A Collector speaks to posterity

RHT.18.321.inscription
“This was the first old book I ever acquired. I bought it from Edgar H. Wells late in 1925 or early in 1926, and was up half the night reading and examining it. I did not know then that I had found the road to the most enduring friendships and the greatest pleasures of my life. R.H.T. Mar. 16, 1977.”
❧ Inscribed on front free endpaper of first volume of: Samuel Johnson. The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets: With Critical Observations on their Works. A New Edition Corrected. (London, 1794) Call number: RHT 18th-321.
❧ Robert H. Taylor (1908-1985) made this purchase during months prior to entering Princeton with the class of 1930. His collection was deposited in Firestone Library in 1972 and was received as a bequest in 1985. A link to more about his collection.
RHT.18.321.titepage

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About Stephen Ferguson

Stephen Ferguson is Librarian Emeritus, Princeton University Library. He came to Princeton in 1975 to be Curator of Rare Books, after several years of professional work at the John Carter Brown Library (Brown University) and the National Heritage Museum (Lexington, Mass.). Between 2014 and 2026, he held various posts as an Associate University Librarian at Princeton. He has degrees from Bowdoin (A.B.) and Rutgers (M.L.S.). His scholarly interests include book history, provenance research, and the history of collecting. He has taught at Drew University on the latter topic.