words, in my view, are “seeking and engaging information” which, of course, means books and whatever is found in the Web search. If the authors are correct in their analysis, then pipe smokers and collectors might be interested in reading such books.
I’m not of a mind to convince any reader to buy books, so I’ll quote well-known book collector and author Bob Wilson who passed away in 2016: “If you are predisposed to collect books, you don’t need any ex post facto justification for having done so. And on the other hand, if you are not convinced before you start, the chances are that no argument is going to win you over” (Modern Book Collecting). If you decide to build a reference library, I suggest that you read some sound tips from a bookseller-friend, Allen Ahearn (“Book Collecting Tips,” qbbooks.com).
Which books to buy? In March 2022, “Best Books to Read While Smoking A Pipe” appeared on briarreport.org. The unnamed author had this to say: “Someone who collects pipes and enjoys the history of them. There hasn’t been a ton of books written on the subject, but enough that you can build yourself a little collection if you fancied.” These are the books he listed:
Pipesmoking: A 21st Century Guide by Richard Carlton Hacker. He has written several books. All very good. The Pipe Book by Alfred Dunhill, Clay Pipes by Eric G. Ayto, and In Search of Pipe Dreams by Rick Newcombe are a few examples. Not to mention specific books on Castello Pipes, Sherlock Holmes As A Pipe Smoker and countless books on tobacco.” But under the subheading “The Best Books,” he wrote: “Then there are books that are just enjoyable to read. They may or may not feature pipes. They might have been written by a pipe smoker but it doesn’t matter. These are the books that you can plop down in a chair, light up a pipe and dig in. The book is better because you have the pipe going, and the pipe is better because you are deep in a good book. What can possibly go better together?
Then he followed with his list of “The Best Books.” They are not about pipes; they are books of fiction written by pipe smokers. Go figure!
There is an almost-cost-free way to read some of the books on the list (see later), if they are not in your local library: (a) search worldcat.org for the title and author; (b) see which libraries own a copy and (c) if your local library participates in the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) System, ask it to order the book. If there is no reciprocal agreement between libraries, a small fee may be incurred. If not the ILL route, how about a reprint? They do not have the same value as a first edition, but if you’re buying to read, rather than buying to collect, it’s a low-cost way to obtain them.
A second relatively low-cost way is Print-on-Demand (POD) books, a global trend that is growing significantly. Where to buy and from whom? This is the Amazon experience of Mr. D. Robinson who, in 2009, purchased a copy of the first reprint of Alfred Dunhill, The Pipe Book (1969); the subtitle on the dust jacket of this edition is The classic volume on pipes and pipe smoking. The Amazon website displayed a mock-up cover of the book with this alternate title “Pipe Book: A Guide to Nearly Every Pipe Created.” I own a copy of the first edition (1924) and the 1969 reprint, and “…Nearly Every Pipe Created” is not the title or the subtitle of either edition. It is misleading … and deceptive. Mr. Robinson was evidently unaware that Dunhill had written an illustrated history about pipes from around the world. Here is his verbatim post on Amazon:
Ok book, not a great book. Ok, this is not a book about the pipes we smoke, in fact there are only a few pages regarding Brier pipes. Most of what is covered are pipes from ancient times in the America's and basically, the tribal areas of some of the most primitive countries. The designs in the book would be good for someone who is going to use them as ideas for a pipe design, but over all, not a basic “hands on” book. I give it four stars because even though I was a bit disappointed with the book at first, it is well written and has some interesting and funny stories. There are web sites that have better information for new smokers, or pipe maintenance, tobacco types etc. but not in this book. Get it if you like to read weird stuff, ummm.....like I do.
There are many other customer complaints about Amazon-supplied books, such as this: “Poor, Low-Quality Reprint of an Originally Beautiful Book.” There’s a very long list of specific complaints about Amazon’s KDP (Kindle and paperback) books at writersweekly.com, and Joel McLaughlin’s article on geardiary.com is headlined: “Buyer Beware: Amazon Reprints Some Books Poorly and Without Disclosure.”
