Abraham Simon Wolf Rosenbach (July 22, 1876 – July 1, 1952) was an American collector, scholar, and seller of rare books and manuscripts. In London, where he frequently attended the auctions at

Sotheby's Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, an ...

, he was known as "The Terror of the Auction Room." In Paris, he was called "Le Napoléon des Livres", which translates to "The Napoleon of Books." Many others referred to him as "Dr. R.", a " Robber Baron" and "the Greatest Bookdealer in the World". Rosenbach is credited with popularizing the collecting of American literature at a time when only

European literature Western literature, also known as European literature, is the literature written in the context of Western culture in the languages of Europe, as well as several geographically or historically related languages such as Basque and Hungarian, an ...

was considered collectible. He also advanced the idea of book collecting as a means of investment and published several articles and books to increase interest in rare books and manuscripts. He bought and sold numerous items throughout his life, including eight

Gutenberg Bible The Gutenberg Bible (also known as the 42-line Bible, the Mazarin Bible or the B42) was the earliest major book printed using mass-produced movable metal type in Europe. It marked the start of the " Gutenberg Revolution" and the age of printed ...

s, more than 30 Shakespeare's

First Folio ''Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies'' is a collection of plays by William Shakespeare, commonly referred to by modern scholars as the First Folio, published in 1623, about seven years after Shakespeare's death. It is cons ...

s, a copy of the

Bay Psalm Book ''The Whole Booke of Psalmes Faithfully Translated into English Metre'', commonly called the Bay Psalm Book, is a metrical psalter first printed in 1640 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was the first book printed in British North America. The ...

and the manuscripts of ''Ulysses'' and ''

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creature ...

''. The lifetime total of his purchases is estimated to be worth more than $75,000,000 in 2019. His philanthropic contributions include donating his collection of children's books to the

Free Library of Philadelphia The Free Library of Philadelphia is the public library system that serves Philadelphia. It is the 13th-largest public library system in the United States. The Free Library of Philadelphia is a non-Mayoral agency of the City of Philadelphia gover ...

, establishing the Rosenbach Fellowship in Bibliography at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

and willing his estate to the Rosenbach Foundation, which established the

Rosenbach Museum & Library The Rosenbach is a Philadelphia museum and library located within two 19th-century townhouses. The historic houses contain the collections and treasures of Philip Rosenbach and his younger brother Dr. A. S. W. Rosenbach. The brothers owned the ...

Early life and education

Abraham Simon Wolf Rosenbach was born on July 22, 1876, in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, Pennsylvania. He was referred to by many in the public as "Abe", with some close-friends calling him "Rosy" and "Abie" by his family. He was the youngest of the eight children of Morris Rosenbach (May 14, 1820 – May 8, 1885) and Isabella H. Polock (November 26, 1834 – July 25, 1906). His mother was born and raised in Philadelphia, where she was an active member of the Jewish community, involved with the Female Hebrew Benevolent Society, the Jewish Orphans' Society and

Congregation Mikveh Israel Congregation Mikveh Israel ( he, קהל קדוש מקוה ישראל), "Holy Community Hope of Israel", is a synagogue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that traces its history to 1740. Mikveh Israel is a Spanish and Portuguese synagogue that follow ...

. His father immigrated to the United States from

Gunzenhausen Gunzenhausen (; bar, Gunzenhausn, link=no) is a town in the Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen district, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Altmühl, northwest of Weißenburg in Bayern, and southwest of Nuremberg. Gunzenhausen is a nation ...

in 1844. Shortly after he changed his first name from Meier to Morris and entered the shirt business, selling overalls and underwear. He became a U.S. Citizen in 1855. Morris and Isabella were married by Rabbi

Isaac Leeser Isaac Leeser (December 12, 1806 – February 1, 1868) was an American Orthodox Jewish religious leader, teacher, scholar and publisher. He helped found the Jewish press of America, produced the first Jewish translation of the Bible into English, ...

on November 11, 1857. At the age of 9, Rosenbach began helping out in the shop of his maternal uncle, Moses Polock (May 14, 1817 – August 16, 1903), who was a well-known and somewhat eccentric antiquarian bookseller. Polock's famous shop was located at 406 Commerce Street in Philadelphia. It was there he learned how to determine book values, how to use bibliography and how to talk to collectors. At the age of 11, Rosenbach started collecting books when he purchased an illustrated edition of ''

Reynard the Fox Reynard the Fox is a literary cycle of medieval allegorical Dutch, English, French and German fables. The first extant versions of the cycle date from the second half of the 12th century. The genre was popular throughout the Late Middle Ages, a ...

