Why Collect Old Books?

I’ve always loved reading, and I’ve always been interested in the history of old things, but it took a while for me to connect those two interests.

My first antique book was Richard Carvel (1912), which I picked up in 2012 from my town swap shop mostly because it looked interesting. I continued picking up books up a slow pace until I found The Physiology and Hygiene of the House in Which We Live (1887) in 2022, which at that point was the oldest book I had found. Something about having a book that was that old made me want to start expanding my collection farther into past and taking it more seriously. A few months later I paid money for a book first first time, acquiring British Zoology Volume 4 (1776) at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair. Since then, I’ve developed a stronger sense for what specifically interests me to collect and have tried to take my collection in new, interesting directions.

What really draws me to antique books is that they are a connection to both the past and the future. These books have seen wars, technological achievements, and historic events, while at the same time are likely to outlast me.

What’s an athenæum, anyway?

An athenaeum is a library or reading room, generally meaning one intended for advancement of learning. It’s related to Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom. The name felt right for my collection, since these books are not intended to just sit on a shelf, but to be held and read.