Vision of a Collector. The Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection in th Library of Congress. Rare Book and Special Collection Division.

Vision of a Collector: The Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection in the Library of Congress

Published on the centenary of his birth, this volume celebrating Lessing J. Rosenwald's philanthropy documents his 50 years of giving rare books to the Library of Congress. His taste as a collector was exceptionally fine, encompassing such fields as the illuminated books of William Blake, late medieval Books of Hours, post-Gutenberg incunabula, and illustrated books from the 500 years of printing history. Unfortunately, the 96 illustrations, which reproduce only a single page from each item donated by Rosenwald, seem far too few. With such distinctive examples of printing, one longs for more to contemplate. Essays about each gift are informative yet also reflect the chatty clubbiness of the antiquarian book world. True bibliophiles are sure to enjoy this volume's very focused analyses of individual details and the summation of each work's provenance prior to Rosenwald's purchase. Still, while the gift of such a sizable collection surely merits commemoration, the somewhat esoteric tenor of this Festschrift restricts its utility to larger research libraries only.
- Douglas F. Smith, Oakland P.L., Cal.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.