Vintage Treasure: IPP17 San Francisco (1997) Official Souvenir Booklet

From the Private Collection of the late Bill Darah

​Up for auction is a piece of foundational history for the mechanical puzzle community: the Official Souvenir Booklet of the 17th International Puzzle Party (IPP17), held in San Francisco in August 1997. As the oldest volume in this collection, it represents a period when the IPP was rapidly expanding into the global phenomenon it is today.

​Elite Provenance & Personal History

​This copy belonged to the late Bill Darah, a legendary figure in the international puzzle community. In a wonderful piece of documentation, Bill is actually listed in the attendee key on page 4 (number 26) and appears in the historic group photos. To own this book is to own a piece of Bill’s personal history from an event he helped make memorable.

​Condition: Pristine with Rare Ephemera

​For a booklet nearly 30 years old, the condition is impeccable:

• ​Rare Addition: Includes the original printed note from host Nick Baxter, apologizing for the "significant delay" in the booklet's production—a piece of IPP ephemera rarely found with this volume.
• ​Binding: The black-tape spine is tight and perfectly preserved.
• ​Pages: Crisp, bright, and clean. No markings, signatures, or age-related foxing.
• ​Covers: Features the iconic San Francisco skyline and Gary Foshee’s legendary Cable Car puzzle; perfectly preserved with no corner dings.

​Inside IPP17: A Historic Record

​This booklet captures the magic of the 1997 meeting, including:

• ​The "Cable Car" Masterpiece: A detailed look at the cover-featured Cable Car puzzle by Gary Foshee, an artistic masterpiece involving over 20 hidden tools.
• ​Annotated Group Photos: Two full-color group photos with numeric keys identifying every legend in attendance, from Jerry Slocum and Nob Yoshigahara to a young Wil Strijbos.
• ​The Exchange Catalog: A record of the 80 exchange puzzles swapped at the event—an essential identification guide for vintage puzzle collectors.
• ​IPP History: Includes a summary of the first 16 parties, as presented by Jerry Slocum during the event.

​A Note on Community Integrity

​To honor the designers and the traditions of the IPP, I have intentionally excluded photos of the internal solution pages. These proprietary solutions are part of the intrinsic value of the book and will be revealed only to the winning bidder.

Shipping determined at close of auction.