Here’s an example of Amazon’s careless disregard for accuracy. C. M. MacInnes, The Early English Tobacco Trade, was published by Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., London, in 1926. Amazon lists it as follows: “The Early English Tobacco Trade (Economic History) 1st edition, Routledge, February 9, 2015). On the Routledge website, the frontispiece of the book reads “First published in 2005, reprinted in 2006, transferred to Digital Print 2010.” Ya’ gotta’ do the homework before you consider buying an Amazon-sponsored reprint book.
This description of the quality of POD books is from bookwritten.com:
They are printed on cheap, greyed, or dirty paper. Sometimes, the text in them can also be printed over lines as alignment issues. Some pages can also go missing, with these pirated books often skipping some in between in the hopes that the reader will not be checking every page diligently while buying. The low standards extend to the quality of the text, too, with the ink running over or smudging the pages. The pages may even bleed, with the text on one page being visible on the backside, making reading an irritating experience. Overall, pirated copies are not exactly made with care and precision and are, as a result, of noticeably lower quality.
PODs are often missing pages, contain inverted or blurry print, and have other shortcomings that suggest poor quality control, but as the old saying goes: you get what you pay for. Most of these problems are the result of scanning—the book must be taken apart—resulting in low-res images and, often, misaligned pages. The reprints coming out of South Asia, particularly India, are of very low quality, with an unfitting spine and new formatting. But, as an enticement, many reprints have been gussied up with “premium leather edition” bindings and gold-embossed lettering.
Books printed before 1925 are public domain and can be reprinted, but that should not be the reason to reprint the ones I have identified herein in the 21st century. Why the titles on this list were chosen, and why so many different reprinters is, to me, a mystery. It is not a judicious, reasoned selection of material. There’s no rhyme or reason, considering that there’s been no hue and cry from pipe smokers for more tobacco and books, and smoking and tobacco have been under attack for a number of years. I don’t buy the concept that republishing public-domain books offers an opportunity to recycle or repurpose existing—even classic—works. Way too many trees have been felled and too much ink has been expended to produce several different reprints of mostly obscure and rarified titles that have been released during the last few years. I am reminded of a question in a book of fiction by Robert Pobi, Do No Harm: “Did the world really need a million copies of On the Origin of the Species, or was one digital copy, available to everyone, the smart route?”
I do believe, however, that there are many important, well-written, out-of-print books that should be reprinted, but there’s no way to convince those who produce reprints to honor my request. What surprises me is that the most popular book of all time—with the exception of My Lady Nicotine—is Carl Ehwa Jr., The Book of Pipes & Tobacco (1974), has not been reprinted in almost 50 years! Carl Ehwa died in 1996, and the publisher, Ridge Press, is no longer in business. Mary McNiel should know who has the copyright. That’s a book that a resourceful reprinter should consider.
“Which book would I want reprinted?” If asked, my choice would be based on the fact that I am an antique pipe collector, less so a book collector. For more than 125 years, the antique pipe-collecting community has believed that only one extraordinary meerschaum pipe was crafted for the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893—“Discovery of America by Columbus”—commissioned by the William Demuth Company of New York. In December 2007, a German bookseller offered me a book that piqued my interest. None of my German pipe-collector friends owned a copy or were familiar with it, so I had reservations. I bought it and, while glancing through it, I realized that this monograph would be my singular book acquisition of a lifetime … and a meerschaum-pipe-collector’s dream. This is the detailed description.
