Prices of Books
An Inquiry into the Changes in the Price of Books Which Have Occurred in England at Different Periods

This 1898 publication traces the market value of books in England from the seventeenth century to the late nineteenth century.

Henry Benjamin Wheatley (Author)

9781108078009, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 1 January 2015

296 pages
21.6 x 14 x 1.7 cm, 0.38 kg

A prolific author and bibliographer, Henry Benjamin Wheatley (1838–1917) wrote or edited dozens of works during a distinguished literary career. First published in 1898 as the fourth volume in Richard Garnett's 'Library Series', Prices of Books traces the market value of books in England from the seventeenth century to the late nineteenth century. Wheatley recounts the history of booksellers, and manuscript and book pricing in England, providing detailed analyses of significant auction sales over three centuries. He also devotes chapters to the pricing history of Shakespeare's works and other notable English publications. Serving as a fascinating micro-history of England's reading and book-collecting habits, this work will appeal to those interested in antiquarian culture and the history of the book. Several other works by Wheatley are also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection, including the delightful Literary Blunders (1893).

Editor's introduction
Preface
1. Introduction
2. Sellers of books
3. Prices of manuscript books
4. Published prices
5. Auction sales in the seventeenth century
6. Auction sales in the eighteenth century
7. Auction sales in the nineteenth century
8. Prices of early printed books
9. Prices of early English literature - Caxtons, etc.
10. Prices of Shakespeare's works
11. Prices of various classes of books
Index.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: general [DSB]