No library is complete without a few classic, beautifully bound tomes gracing its shelves—and London is the place to find them.
Adrian Harrington Rare Books
Tucked away on Kensington Church street, home to some of London's finest antiques dealers, you'll find Adrian Harrington Rare Books, a treasure trove of ancient volumes on a range of subjects. Its valuable collection includes leather bound volumes and books with fore-edge painting, which have a scene painted on the side of the pages, visible only when the book is closed. It also carries a selection of children's books. Bookworms will be enthralled with Harrington's seasonal catalogues; the winter 2007/08 issue featured a first edition of W.H. Auden's The Dyers Hand and Other Essays; a 1926 five-volume edition of the novels and letters of Jane Austen; and a first edition, second issue of the collected poems of the Brontë sisters, written under the pseudonyms Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell. If you're more concerned about maintaining your current collection, and have a book that's suffering in its old-age, the shop also offers restoration and bookbinding.
64a Kensington Church Street | London W8 4DB England
Simon Finch Rare Books
Mayfair always has an air of grandeur, whether it's the impressive buildings, the pin-striped bankers dining out on expense accounts, or the fact that it's the most expensive location on the Monopoly board. Full of art and antique dealers, these elegant surroundings are a suitable home to Simon Finch and his six floors of antiquarian books. He stocks a huge variety of titles, specializing in English and continental literature, science and medicine, early printing, art, architecture and design, and the social sciences. Whether you're after one book as a special gift or you want to develop a long-term plan for building a library, they are more than happy to help, and will even buy books back from you if you feel you want to change direction. They also offer restoration services and advice on auction bidding—in short, everything you need. And if their most recent catalog is anything to go by, you won't be wanting for show-stopping pieces—a first folio of Shakespeare's plays was on offer, as well as a first Dublin edition of Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Women.
53 Maddox Street | London W1S 2PN England
Bernard J. Shapero Rare Books
Bernard J. Shapero has spent his whole professional life in the antiquarian book business, and in 1986 became the youngest-ever member of the Antiquarian Bookseller's Association. His shop in London is bright and airy, with five browse-worthy floors filled with color plate books, modern literature, early English and natural history, vintage photographs and maps. Travel books are a strong suit—Shapero is the leading specialist in rare Baedekers guides. With intriguing stock like a first Russian edition of Karl Marx's Das Kapital, a variety of caricature-illustrated books and plenty of big-name poets and writers, the store is a collector's favorite, especially as they are adept at noticing printing errors that can make the books more valuable. After trading in Russian books for ten to fifteen years, Shapero recently created a section dedicated to the genre; it's proven a popular decision—the first exhibition sold out, and the permanent collection includes books from the personal library of Tsar Paul I, son of Catherine the Great. If you can't visit the shop in person, you can still peruse over 4,000 books online and sign up for an RSS feed that will keep you up to date regarding the latest offerings in your preferred categories.
32 St. George Street | London W1S 2EA England
Peter Harrington
Established in 1969, Peter Harrington Antiquarian Bookseller is one of London's largest and best-known rare book firms. These days the shop is run by Peter's son, Pom Harrington, who seems to have inherited all of his father's rare book know-how and passion—more than 20,000 books are spread over four floors, just waiting for an avid reader or collector to browse or buy. In addition to individual editions, the shop stocks a huge range of library sets, including some from the likes of Francis Bacon, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Thomas Huxley and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe to name a few. They also have a bindery, a gallery containing a range of rare maps and prints of all eras, and dedicated professionals who can give you advice on auctions and collating libraries.
100 Fulham Road | London SW3 6HS England
Maggs Bros. Rare Books Ltd.
Maggs Bros. has been around since 1853 and prides itself on its long-standing clients—they've worked with the same libraries and families through several successive generations. Their stock is similarly historic, from Babylonian seals to twentieth-century classics, military works to music, letters, illuminated manuscripts and miniatures. History buffs will love the documents signed by monarchs, romantic poets and military greats, including Napoleon. They also have an interesting photography collection, including prewar Japanese photos. Maggs Bros. has a knowledgeable staff, and is the custodian of the library of the late publisher and collector Alan Clodd, some 20,000 volumes that make up one of the most extensive private collections of modern literature; selections are put on sale periodically, so keep your eyes peeled.
50 Berkeley Square | London W1J 5BA England
London Antiquarian Bookfair
If you really want to get into the thick of the antiquarian book trade, then a visit to the annual London Antiquarian Book Fair at Olympia is essential. Held every year in early June, it brings together over 160 of the world's leading dealers, and is one of the largest and most well respected fairs of its kind in the world. All of the dealers present have been carefully vetted by the Antiquarian Bookseller's Association, ensuring that everything on offer is top-notch, whether it's an illuminated manuscript, an explorer's map, or a first edition Harry Potter. Go to browse or buy, the atmosphere is fun and the books are fascinating—prices start from about $100 and go up and up and up. 2008 saw pieces like a first edition of children's classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, as well as a signed presentation copy of Queen Victoria's Leaves from our Journal in the Highlands, and a first edition, first printing of John Lennon's In His Own Write. If you can't wait until next year, the smaller and less formal Chelsea Book Fair is also run by the Antiquarian Bookseller's Association.
Antiquarian Book Fair Olympia: early June 2009.
Chelsea Book Fair: November 7 and 8, 2008.
Hammersmith Road, Olympia 2 | London W14 8UX England
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