Mike - I've tried to do this with the publisher associated with MESDA, specifically the book "The Furniture of Coastal North Carolina" by John Bivens. It's a great book about southern colonial furniture that's at the top of the heap when it comes to scholarship and breadth of pieces examined, and since less than a thousand copies were printed, it's rare and harshly expensive to obtain.
However, while the publisher has the rights from the Bivens family, they expressed no interest in reprinting it in an e-mail in response to my inquiries, stating that they felt their resources were better used for newer projects. However, MESDA has reprinted The Longrifles of North Carolina, also by John Bivens that was even rarer and more expensive than Furniture of Coastal North Carolina, so perhaps they've changed their mind.
In the case of The Pennsylvania Spice Box, I think it could stand revising if it's re-published. All of the photographs are black and white, and color expresses a lot more information when it comes to antique furniture. Moreover, many pieces have come to light on the antiques market since the book was published, and would have a place in the timeline the book is organized into.
