Bookshope
Catalog Ephemera Ref: BKS-BRASS-0018 • Open Workshop Run

Solid unlacquered brass desktop book support.

Cast and milled from heavy architectural C36000 yellow brass, this 1.8-kilogram reading easel supports oversized art monographs, cartographic folios, and Smyth-sewn volumes at three ergonomic angles without wobble or flex.

Acquisition Basis: Inquiry estimate $145 per machined brass piece; crafted in small batches in Chicago.
Solid unlacquered brass desktop book easel holding open a heavy art monograph

Support.

Lightweight wire and plastic book stands collapse under the physical mass of an archival art monograph. At 1,820 grams (4.0 pounds), this reading stand possesses the ballast needed to cradle volumes weighing up to 6 kilograms. The 45 mm deep resting lip holds thick hardcovers securely open without pinching or dog-earing the fore-edges.

Because the brass is completely unlacquered, it will develop a dark, rich golden patina through years of contact with clean hands and oak desks. It can be left to age naturally into a warm antique hue or buffed back to a satin luster with a dry microfibre cloth.

Specify.

Physical measurements and metallurgical composition:

Material Alloy C36000 architectural brass
Net Mass 1,820 grams • 1.82 kg (4.01 lbs)
Plate Thickness 4.5 mm solid plate • brushed finish
Incline Notches 3 positions: 28°, 42°, and 56°
Face Dimensions 260 mm wide × 210 mm high
Resting Lip Depth 45 mm clear gutter channel
Base Protection Wool felt pads inset on underside
Acquisition Price Estimate $145 per brass stand
Machined brass joint and adjustment notch detail of heavy reading easel
Precision CNC milled angle notches with hand-bevelled edges Solid brass pivot pin pinned under tension

Verify.

Bookshope operates an archival bookshop and cataloguing studio at 225 North Columbus Drive in downtown Chicago, Illinois. Our Project Manager has managed reading equipment and book catalog curations since 2021, completing 25 catalog projects for libraries and collectors.

We do not stamp thin sheet metal or plate steel with fake brass coatings. This stand is machined from a solid slab of heavy structural brass. The underside carries four circular recesses fitted with natural Merino wool felt pads to ensure no metal ever scratches delicate walnut, mahogany, or leather desk tops.

Business Registry: Active Illinois registered entity.
Chicago Workshop: 225 North Columbus Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601.
Telephone: +1 (340) 805-3400.
Track Record: 25 completed catalog curations since 2021.

Deliver.

How we ship heavy solid brass equipment safely:

  1. Inquiry Submission: Provide your delivery address and quantity using the form below.
  2. Hinged Test: Each unit is opened, set into all three notches, and tested for flat contact on our granite inspection surface.
  3. Preservation Box: Wrapped in unbleached cotton flannel and fitted into custom die-cut pine transit packaging.
  4. Tracked Shipping: Shipped via insured carrier from Chicago with tracking notifications.

Weigh.

Because this stand weighs nearly two kilograms, it is designed for a dedicated library desk, architectural studio bench, or reading table. It is not an ultra-light folding travel gadget to carry in a laptop sleeve.

Unlacquered brass reacts to acidic liquids, such as citrus juice or vinegar; if splashed, wipe immediately with clean water and dry thoroughly. It does not rust, but will form dark characteristic patination rings where fingers repeatedly adjust the back strut.

Acquire.

To reserve a Cast Brass Reading Stand ($145 per piece) or order a reading desk set with matching brass bookmarks, complete the reservation inquiry below.

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Compare.

Browse paper volumes in our Chicago catalog engineered to rest comfortably on this stand:

Fold-out antique Midwest transit map plate mounted inside an archival folio

Cartographic Midwest 1880–1940

Fold-out archival survey maps sewn on tapes with reinforced crash and heavy Dutch linen cloth.

Archival Folio Estimate $210
Open architectural monograph showing high-contrast concrete building photographs

Brutalist Chicago Archive

Oversize 280×340 mm architectural monograph with 64 duo-tone plates on 150 gsm coated stock.

Art Monograph Estimate $125
Letterpress printed title page with deep tactile impression into thick cotton rag paper

Typographica Chicagoana

Set by hand in foundry metal type and printed on Somerset 250 gsm 100% cotton printmaking paper.

Letterpress Folio Estimate $180
Clothbound volume of The Solitude of Rivers in dark blue bookcloth with blind debossing

The Solitude of Rivers

Smyth-sewn binding in dark indigo bookcloth with blind debossed title and 120 gsm Munken Pure paper.

Clothbound Novel Estimate $48