Book Accessories & Home Libraries

“The Library tells the story of libraries and of the changing form and function of the book from era to era, whether clay tablets, parchment sheets, papyrus scrolls, glossy paper, recording tape or silicone chips.

I have posted many images of various home libraries and their furnishings. It gives me special pleasure, however, to reproduce this piece of prose that speaks to the heart of a true book lover using a more familiar medium — the written word. This fragment is from Uncle Hiram’s Library by ‘Cousin Hannah’. It appeared in Merry’s museum and Parley’s magazine in 1857. The description is both idyllic and romantic, with everything that makes a great home library briefly mentioned…

It is debatable whether a clock is a desirable item at a home library. After all, library is a space where you may want to be free from the constraints of time. Things are a bit different if the clock you put on the shelf or on the desk is actually a curiosity of note. Being able to tell time would be an added feature, nothing more. Atmos clock is just such a curiosity. These clocks never have to be wound up. They simply use slight variations in atmospheric …

A phrenology head is a teaching tool that could help you easily learn the location of all crucial areas of the brain supposedly responsible for intellectual and moral faculties. It is a curious extension of the more traditional busts and sculptures, but they have a distinct Victorian flavor. Great for a steampunk home library!

This 1816 etching by John Britton represents a typical home library during Regency. The library is located at Cassiobury Park and it was used similarly to many other home libraries of the time — it was essentially the most important room of the house and could be easily referred to as a family sitting room.