Brief Illustrated History of the Bookshelf - With an Essay Which Pertains to the Subject (Hardcover, Letterpress)

This is a delightful, personal excursion into the little-known realm of bookshelves and how they came to take their many fascinating forms: from the storage of scrolls in ancient times, medieval storage chests and chained lecterns to Napolean's carriage-mounted shelves, Houdini's secret compartments and the venerable libraries of the British Museum, Library of Congress and New York Public Library. All told through charming illustrations and pithy commentaries.