The Great Book-Collectors

The book surveys the lives and habits of major book-collectors from classical antiquity through the Renaissance and later Europe, tracing how individuals and institutions acquired, cared for, and prized manuscripts and printed books. It distinguishes true collectors from librarians, dealers, and mere accumulators, and explores motives ranging from scholarly devotion to vanity. Through regional and chronological chapters the authors present biographical sketches, contemporary anecdotes, and discussions of notable libraries, bindings, and portraits. The narrative emphasizes changing practices in collecting, cataloguing, and preservation, and highlights the personal enthusiasms and foibles that shaped the formation of celebrated libraries.