Synopses & Reviews
The first published reference source to bring together biographical information on American antiquarian bookdealers, this book provides librarians, dealers, and collectors with useful information on those dealers who were prominent in securing and distributing used and rare books, manuscripts, maps, autographs, documents, and ephemera. The book covers 205 notable dealers who died before August 1, 1997. Prominent dealers are identified as those who carried quality stock, issued carefully documented sales catalogs, participated in professional organizations, and helped develop important private and institutional collections.
The book considers such well-known figures as Abraham Simon Wolf Rosenbach, Charles Sessler, and Hans Peter Kraus. Each profile describes the dealer's subject specialities, the style of catalogs and sales lists issued, the dealer's impact on private and institutional collecting, professional activity, and, when relevant, the final disposition of the dealer's stock. Entries conclude with a selected bibliography of sources. The information, drawn from both primary and secondary sources, will be useful to library reference workers, bookdealers, collectors, and anyone interested in the history of the American antiquarian book trade.
Review
There has long been a need for a concise overview of American antiquarian bookselling. The profilic Donald C. Dickinson...has now fulfilled that need....Donald Dickinson has produced an enourmously useful volume that should be on the reference shelves of anyone interested in the history of American bookselling or book collecting.Bibliographical Society of America
Review
It is a job beautifully compiled and carefully executed. The sketches are not only informative but interesting.Madeleine Stern Rare Book Dealer
Review
[I]t is well-designed, attractive, and entertaining reading....This title is highly recommended for any reference collection.Reference &User Service Quarterly
Review
A useful reference for American studies collections and interesting for anyone who has ever bought a secondhand book.Choice
Review
Surveys the lives and careers of more than 200 deceased bookmen in as clear and intelligent a way as one could wish for.Firsts
Review
This is a book that should be of much interest to the trade, as well as to librarians and collectors.ABAA Newsletter
Review
The book achieves its purpose admirably as it is well-designed, attractive, and entertaining reading....This work fills an important void in the study of the history of the American book trade and collecting....The work offers useful information with a variety of access points....This title is highly recommended for any reference collection. It is a must for serious students of the book.Reference &User Service Quarterly
Review
This outstanding compilation...will, inevitably, become a standard reference book in the history of antiquarian bookselling.Bernard M. Rosenthal, Bookseller
Synopsis
Provides information on 205 notable American antiquarian bookdealers active from Colonia1 times to 1997.
About the Author
DONALD C. DICKINSON is retired Professor Emeritus at the School of Information Resources and Library Science at the University of Arizona, Tucson.
Table of Contents
Preface
Abbreviations for Works Cited Frequently
Dictionary
Appendix I: Geographical Locations
Appendix II: Subject Specializations
Index