Antiquarian book trade in the United States
Encyclopedia
The antiquarian book trade in the United States is an aspect of book collecting
and publishing
. The term antiquarian
, in general, refers to antiquities
and collectible items usually considered old and rare, usually in reference to books, but is not limited to books. The word antiquarian could also be used to describe a person who collects rare books or other antique items.
Two key figures who have written a great deal on the U.S. antiquarian book trade specifically are Leona Rostenberg
(1908–2005) and Madeleine B. Stern
(1912–2007), both of whom were also in the business of collecting and selling rare books. Other histories having covered the topic include Isaiah Thomas, writing in 1810 his History of printing in America; Henry Walcott Boynton’s Annals of American Bookselling, 1638-1850, first published in 1932; Hellmut Lehmann-Haupt’s The Book in America: A History of the Making, the Selling, and the Collecting of Books in the United States (1939).
The antiquarian book trade has roots in Colonial America, and may be considered in the study of American history and literature, print culture, and book history. Antiquarian book fairs have long been an important aspect of the trade. Today, the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America
(ABAA) is the primary organization of the trade in the United States. Other organizations include the Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing (SHARP). The Rare Book School
at the University of Virginia is the premier institution for those seeking an advanced education in the field.
. There is no established date of when this business of book collecting actually begins, however Stern attributes the beginnings to John Dunton
’s visit to Boston in 1686, in which he brought along numerous books from his native England. Printed materials and books however were already available in Boston, the first book shop having been opened in 1647 by Hezekiah Usher. The act of collecting and selling books as a form of business increases later in seventeenth century, with 1693 being the date of the earliest printed catalogue of books in the American colonies.
Events in Boston during the eighteenth century proved both difficult and advantageous for the antiquarian book trade. For example, a fire broke out in 1711 that consumed nearly every bookshop then in existence in Boston. In the next two decades antiquarian booksellers rebuilt and gradually began to thrive, with the presence of Harvard College
, as well as a certain literary and educational milieu in Boston allowing the development of the antiquarian book trade.
In the later eighteenth century, the heart of the antiquarian trade shifted to Philadelphia and New York City, growing with an increasingly educated public and independence from Britain. With the movement of people westward bookselling spread, and soon, small cities like Cincinnati become known in the book trade. The trade spread to Richmond and New Orleans, then to Texas, St. Louis, Chicago, and eventually, following the gold rush, to California.
Book collecting
Book collecting is the collecting of books, including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever books are of interest to a given individual collector. The love of books is bibliophilia, and someone who loves to read, admire, and collect...
and publishing
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
. The term antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
, in general, refers to antiquities
Antiquities
Antiquities, nearly always used in the plural in this sense, is a term for objects from Antiquity, especially the civilizations of the Mediterranean: the Classical antiquity of Greece and Rome, Ancient Egypt and the other Ancient Near Eastern cultures...
and collectible items usually considered old and rare, usually in reference to books, but is not limited to books. The word antiquarian could also be used to describe a person who collects rare books or other antique items.
Two key figures who have written a great deal on the U.S. antiquarian book trade specifically are Leona Rostenberg
Leona Rostenberg
Leona Rostenberg was an American historian and rare books dealer born in New York, New York.Rostenberg and her decades long friend and business partner Madeleine B...
(1908–2005) and Madeleine B. Stern
Madeleine B. Stern
Madeleine Bettina Stern , born in New York, New York, was an American historian and rare books dealer and noted Louisa May Alcott scholar....
(1912–2007), both of whom were also in the business of collecting and selling rare books. Other histories having covered the topic include Isaiah Thomas, writing in 1810 his History of printing in America; Henry Walcott Boynton’s Annals of American Bookselling, 1638-1850, first published in 1932; Hellmut Lehmann-Haupt’s The Book in America: A History of the Making, the Selling, and the Collecting of Books in the United States (1939).
The antiquarian book trade has roots in Colonial America, and may be considered in the study of American history and literature, print culture, and book history. Antiquarian book fairs have long been an important aspect of the trade. Today, the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America
Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America
The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America is an organization of rare and antiquarian book dealers.-History:Founded in 1949, the ABAA is the benchmark for professionalism and ethics in the rare book trade in the US...
(ABAA) is the primary organization of the trade in the United States. Other organizations include the Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing (SHARP). The Rare Book School
Rare Book School
Rare Book School is an independent non-profit organization based at the University of Virginia supporting the study of the history of books, manuscripts, and related objects. Each year, RBS offers about 30 five-day courses on these subjects...
at the University of Virginia is the premier institution for those seeking an advanced education in the field.
History
The beginnings of the antiquarian book trade can be traced to British North America, specifically Boston of the Massachusetts Bay ColonyMassachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
. There is no established date of when this business of book collecting actually begins, however Stern attributes the beginnings to John Dunton
John Dunton
John Dunton was an English bookseller and author. In 1691, he founded an Athenian Society to publish The Athenian Mercury, the first major popular periodical and first miscellaneous periodical in England.-Early life:...
’s visit to Boston in 1686, in which he brought along numerous books from his native England. Printed materials and books however were already available in Boston, the first book shop having been opened in 1647 by Hezekiah Usher. The act of collecting and selling books as a form of business increases later in seventeenth century, with 1693 being the date of the earliest printed catalogue of books in the American colonies.
Events in Boston during the eighteenth century proved both difficult and advantageous for the antiquarian book trade. For example, a fire broke out in 1711 that consumed nearly every bookshop then in existence in Boston. In the next two decades antiquarian booksellers rebuilt and gradually began to thrive, with the presence of Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
, as well as a certain literary and educational milieu in Boston allowing the development of the antiquarian book trade.
In the later eighteenth century, the heart of the antiquarian trade shifted to Philadelphia and New York City, growing with an increasingly educated public and independence from Britain. With the movement of people westward bookselling spread, and soon, small cities like Cincinnati become known in the book trade. The trade spread to Richmond and New Orleans, then to Texas, St. Louis, Chicago, and eventually, following the gold rush, to California.