That’s the title of the recently launched online exhibit from the American Antiquarian Society.
Background:
During the early colonial period, books were seen as rarefied objects, most prohibitively expensive, and some almost impossible to obtain no matter what the cost. In time, presses were established, trade improved, machines were invented, paper became affordable, and, finally, the price of books went down. But books were still cherished; they were read, saved, and handed down. By the early 1900s the vast majority of the American population—rich or poor, black or white, male or female—were readers. This is their story.
The exhibit contains an image bank featuring a slew of images from the AAS archives of people reading everywhere from the kitchen to the prison library.
The AAS has also started a blog, Addenda, to complement the exhibit. The blog will feature additional images from their collection that did not make it into the exhibit.
Previously on Book Patrol:
Books in Pictures
Thanks to Philobiblos for the lead