Die Berühmte Columbus-Pfeife. Ein Meisterwerk Der Plastischen Kunst, Architektur Und Skulptur. Einzig in Seiner Art Und in Der Originellen Auffassung (literally translated: The Famous Columbus-Pipe. A Masterwork of Formative Art, Architecture, and Sculpture. Unique in Its Kind in the Original Conception). This slight, 40-page monograph, written and illustrated—there are several close-up black and white plates—by Alter Missionar (Old Missionary), a pseudonym, was published in Chicago, but it lists no publisher or date; it, no doubt, was published after the Columbian Exhibition. The inspiration, idea for, and the execution of this pipe are attributed to the author, this Chicago resident, self-described as ein katholischer Priester, ein alter amerikanischer Millionär (a Catholic priest, an old American millionaire). He began carving his version of a Columbus pipe in 1875 and finished it in time for the exhibition, but not for display in the exhibition. The pipe’s configuration is a Gesteckpfeife comprised of several interconnecting parts; when assembled, the bowl’s height is six inches; the combined length of the ornately-carved stem, a blend of meerschaum, amber, silver and ebony wood, and the mouthpiece is 21 inches, an overall height of 27 inches, almost as tall as the Demuth pipe that is 33 inches in length. A table in the book identifies everything that’s intricately carved in-the-round on the bowl: 370 assorted figural symbols of both heaven and earth, the world in miniature: 56 angels; 12 men including Columbus and Juan Perez who blessed him and his fleet as he set sail in the Santa Maria; 160 architectural elements; 16 animals; 59 plants; and 67 assorted other embellishments that he believed expressed the event and its significance. The inclusive dates, 1875-1893, are incised near the top of the bowl. The eventual owner was Otto Vogelgesang, another Chicago resident. There, the story ends, because I found no audit trail to the buyer.
My illustrated article, “World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893: Columbus Pipe Redux,” appeared in CIGAR Magazine, Fall 2008. The book, of course, is more significant, because it is a very detailed history of a heretofore-unknown meerschaum pipe—more specifically, a second Columbus-themed pipe—to the collector world. Die Berühmte Columbus-Pfeife is the most influential, fact-filled, illustrated book in any language on this very narrow topic and timeframe. I would think that every antique pipe collector would want a copy, even if it is not translated into English, because the several images in it are worth thousands of words.
Now to the promised list of reprint books about pipes, tobacco, smoking, poetry, and accessories. These were, until recently, out of print, but now have a new life. Call ‘em “old stacks … new leaves”! I’ll assume (perhaps, wrongly) that the prospective reader of this narrative is not into first editions, revised editions, premier editions, or limited (i.e., numbered) editions, and prefers to spend his money on pipes—the “shiny” object—rather than on literature. This is a low-cost way to obtain these specialized books, if you want the content and care not a whit about the cover. You’ll save money and, depending on the seller, you might sacrifice reading quality.
Every time I searched the Web, I found yet more reprint titles, some of which did not include the reprinter and/or the reissue date, so I excluded those, but I had not anticipated that the list would continue to grow like Topsy. After many time-consuming hours searching online, I concluded that this endeavor would be a never-ending Herculean undertaking. Eventually, I gave up. The list, therefore, is somewhat incomplete, because it does not include every pipe and tobacco book that has probably been reprinted nor all the reprints of every book on this list. It is organized, alphabetically, by author, date of first printing and later reprints. I’ve made every effort to exclude anti-tobacco tracts and treatises, agricultural studies, books on smoking cessation, etc. I make no distinction between later versions (e.g., revised editions, softcover editions, etc.) from known publishers and POD providers. As to the exactness of the information, all I’ll say is that it’s the sum and substance of what I found on the not-always-accurate Web. Did I access another source to corroborate this information? Unfortunately, these reprints are not in the WorldCat database.
It’s a very long list … it’s a good start, it requires more time and more research to complete … but I hope I have done a yeoman’s service for pipe-smokers and pipe collectors everywhere.
