author
William Younger Fletcher
1830–1913
Best known as a British Museum librarian and bibliographer, this Victorian writer brought the world of old books and fine bindings vividly to life. His work on book collecting remains a lively guide to the people who preserved England’s literary past.
1 Audiobook
English Book Collectors
by William Younger Fletcher
About the author
After a long career at the British Museum, where he served in the Department of Printed Books and retired in 1895 after 46 years of service, William Younger Fletcher became especially associated with the history of books, libraries, and bookbinding. He was also a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, reflecting his deep interest in the physical history of books as objects as well as texts.
He wrote several works on bindings and collecting, including Bookbinding in France, English Bookbindings in the British Museum, Foreign Bookbindings in the British Museum, and English Book Collectors. His writing is practical and enthusiastic, mixing scholarship with the pleasure of handling rare and beautiful books.
Fletcher also contributed articles to the Dictionary of National Biography. For readers who enjoy the stories behind libraries, collectors, and the craft of the book itself, his work offers a clear window into the tastes and curiosities of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.