Gertie's bookshelf
The story behind this page
I say on our About page that I never knew Gertie, my paternal grandmother. This is because, tragically, she died at the age of 25 just 9 months after her son (my father) was born.
Two days before we launched our website, Margaret, a wonderful woman who is married to Bob, Gertie's nephew, and with whom I have been in contact for many years learning about our family history, emailed me to say that she had found the book at the top of this page, The Universal Self-Instructor, in which Gertie had written her name. Margaret very kindly posted the book to me and it made us think of the idea of offering secondhand books for sale to raise more money to donate.
I say on our About page that I never knew Gertie, my paternal grandmother. This is because, tragically, she died at the age of 25 just 9 months after her son (my father) was born.
Two days before we launched our website, Margaret, a wonderful woman who is married to Bob, Gertie's nephew, and with whom I have been in contact for many years learning about our family history, emailed me to say that she had found the book at the top of this page, The Universal Self-Instructor, in which Gertie had written her name. Margaret very kindly posted the book to me and it made us think of the idea of offering secondhand books for sale to raise more money to donate.
Book sales
Originally, we offered books for sale through the website, but when we started to offer the books for sale we had such a wonderful response and so many books donated, that we decided that it would be more practical to offer them for sale on Gumtree.
All of the proceeds from the sales of the books will be donated to those we support.
If you go to www.gumtree.com.au/ and search under: gertieandruth, all one word, our listings will come up.
Originally, we offered books for sale through the website, but when we started to offer the books for sale we had such a wonderful response and so many books donated, that we decided that it would be more practical to offer them for sale on Gumtree.
All of the proceeds from the sales of the books will be donated to those we support.
If you go to www.gumtree.com.au/ and search under: gertieandruth, all one word, our listings will come up.
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The library of books...
We have had a huge response to our request for donations of books. In our local area, in response to a letterbox drop, so many people contacted us and we collected a lot of great books. A woman who was incredible at sourcing and delivering books for us to sell is, Karen. She found many, many books which kept our listings interesting. Vintage collection
And an absolutely gorgeous woman gave us her father's collection of vintage books to sell. |
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The Universal Self-Instructor
This book was published in 1883, is quite a tome and is a wonderful social history of the time. The preface is written by the editor, Albert Ellery Berg, who was "assisted by an Efficient Corps of Specialists" and says, in part:
This book was published in 1883, is quite a tome and is a wonderful social history of the time. The preface is written by the editor, Albert Ellery Berg, who was "assisted by an Efficient Corps of Specialists" and says, in part:
It can be honestly claimed, however, that the UNIVERSAL SELF-INSTRUCTOR is nothing less than it pretends to be, - an Epitome of Forms, especially adapted for purposes of self-instruction and general reference in the various departments of Education, Commerce, Law, Home, Society and Amusements. Every young man and young woman; - in fact every intelligent member of the community should have it within reach for consultation on those numerous minor matters that a well-educated person is supposed to know.
It has been the aim of the Publishers to produce a work that will become a standard authority on the matters it contains, and no labor or expense has been spared to make it the most attractive and useful book of its kind ever published. The illustrations are artistic, appropriate and original; while the literary features have been made entertaining as well as instructive. The Publishers feel confident, therefore, that the book will meet with the great success it deserves, and that there is no home in the land where the introduction of the UNIVERSAL SELF-INSTRUCTOR will not be welcomed as a cause of immediate gratification and a source of lasting pleasure.
It has been the aim of the Publishers to produce a work that will become a standard authority on the matters it contains, and no labor or expense has been spared to make it the most attractive and useful book of its kind ever published. The illustrations are artistic, appropriate and original; while the literary features have been made entertaining as well as instructive. The Publishers feel confident, therefore, that the book will meet with the great success it deserves, and that there is no home in the land where the introduction of the UNIVERSAL SELF-INSTRUCTOR will not be welcomed as a cause of immediate gratification and a source of lasting pleasure.
