Henry E. Huntington's Library of Libraries [Hardcover]

Donald C. Dickinson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0873281535 | ISBN-13: 978-0873281539 | Publication Date: May 1995

After making a fortune in the railroading industry, Henry Huntington set out to build a rare book and manuscript library. He succeeded in gathering his unequalled collections over a period of only fifteen years, a result not only of personal determination and almost unlimited means but of fortunate timing. In 1911, as he began to develop a serious interest in rare books, important private collections came on the market. In that year, Huntington acquired the most important rarities from the Elihu D Church and Robert hoe collections. When other libraries became available subsequently, he responded decisively with en bloc purchases, and the 'library of libraries' was born. Between 1911 and the time of his death in 1927, Huntington dominated the book markets of New York and London. This book recounts the story of these tumultuous years in the book trade.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Neither a biography nor an institutional history, this readable book instead recounts the story of an extraordinary collector, his collecting passion, and the bookdealers who abetted him. Dickinson, a University of Arizona library science professor, details Huntington's collecting interests and methods, his relationships with dealers, especially George D. Smith and A.S.W. Rosenbach, and the staggering sums of money he spent, offering an intriguing glimpse of the upper end of the rare book trade in early-20th-century New York. Huntington's major auction purchases and his block purchases of important libraries are listed in an appendix. Recommended for rare book and library history collections.?Elizabeth Brice, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, Ohio
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

After making a fortune in the railroad industry, Henry E. Huntington set out to build a rare book and manuscript library. He succeeded in gathering his unequaled collections over a period of only fifteen years, a result not only of personal determination and almost unlimited means but of fortunate timing. In 1911, as he began to develop a serious interest in rare books, important private collections came on the market. In that year, Huntington acquired the most important rarities from the Elihu D. Church and Robert Hoe collections. When other libraries became available subsequently, he responded decisively with en bloc purchases, and the "library of libraries" was born. Between 1911 and 1927, Huntington dominated the book markets of New York and London.

This book recounts the story of those tumultuous years in the book trade. The reader is taken behind the scenes at the auction houses, and the strategies of the major book dealers of the early twentieth century—especially George D. Smith and A. S. W. Rosenbach—are revealed in fascinating detail.

Huntington’s motives for collecting on a grand scale changed over time: he began by gathering a trove of sumptuous volumes to satisfy his own tastes and ended by endowing a research library for scholars. But his determination to obtain the best and the unique always controlled the direction of his buying. He brought this desire to excel with him from his career in railroading, along with a straightforward and competitive view of the way excellence was achieved.

Huntington was a builder. He created a vast business empire in Southern California and used his fortune to establish a renowned book and manuscript collection. The Huntington Library as it stands today, a center for humanistic research, is a testament to both his careful planning and his generosity.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 286 pages
• Publisher: Huntington Library Pr (May 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873281535
• ISBN-13: 978-0873281539
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,734,063 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you love the Huntington Library,..., April 26, 2009

By 

Suzy Claire (Santa Monica, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Henry E. Huntington's Library of Libraries (Hardcover)

If you are fascinated by the gentlemen book-collectors of the early 20th century, you must read this book. It describes the fascinating story of how Mr. Huntington purchased his books which now fill the Huntington Library.