'' at the auction house of Stanislaus Vincent Henkel. He lowered the price to $24 and allowed the young man to make weekly payments out of his school allowance for the book due to Henkel's working relationship with his Uncle Moses. In June 1889, Rosenbach finished school at George Meade School and in the fall was enrolled at Central Manual Training School. His senior year, he served as editor-in-chief of the school's student newspaper, ''The Argus.'' It was as a freshman at the

Rosenbach would make his first valuable purchase. He bought a first edition of Dr. Samuel Johnson's ''Prologue,'' which David Garrick recited at his first opening night as manager of the

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dr ...

in 1747. It was the first book printed by Horace Walpole at the

Strawberry Hill Press The Strawberry Hill Press was established on 25 June 1757 at Strawberry Hill, by the house's owner, Horace Walpole. He called it the ''Officina Arbuteana'', and many of the first editions of his own works were printed there. The first works prin ...

. Rosenbach bought it for $3.60 at Henkel's auction house and later received an offer of $5,000 for the book, which he refused. At Penn, Rosenbach took part in the Bibliophiles Club. In 1898, he earned his bachelor's in science from the

. He then was appointed to the university's Harrison Fellowship in English. He earned his PhD from the school in 1901, his thesis was titled "The influence of Spanish literature in the Elizabethan and Stuart drama".

Career

Philip Hyman Rosenbach (September 29, 1863 – March 5, 1953) was Rosenbach's oldest brother. Before joining forces with his younger sibling, he ran a series of successful businesses. He briefly ran a stationery store at Third Street, just south of Market Street, with money borrowed from the family, before borrowing more money again to start the Savory Restaurant at 13th and Chestnut Streets. This venture would also be short lived. Next was a gift shop at 1320 Walnut Street, selling items like Christmas cards, prints, vases and statuettes. A.S.W. Rosenbach would work in the shop in his free time while in college. This business venture also struggled. But in 1903, with Polock's declining health, Philip convinced his uncle, his mother and his brother to use Polock's inventory to start up an antiques and book business. In this new venture, Rosenbach was responsible for dealing with books and his brother Philip antique furniture and art. The Rosenbach Company formed on June 22, 1903, and Polock died on August 16 that same year. The business was largely funded at first by Philadelphia collectors Clarence S. Bement and Joseph M. Fox. The first sale the brothers made was on October 25, 1903, selling two picture frames for $50 each. In 1927, Rosenbach wrote of his decision to leave the world of academia for a life of book selling, writing: As Polock had no will, most of his store inventory went up for auction on March 9 and 10, 1904 by Stanislaus Vincent Henkels at the book auction rooms of Davis & Harvey at 112 Walnut Street. The brothers were able to buy most of the inventory. What remained of Polock's estate after the sale was sold to The Rosenbach company by Polock's sisters, Isabella Rosenbach, Sophia Binswanger and Miriam Wolf, for $1,000. The auction included Polock's collection of children's literature, which consisted of 816 American children's books dating from 1682 to 1836. Rosenbach expanded on this collection throughout the years and donated it to the

in 1947, where it formed the beginning of the library's collection of early American children's books. The Rosenbach Company originally operated out of the entire building at the former location of Philip Rosenbach's gift shop. In 1935, it expanded to encompass 1322 Walnut Street as well. As of 2019, the address is home to an IHOP. Rosenbach worked with Henry E. Huntington to help assemble the collections of the Huntington Library in

San Marino San Marino (, ), officially the Republic of San Marino ( it, Repubblica di San Marino; ), also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino ( it, Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino, links=no), is the fifth-smallest country in the world an ...

, California. He did the same for Henry Clay Folger at the

Folger Shakespeare Library The Folger Shakespeare Library is an independent research library on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., United States. It has the world's largest collection of the printed works of William Shakespeare, and is a primary repository for rare materi ...

in Washington, D.C. Other famous clients included

J. P. Morgan John Pierpont Morgan Sr. (April 17, 1837 – March 31, 1913) was an American financier and investment banker who dominated corporate finance on Wall Street throughout the Gilded Age. As the head of the banking firm that ultimately became known ...

Lessing Rosenwald Lessing Julius Rosenwald (February 10, 1891 – June 24, 1979) was an American businessman, a collector of rare books and art, a chess patron, and a philanthropist. Biography Born in Chicago, Lessing J. Rosenwald was the eldest son of Julius R ...

, and

Harry Elkins Widener Harry Elkins Widener (January 3, 1885 – April 15, 1912) was an American businessman and bibliophile, and a member of the Widener family. His mother built Harvard University's Widener Memorial Library in his memory, after his death on the founde ...

. In 1924, Rosenbach acquired

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...

's ''Ulysses'' manuscript for $1,975. Joyce asked to buy it back but Rosenbach refused. In a letter to

Harriet Shaw Weaver Harriet Shaw Weaver (1 September 1876 – 14 October 1961) was an English political activist and a magazine editor. She was a significant patron of Irish writer James Joyce. Life Harriet Shaw Weaver was born in Frodsham, Cheshire, the sixth of ...

on May 24, 1924, referring to a telegram that misspelled the title as "Ullyses", Joyce wrote of Rosenbach in a limerick, saying: A lifelong Philadelphian, Rosenbach and his brother lived at a four-storied 1865 townhouse at 2010

Delancey Place Delancey Place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a series of nine mostly unconnected side streets in the Rittenhouse area of the city between Seventeenth Street and Twenty-sixth Street. It is known for its visual appeal and historical associ ...

, from 1926 to 1952. In 1928, Rosenbach purchased the manuscript of Lewis Carroll's ''

'' for $77,000 at auction. The act angered many in Great Britain at the loss of the item. Rosenbach would go on to sell it for $97,000 and was eventually returned to Britain. Rosenbach was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society in 1927 and the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

in 1928. For the Antiquarian Society, he wrote and read two papers. The first in 1934 was titled "The Libraries of the Presidents of the United States" and the second 1938 named "The First Theatrical Company in America". Right before his death, he was working on a third paper called "Some Discoveries in Early Pennsylvania-German Printing". On December 8, 1938, Rosenbach hosted a rare book auction at the Hotel Plaza in New York City for charity, raising $35,000 for the Distribution Committee of the American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers and the Committee for Christian Refugees. Special-guest auctioneers included

Christopher Morley Christopher Darlington Morley (May 5, 1890 – March 28, 1957) was an American journalist, novelist, essayist and poet. He also produced stage productions for a few years and gave college lectures.''Online Literature'' Biography Morley was bo ...

Major Bowes Edward Bowes (June 14, 1874 – June 13, 1946), professionally known as Major Edward Bowes, was an American radio personality of the 1930s and 1940s whose ''Major Bowes Amateur Hour'' was the best-known amateur talent show on radio during its 18 ...

and Dorothy Thompson. In 1942, the two brothers liquidated their antique furniture inventory to strictly deal in books. They moved their newly downsized collection to 1618 Locust Street, Philadelphia. This townhome was designed in 1850 by architect

John Notman John Notman (22 July 18103 March 1865) was a Scottish-born American architect, who settled in Philadelphia. He is remembered for his churches, and for popularizing the Italianate style and the use of brownstone. Career Notman was born on 22 Jul ...

. The company would operate out of this building until the deaths of the two brothers. In 1947, Rosenbach set a record when he bought a copy of the

for $151,000. During his lifetime, it is estimated he spent more than $75 million on his purchases.

Writing

Rosenbach wrote several articles on his own experiences, thoughts and stories around his life as an antique book dealer. These essays, originally published in

The Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely ...

and

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

, were published as two books: ''Books and Bidders: The Adventures of a Bibliophile'' (1927) and ''A Book Hunter's Holiday: Adventures with Books and Manuscripts'' (1936). He also contributed to

The Jewish Encyclopedia ''The Jewish Encyclopedia: A Descriptive Record of the History, Religion, Literature, and Customs of the Jewish People from the Earliest Times to the Present Day'' is an English-language encyclopedia containing over 15,000 articles on th ...

after writing several articles for he

American Jewish Historical Society The American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS) was founded in 1892 with the mission to foster awareness and appreciation of American Jewish history and to serve as a national scholarly resource for research through the collection, preservation an ...

. ''The Unpublishable Memoirs'' (1917) was the first and only book of fiction Rosenbach ever produced. It consists of 11 mystery stories about the fictional character Robert Hooker, a bibliophile who is tired of being rejected by high society for his lack of money and takes his revenge by tricking the rich out of their rare books and art. A London edition was published in 1924 and a Czech version in 1925, however this version only contains the first of the 11 stories. Rosenbach also produced several book checklist, including ''Early American Children's Books'' (1933), published by the noted The Anthoensen Press, as a standard reference.

Honors

Rosenbach was granted many honors during his life. In 1927, he received the honorary degree of associate engineering from the

. In 1945, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America awarded him a

Doctor of Humane Letters The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (; DHumLitt; DHL; or LHD) is an honorary degree awarded to those who have distinguished themselves through humanitarian and philanthropic contributions to society. The criteria for awarding the degree differ ...

. In 1947, he received a

Legum Doctor Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the ear ...

from

Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Learning Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Learning or Dropsie University, at 2321–2335 N Broad St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was America's first degree-granting institution for post-doctoral Jewish studies. Funded by the will of Moses Aaron D ...

and another Doctor of Humane Letters from Amherst College. In 1946, a book made by thirty of Rosenbach's friends, entitled ''To Dr. R'', featured a series of literary and bibliographical essays written in honor of his 70th birthday. At the time of his death in 1952, he was Harbor-master of the Board of Commerce and Navigation of the State of New Jersey.

