A Matter of Taste: Discrimination in Nineteenth-Century Book Collecting: Catalogue of an Exhibition of Rare Books from the John Carter Brown Library by DANFORTH, Susan - 2008

Providence: John Carter Brown Library, 2008. First edition. Hardcover. Fine. 8vo. xx, [2], 86 pp. Bound in full red cloth, decoration stamped in gilt on cover, title in gilt on spine. Issued without a dust jacket. Full-color and black and white illustrations. Fine, bright copy.

Providence: The John Carter Brown Library, 2008. cloth. 8 x 11 inches. cloth. 86 pages. Catalogue of an Exhibition of Rare Books from the John Carter Brown Library. Curated by Susan Danforth, the exhibition that formed the basis for this catalogue demonstrated how the urge to collect, preserve, and ultimately share books can, however subtly, affect the physical character of the book itself. With a focus on acquisitions made in the nineteenth century - including several made by founder John Carter Brown - this exhibition uses selections from the Library collection to illustrate some of the effects that taste and trends in book collecting have had on the book as an object. Some typical practices of the era-such as the use of book brands, ink library stamps on title pages and elaborate bindings-did not affect the integrity of the book as an expression of an idea, but according to Danforth, other practices are more problematic. The nineteenth-century collector's acceptance of "sophistication" (the… Read More