“A useful reference for American studies collections and interesting for anyone who has ever bought a secondhand book.”–
“Surveys the lives and careers of more than 200 deceased bookmen in as clear and intelligent a way as one could wish for.”–
“This is a book that should be of much interest to the trade, as well as to librarians and collectors.”–
“What the author has...given us in a readable, informative, and delightful glimpse of antiquarian bookselling in America, and we are grateful for it.”–
“[A] valuable contribution to a neglected area of scholarly research....Dickinson has demonstrated that this is an area of the book trade worthy of scholarly research and has created an essential resource for bibliophiles, collectors, librarians, and researchs who require biographical information about members of the booktrade.”–
“...[a] valuable contribution to a neglected area of scholarly research....Dickinson has demostrated that this is an area of the book trade worthy of scholarly research and has created an essential resource for bibliophiles, collectors, librarians, and researchers who require biographical information about members of the book trade.”–
“Dickinson's Dictionary of American Antiquarian Bookdealers, like any dicitonary, is not the kind of book one is likely to read cover to cover, but which is a pleasure to open often and to read at random. Each entry contains in turn useful, informative, always enjoyable data presented in Dickinson's lively, readable style....It is fascinating to mine Dickinson's Dictionary for odd nuggets--interesting, too, to note how one entry leads you to another which in turn leads to another....[A]ny dealer worth his salt...will find Dickinson's Dictionary not only an inspiring read but a worthwhile investment--I've even found it helpful in tracing the history of a particular document. Anyone addicted to the chase after rare books and manuscripts will find it intoxicating.”–
“Donald Dickinson has produced an enormously useful volume that should be on the reference shelves of anyone interested in the history of American bookseeling or book collecting.”–
“The greater part of this book...is devoted to booksellers of more recent vintage, whose careers have not hitherto been gathered between the covers of a single volume. Dickinson's coverage...is quite comprehensive....At times, in fact, I found the coverage astonishing.”–
“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.”–
“[I]t is well-designed, attractive, and entertaining reading....This title is highly recommended for any reference collection.”–
“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.”–
“A variety of people will find this volume of interest....this book will repay dipping into for quick information and regular reading to gain an education....library historians will quickly come to appreciate this reference work and will want to have it handy.”–
“It is a job beautifully compiled and carefully executed. The sketches are not only informative but interesting.”–
“This outstanding compilation...will, inevitably, become a standard reference book in the history of antiquarian bookselling.”–
Product Description
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.
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