| Author | Title and Publication Date | Reprinters and Date(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Adams, C.S. | Poem on the Use of Tobacco (Boston, 1852) | Kessinger Publishing, 2009;
BiblioBazaar, 2010; Palala Press, 2016; Forgotten Books, 2018 |
| Allen and Ginter | With The Poets in Smokeland (1890) | Forgotten Books, 2018 |
| Anon. | A Doctor’s Fallacy on Smokers and Smoking (1857) | Nabu Press and BiblioBazaar, 2011 Nabu Press and BiblioBazaar, 2011; Clear Prints, 2022 |
| Anon. | An Arm-Chair in the Smoking Room; or, Fiction, Anecdote, Humour, and Fancy for Dreamy Half-Hours (1868) | BiblioBazaar, 2012; Sagwan Press, 2018 |
| Anon. | Beer & “Baccy”: A Christmas Miscellany of Jovial Literature (1880) | BiblioBazaar, 2012; Sagwan Press, 2018 |
| Anon. | Pipe Thoughts and Passing Puffs (1870 | Nabu Press, 2012 |
| Anon. | Directory and Reference Book of the Tobacco Trade (1893) | Forgotten Books, 2018; Gyan Books Pvt, 2022 |
| Anon. | The Smokers’, Chewer’s, Snuff Taker’s Companion, and Tobacconists Own Book (1841 | Nabu Press, 2012; Palala Press, 2015; Forgotten Books, 2017; Wentworth Press, 2019 |
| Apperson, G. L. | The Social History of Smoking (1914) | Echo Library and BiblioBazaar, 2006; Book Jungle, 2008; Tredition Classics, 2011; CreateSpace Independent Publishing, 2015; Pinnacle Press, 2017; Legare Street Press, S N Books World and Gyan Books Pvt, 2022 |
| Armstrong, A. | Tobacco and Snuff, L.S.D., Potatos, and Other Poems (1840) | Kessinger Publishing, 2010; Nabu Press, 2012 |
| Backey, T. | The History and Mystery of Puffing: or a Few Fragrant Whiffs of the Weed, Evolving Sundry Pleasant, Pithy, and Profitable … (1844) | Kessinger Publishing, 2010; NABU Press, 2012; Gyan Books Pvt, 2018; Creative Media Partners, LLC, 2019 |
| Bain, J. Jr. | Tobacco in Song & Story (1896) | New York Public Library, 1953; Kessinger Publishing, 2007; Literary Licensing, LLC, 2014; Forgotten Books, 2015; Palala Press, 2016; Trieste Publishing, 2017 |
| Bain, J. Jr. | Tobacco Leaves (1903) | BiblioBazaar, 2016; Forgotten Books, 2018; Wentworth Press, 2019 |
| Bain, J. Jr. | Tobacco in Song & Story (1896) | New York Public Library, 1953; Kessinger Publishing, 2007; Literary Licensing, LLC, 2014; Forgotten Books, 2015; Palala Press, 2016; Trieste Publishing, 2017 |
| Bain, J. Jr. | Tobacco Leaves (1903) | BiblioBazaar, 2016; Forgotten Books, 2018; Wentworth Press, 2019 |
| Barber, E. A. | Catalogue of the Collection of Tobacco Pipes Deposited by Edwin A. Barber (1882 | Andesite Press, 2015; Creative Media Partners, LLC, 2017; Forgotten Books, 2018 |
| Barrie, J. M. | My Lady Nicotine, (1890) | Reprints from 1899 through 2018… too many to list |
| Beinhart, E. G. | Nicotiana Rustica, 1953 | Forgotten Books, 2018 |
| Bellamy, Dr. | A New and Short Defense of Tobacco (1602) | Kessinger Publishing, 2010; Fb&c Limited, 2016 |
| Berlin, A. F. | Early Smoking Pipes of the North American Aborigines (1905) | Nabu Press, 2010; Andesite Press, 2015; Franklin Classics, 2018; Forgotten Books, 2018; Alpha Editions, 2021 |
| Billings, E. R. | Tobacconist Advertising. A Collection of Selling Phrases, Descriptions, and Illustrated Advertisements … (1910) | Theclassics.us, 2013, Forgotten Books, 2017; Classic Reprints, 2018 |
| Bowen, W. | The Old Tobacco Shop (1921) | Tredition Classics, 2011; Creative Media Partners, LLC, 2015; HardPress, 2016; CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2018; Saga Egmont, 2022 |
