Bookseller Interviews

Bibi T. Mohamed emigrated from Guyana in the early 1970s when she was a teenager. Bibi quickly became involved in the antiquarian book trade and worked for J.N. Bartfield for over a decade. She established Imperial Fine Books in 1986 and became a member of the ABAA in 1990.

Imperial Fine Books Inc. operates out of New York, NY and specializes in Leatherbound Sets, Cosways, Jewelled Bindings, Fore-Edge Paintings, Children's, Illustrated, Americana, Sporting, Colorplates, and First Editions.

ABAA Member Since 1990. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on November 15, 2014 at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.`

Willis Monie began working for ABAA firm J&J Hanrahan while obtaining his Ph.D. in English. After graduating, he taught at the college level for two years and then returned to the rare book trade. Willis started his own book business in in 1979 and became a member of the ABAA in 1981.

Willis Monie Books operates out of Cooperstown, NY and specializes in History, Literature, Baseball, Ephemera, Books About Books, and Theology. ABAA Member since 1981. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on November 9, 2013 at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Donald ("Rusty") Mott of Howard S. Mott, Inc. in Sheffield, MA was born into the rare book business, but only began selling in 1970 after holding a number of varied and interesting positions. Rusty's father, Howard S. Mott, established the firm in New York City 1936, and it became one of the founding firms of the ABAA.

Howard S. Mott, Inc. specializes in First Editions, Americana, Literature, Unusual Imprints, Caribbean (especially Lesser Antilles), Autograph Letters and Manuscripts. ABAA Member since 1970. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Richard Murian’s background is in history and philosophy, and it was by  chance that he entered the trade. His path crossed with Herb Caplan of Argus Books, who put Richard to work in the book business. After a few stints working for libraries and as a Pastor, Richard founded Alcuin Books in 1990.

Alcuin Books operates out of Scottsdale, AZ, and specializes in American History, Civil War, Fine Bindings, Fore-Edge Paintings, French Literature, Japanese Art, Modern First Editions, and Western Americana. ABAA Member since 2003. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on February 8, 2014 at the California International Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena.

Tom grew up in the New York City region, and after getting a degree in English, moved around the country from New Mexico, to Florida, to Massachusetts. Having always been familiar and friendly with computers, the Internet Bubble treated him well, allowing him to open up a used bookshop with his brother in Roslindale, MA, in 2003 where he learned the book trade through classic hands-on experience. In 2014 Tom closed his shop to pursue his antiquarian interests in early printed books and culinary material. He also joined the ABAA that year.

Pazzo Books operates out of Roslindale, MA and specializes in Fine, Rare, and Out-of-Print Books with an emphasis on Literature, Cookery, Early Printed Books, and the unusual. ABAA Member since 2014. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on November 17, 2019 at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Andy Nettell worked for the National Park Service for many years before deciding to start his own business. Andy started in music but soon decided to focus on selling books. Andy purchased Back of Beyond Books in 2005 and became a member of the ABAA in 2010.

Back of Beyond Books operates out of Moab, UT, and specializes in Edward Abbey, Western Exploration, Natural History, Botanical and Bird Prints, Western Americana, and Native Americana, and Literature.

ABAA Member Since 2010. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on April 8, 2014 at the California International Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena.

Jeremy Norman is the owner of the sites HistoryofScience.com, HistoryofMedicine.com, and HistoryofInformation.com. For more than forty years, he has helped to develop superb private libraries and major institutional holdings of rare books and manuscripts on the history of science, medicine, and technology. ABAA Member since 1974. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on February 14, 2016 at the California International Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena.

Heather O'Donnell got her start in rare books in the stacks of the Beinecke Library, where she worked as a curatorial assistant during her grad school years at Yale, and learned the trade in the New York gallery of Bauman Rare Books. In 2011, Heather launched Honey & Wax Booksellers in Brooklyn, specializing in rare, striking, and curious examples of literary classics. She is a graduate of the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar and Rare Book School, and a member of the Grolier Club. ABAA Member since 2015. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on February 14, 2016 at the California International Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena.

Craig R. Olson left non-profit administration, and the mainland, in 2001 for the island of Islesboro three miles off the coast of Maine to pursue his passion for books. He started in a bindery learning bookbinding, and in 2004 established his business as an antiquarian dealer.

