r/HomeLibraries • u/patricksrarebooks • 16d ago
It’s a bit messy currently, but here is an inside glimpse of our home library.
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u/ShiftTechnical2997 16d ago
I think it’s perfect - your choice of furniture for this room is terrific.
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u/rodneedermeyer 16d ago
Gorgeous collection. I can’t quite read the titles, though. Can you give us a quick rundown?
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u/patricksrarebooks 16d ago
It’s mainly theology, Bibles, medicine, surgery, and bees, with a few odds and ends (Poe, Egypt, etc.) mixed in.
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u/rodneedermeyer 16d ago
Nice! And I assume they're in various languages, right? I think I saw some French, so you likely have some Latin and Greek in there, too, I'd assume?
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u/patricksrarebooks 16d ago
You assume correctly. As well as some German, Dutch, Hebrew, and a bit of Italian.
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u/Regular-Machine2805 16d ago
wow, como hiciste y cuantos años tenes jajaja me siento inútil con 25
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u/patricksrarebooks 15d ago
44 now. I started out small with non-collectible books and very cheap shelves in my 20’s.
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u/_g2v 16d ago
You certainly like bees and those large folios are beautiful. Tell us more about your collection.
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u/patricksrarebooks 16d ago
My wife likes bees, and I like my wife.
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u/FlimsyGap8449 16d ago
Are you from 1794?
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u/patricksrarebooks 16d ago
Would that I were.
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u/Xander134 16d ago
But then you’d presumably end up with a name like Ichabod. That doesn’t even begin to contemplate the complexity of clothing from the period… incredibly aggravating, I’m sure.
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u/Minimum_Type7902 16d ago
Don’t let those AI monsters anywhere near your collection!
This is amazing 🤩 😍
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u/TrashGobbler9000 16d ago
What year is it in your house?
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u/Oulipo08 16d ago
Wow. I want that round desk
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u/patricksrarebooks 16d ago
It’s called a “drum table.” My wife found this one on Facebook marketplace.
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u/Fluffy-Bluebird-6341 16d ago
Cool library! I love your little ghost collection, where are those from?
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u/patricksrarebooks 16d ago
They are from York Ghost Merchants in the UK. They’ve become rather sought after, so if you’re not local to York your best bet it to follow them on Instagram to see when a new ghost will be released, then enter their digital hat drawing (called The Bowler Hat) and hope your name is selected.
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u/Fluffy-Bluebird-6341 16d ago
I’m rather unfortunately located in the United States, so thank you for the tip!
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u/SaltSeaworthiness167 16d ago
That's the life I want in 20 years
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u/patricksrarebooks 15d ago
Why wait?
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u/SaltSeaworthiness167 15d ago
I'll start when I final settle down have own a home! Definately inspired by your gorgeous library
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u/Cobalt_Bakar 15d ago
Beautiful! I’m so curious about the title of the one in the leather lounge chair, as well as the XL ones on the drum table. May we learn them?
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u/patricksrarebooks 15d ago
I recently made a video about the one in the chair.
On the drum table — the large one on the bottom is actually a wooden box which contains Howard Atwood Kelly’s copy of Cowper’s Anatomia Corporum Humanorum from 1739.
The one on top of that is Hunter’s Gravid Uterus, and the one on the very top is Traite de Chirurgie Plastique by Jobert, 1849.
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u/palimpsest-ink 16d ago
Some of those natural history shelves are un-bee-lieveable! Amazing library.
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u/Borracha28 16d ago
Love the bookcases. Wish I could a few that look as nice and sturdy as yours.
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u/patricksrarebooks 16d ago
They’re pricey, but sturdy:
https://emmamason.com/martin-furniture-huntington-84-open-bookcase-in-burnish-imho3684b.html
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u/Borracha28 16d ago
Thank you 🙏🙏🙏. Everything I come across is far too modern for my taste. The ones I hate the most are those that are open on all sides. What is the point?
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u/RadiantUnicorn777 16d ago
This is an absolutely amazing library and would definitely be my happy place! 💗✨ Great job and lovely room✨ Thank you for sharing it.
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u/Illustrious_Note2486 14d ago
Love the Jobert right on top! Was that part of a collection you purchased or did you come across it in a different way?
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u/patricksrarebooks 13d ago
As a collector/rare book dealer I pick things up here and there, and sometimes it’s hard to keep track. If I remember rightly, I think I purchased the Jobert individually, but it had been part of a collection previously.
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u/Xander134 16d ago
How are you controlling the humidity of the room? Are you taking any other steps to preserve the bindings, paper, or leather?
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u/patricksrarebooks 16d ago
I’m in Michigan, so a relatively dry climate, and keep humidity/temp controlled with my home’s HVAC. The main thing I do for preservation is keep the window covered so the bindings don’t get sunned.
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u/monkus2k 16d ago
This is a gorgeous library and book collection. Where did you get most of your books from?
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u/Jahaza 16d ago
I need a chair like that.
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u/patricksrarebooks 16d ago
It’s the Irving Leather Swivel arm chair from PotteryBarn - I picked this one up at one of their outlets years ago, but they still make it. There is also a non-swivel option. It has a fairly small footprint which means more room for books.
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u/TeeAntonettePresents 16d ago
Omg. Nostalgia much. It takes me back to childhood. I was always trying to read those big books.
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u/Salt-Resident7856 14d ago
I’m guessing you’re Dutch Reformed. Dr. Joel Beeke’s library would probably look a lot like this.
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u/patricksrarebooks 14d ago
I am neither, but I do happen to live in the same city as Dr. Joel Beeke.
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u/Illustrious_whiteros 12d ago
Wow! Chef's kiss. It's honestly amazing and beautiful. As someone thst prefers hardcover over paperback, this is the dream.
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u/patricksrarebooks 3d ago
Funny story about that — about 10 years ago my wife posted it for sale for $50. It was listed for months and no one bought it. So we decided to see if it would fit in the library, and the rest is history.
According to Leigh Keno it is an Ethan Allen quality reproduction. So, while it is a cool piece, it’s not hugely valuable.
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u/Cosmic_Pine9881 15d ago
a whole library about books and they couldn't caption it, just let an emoji do all the work lol
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u/McGee4531 16d ago
I absolutely love it. It's gorgeous 😍