A Collector’s Collection:The Rosenbach Museum & Library

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Internally, the Director, myself, and members of the senior staff want to make sure that the story of the two brothers becomes a central one in the Museum. We continue to shop for things relating to the brothers and their careers, their stories. We would love, for instance, to come across specific books and manuscripts mentioned in the biography, but which have escaped us thus far.

The Rosenbach Museum and Library is located at 2010 DeLancey Place, Philadelphia, PA., 19103. It can be reached by phone by calling (215) 732-1600. The website is www.rosenbach.org. The Museum is open from Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am – 5 pm, and on Wednesdays from 10 am – 8 pm. It is closed on Mondays. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for students and seniors with ID, and free for children under five. Researchers are required to make appointments; all other visitors are welcomed at any time during open hours.

All images used in conjunction with this article are used Courtesy of The Rosenbach Museum & Library. Bibliophiles who want to read more about the fascinating lives of both Rosenbach brothers should peruse Abebooks.com and like internet sites for the quintessential Rosenbach biography: Rosenbach: A Biography (by Edwin Wolf 2nd with John Fleming, Cleveland and New York, The World Publishing Company, [1960]). (You can also ask at your local public or university library for an interlibrary loan copy of the book.) The Rosenbach Museum & Library Museum Shop, browseable through their website, additionally sells many interesting tracts about the Museum and the brothers whose lives and collections inspired it.

At the risk of being repetitive, we’d like to remind readers of something mentioned much earlier in this article: that as of today, some nearly 8200 records of the Rosenbach Company’s catalogues are now available in AE’s Bibliographic Database. They are a tremendous resource in terms of book history and bibliography. To specifically access them, AE subscribers must use the Advanced Search mode and put in “Rosenbach” as the Source field.

Finally, do visit The Rosenbach Museum & Library the next time you are in Philadelphia, or even plan a trip to Philadelphia around such a visit. No self-respecting book lover, collector, or dealer ever could or would regret this journey!