Memoirs of the first forty-five years of the life of James Lackington, the present bookseller on Chiswell-street, Moorfields…
London: printed and sold by the author, [1791]. First edition, 8vo, pp. xxxii, 344; engraved portrait (slightly offset onto title-p.), woodcut of the branch on p. 285; contemporary calf-backed marbled boards, front joint restored (a little rough, but effective); a good, sound copy. Lackington (1746-1815) was a prosperous and innovative bookseller who, according to the Wiki thing "is credited with revolutionizing the British book trade ... He is best known for refusing credit at his shop which allowed him to reduce the price of books throughout his store. He printed catalogues of his stock; according to Lackington's biography, the first edition contained 12,000 titles. He bought whole libraries and published writers' manuscripts. He also saved remaindered books from destruction and resold them at bargain prices, firmly believing that books were the key to knowledge, reason and happiness and that everyone, no matter their economic background, social class or gender, had the right to access books at cheap prices." Item #54094
Price: $275.00
