The Magazine Antiques - August 2006
Special issue devoted to The Library Company of Philadelphia, featuring articles on rare books, publishers' bindings, paintings, sculpture, clocks, Civil War collections, ephemera, and the history of one of America's most important cultural institutions.
Overview
The Magazine Antiques August 2006 issue is devoted to The Library Company of Philadelphia, one of the most important cultural and intellectual institutions in American history. Founded by Benjamin Franklin and his associates in 1731, the Library Company became a center for scholarship, collecting, publishing, and preservation. This issue explores the institution through its books, paintings, sculpture, clocks, archives, printed ephemera, and historical collections.
The cover features a detail from Samuel Jennings' celebrated painting 'Liberty Displaying the Arts and Sciences' (1792), one of the best-known treasures of the Library Company. Articles examine the history and collections of the institution, notable publishers' bindings, color-plate books, paintings and sculpture, horological collections, nineteenth-century Philadelphia advertising prints, Civil War material, printed ephemera, and the Lewis albums. For collectors of Americana, books, manuscripts, decorative arts, and institutional history, the issue serves as both a reference work and a snapshot of scholarship in the early twenty-first century.
Beyond the feature articles, the issue contains museum accessions, collecting news, books about antiques, reports from Europe, calendars, editorials, and period advertising. Advertisements from established dealers such as Wayne Pratt and other specialists document the antiques trade of the era and provide useful historical context for researchers studying collecting trends and market interests.
Dating / Background
Published in August 2006 by The Magazine Antiques, one of the longest-running and most respected periodicals devoted to antiques, fine art, architecture, decorative arts, collecting, and museum scholarship. By 2006 the publication had become an essential reference source for collectors, curators, dealers, and historians alike.
Why Collect
Collectors increasingly recognize that older issues of The Magazine Antiques function as reference libraries in periodical form. This issue is especially attractive because of its concentrated focus on The Library Company of Philadelphia and its collections. The articles preserve scholarship, photography, and research that remain useful long after publication. For collectors of Americana, rare books, institutional history, and decorative arts, the issue offers lasting value beyond casual reading.
Dimensions (inches)
- Height: 10 7/8
- Width: 9 1/8
- Depth: 3/8
- Weight: 1.4 lbs
Condition
Good condition overall with bumped corners, some rumpled edges, and moderate evidence of handling consistent with age and use. Interiors remain clean and readable. Binding remains intact and sound.
