Bookseller Interviews

Laurence J. ("Jeff") Weber's family background is filled with English scholars, so it seems natural that Jeff would have a bookish career. His foray into rare book selling began with jobs working for William P. Wreden and then Zeitlin & Ver Brugge Booksellers. In 1987 Jeff formed his own firm in Los Angeles. Jeff Weber Rare Books specializes in Bibliography, California, Fore-Edge Painting, Medicine, Natural History, and Science and Technology. ABAA Member since 1990. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on February 16, 2013 at the California International Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena.

Daniel Weinberg got his first job in a bookstore while pursuing a degree in History. He enjoyed the trade and became a partner of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop in 1971 and became the sole proprietor in 1984.
Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, Inc. operates out of Chicago, IL and specializes in American Political/Military History, Lincolniana, Civil War, Presidents, Autographs, and Photographs. ABAA Member since 1993. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on April 5, 2014 at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Despite successfully pursuing other careers like engineering and finance, Adam continually found himself gravitating back to books. It was no wonder since he grew up in a house full of books and his father would from time to time come across an interesting antiquarian find. Adam wrote his first quote for his father when he was eleven. While he considers himself a generalist, his passion grew out of early printing and manuscripts and his enthusiasm is fueled by finding fresh material and the stories it can elucidate. 

Adam joined the ABAA in 2017 and operates out of New York City. He specializes in fine, interesting, and important individual rare books and manuscripts in all fields, but particularly in books before 1800, incunabula, early Bibles (pre-1800), manuscripts (pre-1900) and books on travel and exploration.

Martin R. Weinkle founded Buddenbrooks, Inc. in Boston, MA in 1975.  Buddenbrooks, Inc. specializes in Incunabula and Early Printing, Exploration and Travel, Autographs and Manuscripts, Illustrated Books, Literature, Humanities and Sciences, and Sets and Binding. ABAA Member since 1987. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on November 17, 2007 at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Ben Weinstein has been in the antiquarian book trade for over fifty years. Ben is the owner of Heritage Book Shop in California and has been a longtime member of the ABAA.

ABAA Member Since 1973. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on February 14, 2016 at the California International Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena.

Henry grew up outside of Philadelphia before moving with his family as a teenager to France. He learned French and German, and then in school specialized in Arabic. After spending a year in Cairo he returned to the US to continue his education and work as an editor of a reference publisher. For a brief time he worked as an editorial writer for the Antiquarian Bookman attending many book fairs as well as CABS. When the AB folded he was forced to find a new employer and James Cummins Bookseller was happy to oblige.  

Henry joined the ABAA as an Associate for James Cummins Bookseller in 2013 and operates out of New York City specializing in Bibles, Sporting, Color-Plate Books, Private Press, First Editions, Fine Bindings, Sets, English & American Literature, Illustration Art, Autographs & Manuscripts. ABAA Member since 2013. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on November 17, 2018 at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.

John Westerberg came from a family of bibliophiles and his grandfather was a seller in the late 1800s. John established Yankee Peddler in 1970. He retired from the Association in 2014. ABAA Member since 1977. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Jett Whitehead has always had a keen interest in modern poetry and, in addition to collecting, he earned his MA in creative writing and poetry. Jett entered the rare book trade in 1991. He has served on the Board of Governors and on the Public Relations Committee.

Jett W. Whitehead Rare Books operates out of Bay City, MI and specializes in Modern Poetry. ABAA Member since 1999. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on November 9, 2013 at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.

John Windle has been in the antiquarian book business since 1967. John trained with Bernard Quaritch Ltd. in London and John-Howell Books in San Francisco before opening his open business in San Francisco in 1974. John is a long-time member of the ABAA and has served on the Board of Governors. He was formerly Chair of the PR and Publications Committee.  

John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller specializes in Bindings, Early and Fine Printing, Illustrated Books, William Blake and His Circle, Illuminated Manuscripts, Private Press Books, T.F. Dibdin, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Children's Books. ABAA Member since 1991. Interviewed by Taylor Bowie on October 12, 2008 at the Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair.

Lizzy worked as a pastry chef and food editor for Gourmet Magazine for many years before taking time to raise her daughters. A chance conversation with her bookseller father Roy led her to join him to learn the trade. Working with her father at the ABAA fairs exposed her to the vast type of material ABAA members specialized in, which presented her with the perfect way to wed her professional experience and her love of food with the bookselling business by specializing in culinary related material. She opened a shop in Brooklyn in 2019. ABAA Member since 2016. Interviewed by Kara McLaughlin of Little Sages on November 17, 2018 at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Helen Younger founded Aleph-Bet Books in Pound Ridge, NY in 1979. Helen wrote many articles on book collecting and the rare book trade, and in 2002 she co-wrote and published "First Editions of Dr. Seuss Books: A Guide to Identification" along with her husband, Marc.

Aleph-Bet Books specialized in Children's Books, Illustrated Books, Fairy Tales, Beatrix Potter, Arthur Rackham, Maurice Sendak, and Pop-Ups and Movables. Helen was a member from 1983-2018. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Vic Zoschak, Jr. founded Tavistock Books in 1989 while he was still serving in the U.S. Coast Guard. He became a member of the Association in 1995 and retired from the Coast Guard in 1997, thereby devoting all his time to antiquarian bookselling. Vic has served on the Board of Governors for a number of years and Chairs the Planning and RBMS Committees. The works of Charles Dickens have always been of personal interest to Vic, and his shop takes its name from Dickens' residence in the 1850s- Tavistock House on Tavistock Square.

Tavistock Books is located in Alameda, CA and specializes in Dickensiana, Wing books, English Literature, Books about Books, Vietnam Conflict Literature, and Children's Serial Fiction. ABAA Member since 1995. Interviewed by Taylor Bowie on October 12, 2008 at the Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair.

Irving Zucker joined “the greatest profession in the world” as a teenager sweeping floors in a bookshop.  However, through his those intuition, knowledge, and uncanny energy, Irving quickly transitioned from sweeping floors to selling collections of clip art and type specimens to artists and the advertising trade. By the 1950s Irving had formed his own firm and expanded from the applied arts into modern art masters and became known for his unique collections of Modern Illustrated Books. Sadly, Irving Zucker passed away in May 2009, just five weeks short of his 90th birthday. Today, Irving Zucker Art Books is owned and managed by Irving’s grandson, Matthew Zucker, a member of the ABAA.

Irving Zucker Art Books operates out of New York City and specializes in Illustrated Books, French Modern Illustrated Books, Natural History, Art (Applied and Decorative), Art Deco and Nouveau, Architecture, and Livres d’Artistes. ABAA Member from 1968 until his death in 2009. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg.