I love books, especially old or rare ones. Back in college I spent a couple months working in the back room of the university library repairing their rare book collection. I’ll never forget the awe of holding a copy of a book by Theodore Beza, a student of John Calvin, dated in the 1600s.
I also recall one summer in Washington D.C. around the now-defunct CBA booksellers convention when a friend and I wandered the stacks of the Library of Congress, discovering extremely rare treasures.
The other day, I wondered what was the oldest book I owned in my library. I have a few from the early 1800s, which are really fun to examine; but it was the one pictured below that is oldest by more than thirty years.
Looking Unto Jesus: A View of the Everlasting Gospel or the Soul’s Eying of Jesus, as Carrying on the great Work of Man’s Salvation, from First to Last by the great puritan Isaac Ambrose. This leatherbound edition is dated 1772 and was published in Glasgow, Scotland (in roman numerals it reads M,DCC,LXXII).
Think of the history. This book was printed four years before the founding of the United States. The author, Isaac Ambrose, died in 1664; but this particular book of his was so well loved that some who lived in that time mentioned it along with Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress as their favorite. (My copy is 636 pages long. Here is a link to a PDF of the book.)
But what makes this even more special is the signature of its first owners, signed with a flourish on August 1, 1773. See below:
Two hundred and fifty-one years ago Susannah Powells wrote her name as the proud owner of this book. Four months later, in December 1773, a little “tea party” occurred in Boston Harbor. A few years later, a group of men signed their names to the Declaration of Independence. The popular music of that era is illustrated by the fact that in 1773 Mozart celebrated his 17th birthday and Beethoven turned three.
All this feeling of history flows when holding an old book.
Your Turn:
Tell us in the comments what is the oldest book you have in your personal library. Let’s celebrate old books together.
Fun Fridays – May 10, 2024
Don’t have any old books. This is the best I can do.
Here I have the barreled action
of a Springfield ’68.
Old firearms are not my passion,
but the deal was really great,
and sometimes I pause to think
upon its history
as I have another drink,
but it’s a mystery,
and therefore I conjure
imaginary circumstance
upon bright fields of honour,
held against Comanche lance
to win a victory once prized,
in latter days to be despised.
A barreled action is the ‘guts’ of a rifle, the barrel attached to the receiver.
A 1910 edition of Pilgrim’s Progress and a 1940 guide to horseshoeing printed by the US Cavalry… back when there was an actual Cavalry.
I don’t have time to search my shelf right now but my oldest is probably a title from the mid-late 1800’s (title escapes me now but it would be related to the American West).
I have a collection of Zane Grey novels printed in the early-mid 1900’s. But the majority of my books are re-prints. And regarding the history of the American West, seems like most of the good non-fiction was put out in the 1940’s-1960’s.
I broke my own heart when I threw out my Baptist grandfather’s disintegrating copy of The Pearl of Great Price with a copyright before 1900. (Dad’s dad)
My mom’s mom made up for it this Mother’s day. I’ve had her Bible since she passed away in ’98. When I looked through the notes tucked into her Bible cover, I found a prayer from her about me from 1986. I also found a letter from my mom to her mom given as a Mother’s Day gift. My mom’s letter mentioned holding me as an infant with a “now I get it,” and “thank you” tone.
When I was a college student back in the ’60’s I browsed in Goodspeed’s Book Shop in Boston and purchased a Cruden’s Concordance (for $5, as I recall), which per the title page was published in London in MDCCXXXVIII (1738). I gave it to my father for Christmas 1964. After he passed away in 2011 it came back to me.
A paragraph on the title page reads, “The Whole digested on an Easy and Regular Method, which together with the various Significations and other Improvements now added, renders it more useful than any Book of this hitherto published.” It’s very cool to read such a bold assertion on that page—probably something many of today’s authors would like to put in the blurb on the back of the book jacket…
Sighs. I just wrote a long answer and it disappeared into the nether regions of the great e-space. smh.
However, trying again for the short version. I own a copy of John Ruskin’s True and Beautiful, published in 1886, signed in a lovely script by the owner, Mattie Rhesa Tilson, Texarkana. Mattie was born in Texarkana, daughter of original founders of the “community” which at the time of founding, was a grocery/pharmacy at the junction of two railroads and the Red River.
Trying again for the longer version.
I’ve loved old books since my youngest memories. Perhaps I was an “old soul” loving the baby books I owned, before I could read, if (and only if) they were illustrated by Eloise Wilkin.
I bought my first old book as a grade schooler, with my own money, for seven cents, at a neighborhood garage sale: Margaret Sydney. The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew. 1881, D. Lothrop & Co.
The name of the original owner had been blacked out by the seller. However, it has written inside the front cover, in red ink, with a fountain pen, and a beautiful script, “No. 25”. I suppose that is the work of a librarian. Or is it a numbered edition? I don’t know.
I do have one question: What is the best way to store these old treasures? Thanks!
The biggest dangers to old books are moisture (water from leaks or floods is disastrous), air (including microbes, mold and chemicals), over-handling, and of course, fire. I store my collection in a locked airtight cabinet. My most precious and irreplaceable volumes are in a steel fire-proof lock box.
That was a fascinating read, Steve.
I don’t have anything as old as the book you featured. My oldest might be “A Tale of Two Cities” from 1901.
I have a Bible that belonged to my great great grandmother Delilah Tomlinson. It’s dated 1853 with birth and death dates of two of her children that died young, I believe from bad milk. There are many different items she had used as bookmarks including real tin foil (it’s heavy), a Christmas gift tag, a couple of newspaper clippings and a well-preserved invitation to a surprise party for a friend. The envelope is yellowed some but the invitation itself looks like its only a year or so old. It’s all quite fascinating.
It has long been a hobby of mine to collect old (pre-1900) books on science, and more recently also on science and Christian faith. I own about 45 such books, mostly dating from the 1800s. My oldest book is “Basilica Chymica” by Oswald Crolli, published in 1610 in Latin. I also have a copy of the Abbe Spalanzani’s book “Opuscoli di Fisica Animale e vegetabile” from 1776 in Italian, which has not been translated into English. (yet). My oldest book in English is “An Account of the Gospel Labors and Christian Experiences of a Faithful Minister of Christ” by John Churchman published in 1779. Other notable books include works by Tyndall, Darwin (including a 6th edition of “Origin of Species”), J. Arthur Thompson, Charles Bastian, and Francis Bacon (a 19th century reprint). I have several volumes of 19th century reports from the Smithsonian Museum and other sources of contemporary scientific advances. All of these books are in their original bindings, and many are in very poor condition. I purchased them from Used Book stores in New England and Washington DC., some surprisingly inexpensive.
I love reading these books, including a couple of collections of scientific papers from the mid-19th century. The writing style is completely different from the modern scientific style, far more literary and personal. These books give deep insight into the scientific, philosophical, and theological thinking of the past.
Great topic, Steve. The oldest book I could find in our home was one my husband’s uncle left to him. “The Return of Tarzan” 1915
Steve,
What an interesting article! Thank you. The oldest book in my personal library is a signed copy of two card trick booklets from Warren Wiersbe–his first published books as a student. Warren signed both of them for me and they are a treasured possession.
Terry
author of Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success (Revised Edition) [Follow the Link for a FREE copy]
You made me to go digging through my library. My crown jewel is a book titled “Unaccomplished Prophecy” by W. Snell Chauncy in 1838. It has no cover and falling apart but with the price of ten shillings and sixpence. Maybe we can talk about it next month in Wheaton.
The oldest book I own is The Character of Jesus, by Charles Edward Jefferson, printed in 1908. I found it in my grandfather’s library when he passed away, and it has been my favorite devotional book for the last two decades. The cover and spine were so tattered, but my wife surprised me for my birthday one year by getting the book rebound. Every chapter in this book leads me to worship.
The oldest “book” I have is my husband’s grandmother’s school autograph book from the 1800’s. It’s delightful!
The oldest book in my library is a first edition of Theodore Roosevelt’s “The Naval War of 1812,” written when he was a young New York State Assemblyman in the early 1880s, before his wife died and he retired to the Dakotas. Like you, Steve, I marvel at its durability and at the fact that TR made his living as a writer, among and between all his other accomplishments.
My oldest book isn’t quite so lofty, but full of “hidden gems.” It’s an 1878 Disease Among Swine and Other Domestic Animals. It’s chock full of notes such as: “Hon. A. L. Prideore, Jonesville, Lee County, Virginia, says: the hog cholera has been among us for years…” In addition to the various treatments (tobacco being popular), my Great-Great Aunt, Ethel Sparks, started using the book as a cookbook and gluing recipes and other tidbits cut from the newspaper on the pages. In between recipes on apple butter and white cake, you can find remedies for toothache and how to keep mites off your chickens. A treasure.
Thank you for this article, it sent me on an enjoyable search through [some of] my bookshelves, I’d continue looking, but it’s time to move on. I did find these old books:
I have a little book, “New Word-Analysis” or, “School Etymology of English Derivative Words” by William Swinton, published in 1879. “This present text-book is a new-modeling and rewriting of Swinton’s Word Analysis, first published in 1871.”
One of my favorite old books is printed in 1922, “Poems My Children Love Best of All,” edited by Clifton Johnson, illustrated by Mary R. Bassett and Will Hammell.
We have many old books in our library, but the oldest is a copy of “A Voice in the Wilderness” by Grace Livingston Hill from 1916. I started collecting her hardcover books after my first introduction to her writing. Many of our old books were picked up when we were traveling the east coast and stopping at old book stores along the way.
Whenever I enter an antique shop, I begin the hunt for the perfect vintage book to add to my collection.
Aside from the three family bibles I have, weighing in at about 20 pounds each, and dated from 1855, I have a copy of Uncle Toms Cabin dated 1879.
I also own an undated copy of Jane Eyre, which is my favorite novel, published by Argyle Press. How fun it was when I travelled to Ireland, and in a small, beautiful stone chapel in Galway, discovered the tomb marker for a Jane Eyre with the exact characteristics of our heroine. Our tour guide mentioned that Ms Brontë had traveled to Galway, and perhaps was inspired by the headstone!
Actually, my undated Jane Eyre was published by the F.M. Lupton publishing company, if anyone has any ideas of the date!?
I have a copy of Frances Ridley Havergal’s Kept for the Master’s Use, in which she writes at length about her hymn “Take My Life and Let It Be.” The publication date is 1881. I write about hymns, so having her firsthand account is priceless.
That is fantastic! I love that hymn, too.
Steve,
You made me go look in my library! We have an 1873 edition of the Holy Bible, a huge book.
Plus I have an 1899 second edition of Pudd’nhead Wilson by Mark Twain, published by Olivia Clemens. One of the most curious books I possess came from my paternal grandfather’s library titled “The Influence of Women and Its Cure,” copyright 1936 by John Erskine. The dedication page reads, “To The Men of American (those who remain).
Your book is a treasure! I thought one of the following two books would be the oldest on our bookshelves. I was right.
“The Early Indian Wars of Oregon,” by Frances Fuller Victor, 1894. This was my husband’s family’s book mentioning one of his ancestors who fought in the Indian wars.
The other book is “Sunshine at Home,” is the oldest on our shelves, published in 1883. It’s a compilations of readings for “The Child, The Youth, The Parent to Scatter sunshine as you go…” My great-great grandmother owned this book.
Of course, the oldest book is the Bible, but we have many copies published more recently.
My oldest and most treasured is a leather-bound copy of Trench’s Study of Words, published by MacMillan & Co. in London England, 1878. The front page reads – On the Study of Words, Lectures addressed to the pupils at The Diocesan Training- School, Winchester by Richard Chenevix Trench, D.D. Archbishop of Dublin and Chancellor of the Order of St. Patrick
Seventeenth edition, revised.
I don’t have my library with me, but I have a first edition of Robert Frost poems. I have some really old Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder — published long before the editions illustrated and made popular by Garth Williams. I loved going to Bauman Rare Books in NYC. Wonder if they are still there.
I, too, love old books and have a collection lining the top of my bookshelf. But the oldest one in my collection is an 1888 copy of Milton’s Poetical Works, with the signature “Beale, Lewisburgh, Penn, Xmas, 1888 scribbled on the front cover in that large, elegant John Hancock style penmanship. I keep the book wrapped in a towel and inside a canvas bag because handling it causes the brittle pages to break. Unfortunately, the front cover is gone. I had the cover thirty years ago, but didn’t realize the two pieces belonged together and that it could be repaired, and I threw it away.
The second oldest book in my library is my grandmother’s copy of Gone With the Wind. This edition was published in 1936. But the oldest book I have was published in 1894, titled “The East Side: Past and Present.” It is a book about the history of east Toledo, written by Isaac Wright and published “under the auspices of the Second Congregational Church of the City of Toledo” by Hadley & Hadley, Printers and Binders, Toledo, Ohio. My great-great-grandfather Moses Ayres Dowell was mentioned in the book because he was one of several men in the area who served in the Civil War. My great-great grandmother Eliza Dowell also was mentioned as being a member of the Ladies Auxiliary. Great-great-grandpa Dowell also was quoted in the “Hunting & Game” chapter as he was noted to be a great deer hunter.
I have old novels by Daphne du Maurier, Sinclair Lewis and a few others. I usually look in antique shops for these jewels. The oldest is the novel “Seventeen” by Booth Tarkington published in 1916. My collection hints at my love for classic movies based on these gifted authors who often are involved in writing screenplays based on their books.
My oldest book is probably a 1906 version of Daily Light on the Daily Path, a devotional book made up only of Scripture verses. I had seen it mentioned in several missionary biographies, then one day found it on a used book table for $2. I’ve been reading it for decades now. That first one fell apart, but I found another copy from the same year online. I had to glue the spine back on, but otherwise it has held us well. This is still being reprinted and I could buy a new copy, but I love my old one.
I collect old textbooks especially American history. My oldest is History of the United States by Rev. Charles A. Goodrich in 1825. I also have a 1851 copy of North’s Book of Love Letters. I love the conversational storytelling style of writing in so many of the old texts.
The oldest I have is a second edition of Sir Walter Scott’s The Lady of the Lake, from 1815. It was in my husband’s grandmother’s things and his family was going to throw it out!! I happily rescued it. I have tons of old, old books but that is likely the oldest. Too many to browse. It is still in great condition including having the gilded edges.