| *Bragge, W. | Bibliotheca Nicotiana: A Catalogue of Books About Tobacco, Together With A Catalogue of Objects Connected To The Use of Tobacco In All Its Forms (1880) | Martino Publishing, 2008; BiblioBazaar, 2009; HardPress, 2013; Franklin Classics Trade Press, 2018; Forgotten Books, 2018; Creative Media Partners, LLC, 2019; Alpha Edition, 2019; Wentworth Press, 2019; Legare Street Press, 2022 |
| Braley, B. | The Oracle on Smoke. Being A Few Utterances in A Simple and not at all Delphic Style … (1905) | Palala Press and Creative Media, 2015; Wentworth Press, 2016; Fb&c, Limited, 2018 |
| Brennan, W. A. | Tobacco Leaves. Being a Book of Facts for Smokers (1915) | BiblioBazaar, 2010; Project Gutenberg, 2012; CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2017; Good Press, 2019; DigiCat and Legare Street, 2022 |
| Brewer, H. | Revelations About Tobacco (1870) | Kessinger Publishing, 2010 |
| Browne, I. H. | Tobacco: Its History Illustrated by the Books, Manuscripts and Engravings in the Library of George Arents, Jr., five volumes (1937-1952) | Martino Publishing, 1996 |
| Bruette, N. | Tobacco, How Grown and Prepared for Market (1887) | Nabu Press (2013); Wentworth Press, 2016; Palala Press, 2018; Creative Media Partners. LLC, 2018 |
| Caldwell, R. | On The Pleasures and Enjoyment of Pipe Smoking (1999) | lulu.com, 2008 |
| Cavendish (pseud. of Samuel Bevan) | To All Who Smoke! A Few Words in Defence of Tobacco; or, A Plea for the Pipe: With Practical Observations on the Philosophy and Art of Smoking (1857) | True World of Books, 2021; S N Books World, 2022 |
| Chaffee, Frank | Smoke Rings and Roses (1904) | Home Farm Books, 2008; Palala Press, 2015; Wentworth Press, 2016; Forgotten Books, 2018 |
| Chatto, W. A. (pseud., Joseph Fume) | A Paper! - Of Tobacco Treating the Rise, Progress Pleasures, and Advantages of Smoking. With Anecdotes of Distinguished Smokers… (1839) | Nabu Press, 2009; Kessinger Publishing, 2010; Gale, Sabin America, 2012; Gyan Books Pvt, 2018; S N Books World, 2022 |
| Chispa | The Fragrant Weed. Dedicated To Its Lovers (1877) | Clear Prints, 2022 |
| Clarke, W. T. | Turkish Tobacco Culture, Curing, and Marketing (1923 | Forgotten Books, 2018; Clear Prints, 2022 |
| Cope’s Smoke Room Booklets (c. 1889-1892) | Numbers 1-4
Number 2 Number 3 Number 5 Numbers 5-8 Numbers 10, 12-14 |
True World of Books, 2018; Legare Street Press, 2021; Creative Media Partners, LLC, 2021; Gyan Books Pvt, 2023
S N Books World, 2022 Clear Prints, 2022 Forgotten Books, 2017 S N Books World, 2021 Forgotten Books, 2018; Gyan Books Pvt, 2023 |
| Corti, E. C. | A History of Smoking (1931) | Bracken Books, 1996; Kessinger Publishing, 2008; Literary Licensing, LLC, 2013 |
| Crowquill, A. (pseud., Forrester) | A Few Words About Pipes, Smoking & Tobacco (c. 1840) | New York Public Library, 1947 |
| Cruikshank, G. | What Put My Pipe Out; or, Incidents in The Life of a Clergyman (1862) | Kessinger Publishing, 2010 |
| Cundall, J. W. | Pipes and Tobacco. Being A Discourse on Smoking and Smokers (1901) | Briar Book Press, 2012; Gyan Books Pvt, 2018 |
| Drinkwater, A. E. | The Pipe of Peace. A Play in Three Acts (1922) | Wentworth Press, 2016; Palala Press, 2016; Forgotten Books, 2017; True World of Books, 2021 |
| Dunhill, A. | The Gentle Art of Smoking (1954/1961) | Vintage/Ebury, 1981; Literary Licensing, LLC, 2013 |
| Dunhill, A. | The Pipe Book (1924) | Arthur Barker, 1969, and many later reprints, incl. a leather-bound edition, Gyan Books Pvt, 2022 |
| Edwards. G. W. | Leopold Classic Library, 2017 | |