Abstract
An account of the development and importance of private libraries and book ownership through the seventeenth century, based upon many kinds of evidence, including examination of many thousands of books, and a list of over 1,300 known owners from many backgrounds. It considers questions of evolution, contents, and size, and motives for book ownership, during a century when growing markets for both new and second-hand books meant that books would be found, in varying numbers, in the homes of all kinds of people, from the humble to the wealthy. Topics explored include the balance of motivation between books for use or for display; the relationship between libraries and museums; and cultures of collecting. While presenting a great deal of information in this field, conveniently brought together, the book also advances methodologies for book history. It challenges much received wisdom around our priorities for studying private libraries, and the terminology which is appropriate to use.
Published Version
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