Death and legacy

Rosenbach died on July 1, 1952, in

at the age of 75. He was buried at Mount Sinai Cemetery. Writer

wrote of Rosenbach in his essay ''Notes on Rosy,'' which first appeared in the Saturday Review on December 24, 1927.

Rosenbach Museum & Library

Shortly before his death, he bequeathed his estate to The Philip H. and A. S. W. Rosenbach Foundation, which had been established in 1950 by the two brothers to foster interest in books, paintings, and other works of art. In 1954, the

was established by testamentary gift of the Rosenbach's brother's collection. The museum, which includes his original libraries and residential areas, provides an intimate setting for visitors to explore the brothers' collections of rare books, manuscripts, furniture, silver, paintings, prints, drawings and sculpture. Items in the brother's collection include the only surviving copy of

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...

's first

Poor Richard's Almanack ''Poor Richard's Almanack'' (sometimes ''Almanac'') was a yearly almanac published by Benjamin Franklin, who adopted the pseudonym of "Poor Richard" or "Richard Saunders" for this purpose. The publication appeared continually from 1732 to 1758. ...

and the manuscript of

's manuscript of '' Ulysses.'' The collection has since grown to include the papers of poet

Marianne Moore Marianne Craig Moore (November 15, 1887 – February 5, 1972) was an American modernist poet, critic, translator, and editor. Her poetry is noted for formal innovation, precise diction, irony, and wit. Early life Moore was born in Kirkwood ...

, Bram Stoker's notes for Dracula, and the drawings of Maurice Sendak. The Rosenbach brothers' 1865 townhouse at 2010 Delancey Place is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. Since 2003, the adjacent Maurice Sendak Building was added to the museum and offers spaces for public programs and exhibitions. On December 3, 2013, the Rosenbach Museum & Library officially became affiliated with the

, becoming "The Rosenbach at the Free Library".

State Historical Marker

On April 2, 2008, the Rosenbach Museum & Library received an official State Historical Marker by the

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) is the governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania responsible for the collection, conservation and interpretation of Pennsylvania's historic heritage. The commission cares fo ...

in recognition of the lasting contributions of museum co-founder, Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach. The commission commemorated Rosenbach's legacy as one of America's greatest rare book dealers and his lasting contributions to Philadelphia and beyond with a marker in front of the museum, located at 2008-2010

in the city's historic

Rittenhouse Square Rittenhouse Square is a neighborhood, including a public park, in Center City Philadelphia. The park is one of the five original open-space parks planned by William Penn and his surveyor Thomas Holme during the late 17th century. The neighborho ...

neighborhood. The sign reads:

"Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach (1876 – 1952) Among America's most influential rare book dealers, he helped build many of the nation's great libraries. He and his brother Philip established the Rosenbach Museum & Library to share their personal collection with the public. They lived on this block from 1926 to 1952."

Lecture Series

In 1928, Rosenbach bestowed to the Trustees of the

a gift for the purpose of establishing a lecture series on bibliography and book history. Selected participants present about three lectures over two weeks at the university. The first Rosenbach Fellowship in Bibliography took place in 1931, with

as its first fellow. As of 2019, it's the longest continuously running series of bibliographical lectureships in the U.S. The University of Pennsylvania Press has published several of these lectures into full-length books.

Musical

In 2004, The Rosenbach Museum and Library commissioned writer

Ben Katchor Ben Katchor (born November 19, 1951) is an American cartoonist and illustrator best known for the comic strip '' Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer''. He has contributed comics and drawings to ''The Forward'', ''The New Yorker,'' ''Metro ...

to create something to commemorate the museum's 50th anniversary. Bill Adair, the museum's director at the time, asked Katchor to create a graphic novel, but instead he partnered with

Mark Mulcahy Mark Mulcahy is an American musician and front-man for the New Haven, Connecticut-based band Miracle Legion. The band earned modest renown, especially in their native New England region, but disbanded after a sad turn of events with their recor ...

to create a musical. ''The Rosenbach Company: A Tragicomedy'' premiered the 2004 Philadelphia Fringe Festival and was performed at

The Public Theater The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...

in New York City in 2006. The role of Abie Rosenbach was played by Mulcahy. Toby Zinman praised the show in a 2004 review in Variety.

References

External links

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The Rosenbach Museum and LibraryRosenbach receives historic marker, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosenbach, A. S. W. 1876 births 1952 deaths American booksellers American book and manuscript collectors People from Philadelphia University of Pennsylvania alumni American Jews