The Book-Hunter at Home

Despite some sections that were trivial (Ch. IV. Chivalry and Romance), or tedious (Ch. VIII & IX. A Plea for Specialism), a greatly enjoyable book on book-collecting.

The first three chapters and the fifth and sixth were quite excellent. I was happy to find a section on bookbinding in the sixth, and although it did contain some bad advice, it would be a good introduction to the practice. Still, it is a shame that some of the best histories and manuals of bookbinding were yet to be penned in 1920. Similarly great was a set of instructions on shelf construction.

The opening of the eighth is great advice: choose subject areas and stick to them. Bill Cameron of the Antique Market in Ottawa has said multiple times to me "Be specific, or else show more your collection will become an accumulation". He's correct, and Allen agrees with him. Unfortunately, the end of the eighth together with the ninth make an attempt to present a guide to collecting but come across as the author's amateurish attempt at bibliography (or anatomy), and betrays his own collecting biases. However, it is suitable for skimming and some recommendations can be found therein. show less