Artisan Books & Bindery operates out of Islesboro, ME, and specializes in Architecture, Art, Design, Gardens, Fine Press, and Frank Lloyd Wright. ABAA Member since 2011. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on November 9, 2013 at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Books were a part of Lynne Owens’s life from an early age. At first her jobs supported her personal collecting, but soon decided to begin selling and founded Thorn Books in 1987.

Thorn Books operates out of Cortaro, AZ, and specializes in Americana, Antiquarian, Arthurian, Britain, Children’s, and Literature. ABAA Member since 1991. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on February 8, 2014 at the California International Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena.

Margaret Page was a lifelong bibliophile before she began working as a scout and then opened up her own business in 1990. Page Books specialized in Children's and Illustrated Books, and operated out of Kingston, Ar and later Hillsboro, OH.

Margaret was a member of the ABAA from 1997 until 2013. ABAA Member from 1997-2013. Interviewed by Taylor Bowie on October 10, 2010 at the Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair.

Marco has been a member of the ABAA since 2016 and specializes in Graphic and Archival Americana, Photography, American History, with an emphasis on cultural and social history. Auger Down Books is located in Marlboro, Vermont. ABAA Member since 2016. Interviewed by Kara McLaughlin of Little Sages on November 16, 2019 at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.

James Pepper has been a part of the antiquarian book trade since the 1970s and is a long-standing member of the ABAA. James Pepper Rare Books, Inc. operates out of Santa Barbara, CA and specializes in Literature, Performing Arts, Autographs, Manuscripts, Rare Cinema Material, and Literary First Editions. ABAA Member since 1980. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on February 16, 2013 at the California International Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena.

Phil has been a member of the ABAA since 1988 and specializes in Bindings, Medieval Manuscripts, Early Printed Books, STC & Wing Books, Incunabula, English & American Literature, Fine & Private Press, Color Plate Books, Medicine. Phillip J. Pirages Fine Books & Manuscripts is located in McMinnville, Oregon.

Phillip J. Pirages Fine Books and Medieval Manuscripts was established in 1978 on a ping pong table in a basement in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Over the years, the business has gravitated toward historical artifacts that are physically attractive in some way—illuminated material, fine bindings, books printed on vellum, fore-edge paintings, beautiful typography and paper, impressive illustration. But the company still sells a wide range of things, from (scruffy) ninth century leaves to biblical material from all periods to Wing and STC imprints to modern privately printed books. ABAA Member since 1988. Interviewed by Kara McLaughlin of Little Sages at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair on November 16, 2019.

Bud Plant began collecting and selling comic books as an adolescent, and later owned comic shops and organized comic-related  events throughout California. In 1972 his interests expanded to include book illustration, and he began attending antiquarian book fairs. Bud established his first book business in 1987 and became a member of the ABAA in 2006.

Bud Plant & Hutchison Books operates out of Cedar Ridge, CA, and specializes in Art Reference, Children’s, and Illustrated Books.

ABAA Member since 2006. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on November 18, 2012 at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Jay Platt decided to devote his life to bookselling after a visit to New York's 'Book Row' in the late 1960s. Jay opened his own shop in 1975.

West Side Book Shop operates out of Ann Arbor, MI and specializes in Polar Exploration, Voyages & Travel, Americana, Modern First Editions, Mysteries & Detective Fiction, Photography, and Edward S. Curtis. ABAA Member since 1980. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on November 15, 2014 at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Edward Pollack, a career lawyer, first began selling books in the 1960’s from a small shelf in an antique shop. The antiques eventually fell by the wayside and by 1985 he was a full-fledged bookseller.

Edward T. Pollack operates out of Portland, ME, and specializes in Illustrated Books, Children’s Books, Books about Art, Artists & Photography, Prints & Drawings by 19th and 20th Century American and European Artists. ABAA Member since 1991. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on November 13, 2011 at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Nicholas Potter has been the owner of Nicholas Potter Books in New Mexico for over forty years. His shop maintains an inventory of distinctive books in many fields, with an emphasis on literature, art, bindings, photography, southwest Americana, history, and children's and illustrated books. ABAA Member since 1979. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on February 14, 2016 at the California International Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena.