Maurice Firuski
Encyclopedia
Maurice Firuski was an American bookseller.
and was a 1916 Yale College
graduate. He was also a U.S. Navy veteran of World War I
.
Firuski became a well-known man of letters. He was considered an authority on Herman Melville
, and was fond of wearing a white whale pin on his lapel. He was a distinguished book collector, having a personal collection that numbered somewhere between five and six thousand volumes.
His close friends included several noted literary figures of the early twentieth century, such as Archibald MacLeish
, Stephen Vincent Benet
, Lewis Mumford
, Hilary Masters, and Georges Simenon
. He is mentioned prominently in letters to and from various other noted authors and public figures as well, such as George Santayana
, Amy Lowell
, Lesley Frost Ballantine, and Robert Frost
. In his role as book collector and seller, he often advised people (famous or not) as to which editions of an author's work were the best or worst of their kind. In the early 1920s, he operated the Dunster House Bookshop in Cambridge, Massachusetts
.
In 1927, Firuski moved to Salisbury, Connecticut
, where ran his own bookstore for almost 48 years, until his death at the age of 83. The store was called "The Housatonuc" and specialized in rare, hard-to-find, antiquarian books. He and his bookstore were prominently featured in an article entitled "A Page From An American Dream," by Eleanor Winslow, which appeared in The Courant Magazine on November 29, 1964.
Firuski was also the co-editor (with his ex-wife, Elvia) of The Best Of Boulestin, a collection of recipes by Marcel Boulestin
. Co-editor for the book was his ex-wife, Elvia. According to the Courant article, Elvia tested each recipe in her own kitchen, before deciding whether or not to include it in the book.
He also taught history at the Salisbury School for eight years in the 1940s. He was a past president of the Scoville Memorial Library and of the Salisbury Association. Firuski was married five times. Firuski died in Salisbury
, Connecticut
.
Life
Firuski was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and was a 1916 Yale College
Yale College
Yale College was the official name of Yale University from 1718 to 1887. The name now refers to the undergraduate part of the university. Each undergraduate student is assigned to one of 12 residential colleges.-Residential colleges:...
graduate. He was also a U.S. Navy veteran of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Firuski became a well-known man of letters. He was considered an authority on Herman Melville
Herman Melville
Herman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. He is best known for his novel Moby-Dick and the posthumous novella Billy Budd....
, and was fond of wearing a white whale pin on his lapel. He was a distinguished book collector, having a personal collection that numbered somewhere between five and six thousand volumes.
His close friends included several noted literary figures of the early twentieth century, such as Archibald MacLeish
Archibald MacLeish
Archibald MacLeish was an American poet, writer, and the Librarian of Congress. He is associated with the Modernist school of poetry. He received three Pulitzer Prizes for his work.-Early years:...
, Stephen Vincent Benet
Stephen Vincent Benét
Stephen Vincent Benét was an American author, poet, short story writer, and novelist. Benét is best known for his book-length narrative poem of the American Civil War, John Brown's Body , for which he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1929, and for two short stories, "The Devil and Daniel Webster" and "By...
, Lewis Mumford
Lewis Mumford
Lewis Mumford was an American historian, philosopher of technology, and influential literary critic. Particularly noted for his study of cities and urban architecture, he had a broad career as a writer...
, Hilary Masters, and Georges Simenon
Georges Simenon
Georges Joseph Christian Simenon was a Belgian writer. A prolific author who published nearly 200 novels and numerous short works, Simenon is best known for the creation of the fictional detective Maigret.-Early life and education:...
. He is mentioned prominently in letters to and from various other noted authors and public figures as well, such as George Santayana
George Santayana
George Santayana was a philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist. A lifelong Spanish citizen, Santayana was raised and educated in the United States and identified himself as an American. He wrote in English and is generally considered an American man of letters...
, Amy Lowell
Amy Lowell
Amy Lawrence Lowell was an American poet of the imagist school from Brookline, Massachusetts who posthumously won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1926.- Personal life:...
, Lesley Frost Ballantine, and Robert Frost
Robert Frost
Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and...
. In his role as book collector and seller, he often advised people (famous or not) as to which editions of an author's work were the best or worst of their kind. In the early 1920s, he operated the Dunster House Bookshop in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
.
In 1927, Firuski moved to Salisbury, Connecticut
Salisbury, Connecticut
Salisbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town is the northwest-most in the State of Connecticut. The MA-NY-CT Tri-State Marker is located just on the border of Salisbury...
, where ran his own bookstore for almost 48 years, until his death at the age of 83. The store was called "The Housatonuc" and specialized in rare, hard-to-find, antiquarian books. He and his bookstore were prominently featured in an article entitled "A Page From An American Dream," by Eleanor Winslow, which appeared in The Courant Magazine on November 29, 1964.
Firuski was also the co-editor (with his ex-wife, Elvia) of The Best Of Boulestin, a collection of recipes by Marcel Boulestin
Marcel Boulestin
Xavier Marcel Boulestin was a French chef, restaurateur, and the author of cookery books that popularised French cuisine in the English-speaking world....
. Co-editor for the book was his ex-wife, Elvia. According to the Courant article, Elvia tested each recipe in her own kitchen, before deciding whether or not to include it in the book.
He also taught history at the Salisbury School for eight years in the 1940s. He was a past president of the Scoville Memorial Library and of the Salisbury Association. Firuski was married five times. Firuski died in Salisbury
Salisbury, Connecticut
Salisbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town is the northwest-most in the State of Connecticut. The MA-NY-CT Tri-State Marker is located just on the border of Salisbury...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
.
See also
- Antiquarian book trade in the United StatesAntiquarian book trade in the United StatesThe 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...