I would like to hear from members of the list how many authors' libraries are
still preserved today in one place. I imagine HRC and Bodley (for example)
have several, and I recall another college library at Oxford having A.E.
Housman's books in a special bookcase within the library. Marianne Moore's living
room is preserved at the Rosenbach (but I'm not recalling her library there,
just her papers) and that would also be interesting -- how many writers' entire
writing environments have been preserved? And has something been published on
this? It would make a delightful addendum to the books on "great libraries"
that we all enjoy (assuming it doesn't already exist!).
I would take issue with one comment the bookseller made :"The entire history
of the book trade is the dispersal of libraries, not gathering them together"
I think one could make a good argument that dealers spend much of their lives
assembling collections (even if it is by default) which usually sell for a
paltry return on the decades of investment of research, travel, and money. And
Maggs (for example) has sold many magnificent libraries en bloc, thus not
"dispersing" them but actually preserving them -- e.g. this very Wharton library
which, had they broken it up, would surely have brought a better return than an
en bloc sale to a bookseller, who also chose not only not to break it up but
to augment it (thus defeating his own proposition).
Best wishes to all Ex-Librans for a joyful holiday and a peaceful 2006.
John Windle
John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller,
49 Geary Street, suite 233,
San Francisco. CA 94108. USA
Tel: (415) 986-5826 Fax: (415) 986-5827
Cell: (415) 244-8256
To view our stock go to: www.johnwindle.com
John Windle, Proprietor: email: johnwindle@aol.com
Chris Loker, Partner: email: clokermail@aol.com
Alexandra Chappell, Assistant windleassistant@sbcglobal.net
Open Mon-Sat 10-6 by appointment or chance
Member: ABAA, ILAB.
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