DATE: ca. 18th century - present
CREATOR: Collected by John Neal Hoover
EXTENT: 400 linear feet of boxed materials and approximately 100,000 printed items. Further additions will be comprised of new acquisitions and collections undergoing processing, such as the Arthur Goldsmith Collection of fine print prospectuses and collecting correspondence.
SCOPE: This collection documents the rare book trade in the United States, England, and continental Europe from the late eighteenth century to the present. Offers information about patterns in rare book sales and connoisseurship locally and nationally, as well as the histories of printing and collecting.
HISTORY & PROVENANCE: Established in 1988 through a donation by John Neal Hoover and developed in cooperation with private donors and with the help of other public, and institutional collection transfers, these materials were assembled rapidly in recent years at the Mercantile Library under this collection name and collecting program. The collection began with the cataloging and/or retention of the early priced catalogs which reflected the building of the Mercantile Library's earliest collections, and evolved into a deeper bibliographical resource with the passing of time.
ACCESS: This is collection M-106. This collection is available for on-site use only in the Rare Book and Manuscripts Reading Room. Some of the collection may be photocopied, digitally scanned or photographed, depending on condition. Researchers are advised to call ahead concerning changes in hours due to University intersessions and holidays. The St. Louis Mercantile Library is located on levels one and two of the Thomas Jefferson Library building. More information about conducting research with the archival collections of the Library, including current building hours and reading room policies, can be found on our Research page.
RESTRICTIONS: None
Preferred Citation note: The preferred citation for this collection is “From the Special Collections of the St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri – St. Louis.”
INVENTORY
View inventories of the bookseller catalogs, lists, and ephemera.
