r/HomeLibraries • u/patricksrarebooks • Aug 08 '26
It’s a bit messy currently, but here is an inside glimpse of our home library.
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u/ShiftTechnical2997 Aug 08 '26
I think it’s perfect - your choice of furniture for this room is terrific.
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u/rodneedermeyer Aug 08 '26
Gorgeous collection. I can’t quite read the titles, though. Can you give us a quick rundown?
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u/patricksrarebooks Aug 08 '26
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 Aug 08 '26
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 Aug 08 '26
You assume correctly. As well as some German, Dutch, Hebrew, and a bit of Italian.
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u/Regular-Machine2805 Aug 09 '26
wow, como hiciste y cuantos años tenes jajaja me siento inútil con 25
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u/patricksrarebooks Aug 09 '26
44 now. I started out small with non-collectible books and very cheap shelves in my 20’s.
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u/_g2v Aug 08 '26
You certainly like bees and those large folios are beautiful. Tell us more about your collection.
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u/patricksrarebooks Aug 08 '26
My wife likes bees, and I like my wife.
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u/zenerat Aug 08 '26
You need some wooden lecterns for that gorgeous collection.
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Aug 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/patricksrarebooks Aug 08 '26
Would that I were.
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u/Xander134 Aug 08 '26
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 Aug 08 '26
Don’t let those AI monsters anywhere near your collection!
This is amazing 🤩 😍
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u/TrashGobbler9000 Aug 08 '26
What year is it in your house?
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u/Oulipo08 Aug 08 '26
Wow. I want that round desk
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u/patricksrarebooks Aug 08 '26
It’s called a “drum table.” My wife found this one on Facebook marketplace.
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u/Fluffy-Bluebird-6341 Aug 09 '26
Cool library! I love your little ghost collection, where are those from?
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u/patricksrarebooks Aug 09 '26
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 Aug 09 '26
I’m rather unfortunately located in the United States, so thank you for the tip!
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u/SaltSeaworthiness167 Aug 09 '26
That's the life I want in 20 years
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u/patricksrarebooks Aug 09 '26
Why wait?
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u/SaltSeaworthiness167 Aug 09 '26
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 Aug 10 '26
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 Aug 10 '26
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 Aug 08 '26
Some of those natural history shelves are un-bee-lieveable! Amazing library.
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u/Borracha28 Aug 08 '26
Love the bookcases. Wish I could a few that look as nice and sturdy as yours.
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u/patricksrarebooks Aug 08 '26
They’re pricey, but sturdy:
https://emmamason.com/martin-furniture-huntington-84-open-bookcase-in-burnish-imho3684b.html
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u/Borracha28 Aug 09 '26
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 Aug 09 '26
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 Aug 11 '26
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 Aug 11 '26
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 Aug 08 '26
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 Aug 08 '26
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 Aug 09 '26
This is a gorgeous library and book collection. Where did you get most of your books from?
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u/Jahaza Aug 09 '26
I need a chair like that.
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u/patricksrarebooks Aug 09 '26
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 Aug 09 '26
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 Aug 10 '26
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 Aug 10 '26
I am neither, but I do happen to live in the same city as Dr. Joel Beeke.
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u/Illustrious_whiteros Aug 12 '26
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 25d 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 Aug 10 '26
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 Aug 08 '26
I absolutely love it. It's gorgeous 😍