Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America - History

History

Founded in 1949, the ABAA is the benchmark for professionalism and ethics in the rare book trade in the US. The founding of the ABAA was the direct result of the founding of the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) a year earlier: “It was quickly recognized in the United States that national and international cooperation among booksellers was an idea whose time had come and that an American association was vital for the interests of professional booksellers.” An organizational meeting was held in New York City in 1949 to discuss the advisability of forming a national organization, with about 50 dealers in attendance, with Marston Drake (James F. Drake, Inc.) acting as informal chairman. The Antiquarian Bookman (later AB Bookman's Weekly) reported in its issue of 5 March 1949 that “A great step forward towards the establishment of a genuine national association of antiquarian booksellers was taken” at this meeting, though “it was recognized that there were a great many differences, a long backlog of personal disputes and dissensions and an enormous field of individual views and prejudices” to deal with. “It was also recognized that all the above were some of the very reasons why a national association of antiquarian booksellers had to be formed: not merely to reconcile the differences but also to advance book-buying, to promote book-collecting, so that all would benefit from such increased activity in the book field.” The first general meeting of the new association took place in March, with 81 dealers in attendance; annual dues were set at $10/year. The first president of the ABAA was Laurence Gomme (Brentano's).

“Book fairs are such a major element in the activities and functions of the present-day ABAA,” writes Edwin Glaser (President of ABAA, 1986–88) “that it still comes as a surprise to be reminded that the first American antiquarian book fair did not take place until April of 1960.” Encouraged by the success of the first British fair the previous year, the New York fair, held in the un-air-conditioned Stineway Hall on West 57th Street, featured 23 dealers occupying 20 booths. The fair opened with a 5pm preview on April 4, and ran for 12 hours/day for five more days, from 10am–10 pm; admission was free. Describing the event many years later, Madeleine B. Stern (Rostenberg & Stern) writes:

Before the fair opened, a few minutes before 5 p.m., Leona wondered out loud what we had all wondered silently: would our fair attract any visitors at all? Then, before I had realized it, she had ducked outside to see whether anyone had come. When she returned, her face reflected radiance and disbelief. ‘They're standing in line to get in! There are crowds outside!’ Despite rain and storm, the jams of people on opening night filled us with incredulity and exuberance.

ABAA-sponsored antiquarian book fairs have prospered since 1960, as has the ABAA itself; the organization currently has more than 450 members.