The original Quincy Academy building (Quincy Historical Society photo).
“I read my eyes out and can’t read half enough neither. The more one reads the more one sees we have to read.” So wrote John Adams, second President of the United States, to his wife, Abigail Adams, on December 28, 1794. Adams didn't grow up in a family of readers, but once he arrived at Harvard as a student, he quickly understood the importance of books. He became an avid reader.
He also soon understood the value of a good library. This was of particular importance in his chosen profession, the law. Lawyers need a good law library to carry out their responsibilities and Adams built one of the finest around. When he became a diplomat, he continued to add to his collection, buying up many books he found while serving in Europe. In America, his responsibilities would grow, as America's first Vice-President, then as the nation's second President. It didn't afford him as much time for reading, particularly for pleasure, as he desired. It was not until he left the presidency in 1801 that Adams finally had the time to fully engage himself in his passion.
In 1822, now with a library of around 3,000 volumes, Adams realized it was time to make long-term arrangements. He was now 86 years old, Abigail had died a few years earlier, and time was running short. Fortunately, he lived long enough to see his son, John Quincy Adams, become President before he died on July 4, 1826. Adams chose to give his library, along with land and money, to the people of Quincy, Massachusetts, his hometown. In particular, he wanted to see a school built in the city.
It took a long time for this to happen. There wasn't enough money to build it immediately, taking many years to raise the funds. Finally, under the direction of his grandson, Charles Francis Adams, the school was built, opening its doors to students in 1872. However, the Adams Academy was not equipped to handle a library of this size. It was never very large and only operated until 1908 when it closed from insufficient enrollment. The building has had several uses over the years since, the last being that it was leased to the Quincy Historical Society in 1972. It is a museum today, with items relating to the town's long history, including its presidential favorite sons.
In 1894, needing a place to hold the book collection, the city of Quincy deposited the books with the Boston Public Library. They had the facilities to care for a large and important collection. Today, 126 years later, that is where they remain. Scanned copies of the books in Adams' library can be found on the Internet Archive at archive.org/details/johnadamsBPL.
Now, Quincy wants to bring Adams' books back home. Mayor Thomas Koch wrote the Boston Public Library of his long-range plans to house the Adams' library in the old Adams Academy building. He believes the time has come where Quincy can maintain the library and a small museum honoring its famous family. He sees this as something of a presidential library. Recent Presidents have official, government funded libraries, but those only go as far back as Herbert Hoover. Earlier Presidents may have unofficial libraries, those built by state and local governments or organizations, or none at all. Mayor Koch would like to see Quincy join the first group. The Adams Academy building would be particularly appropriate as it was built at Adams' request and partially funded by him. Since there is no longer a need for the school he envisioned, this is an appropriate alternate use.
The Academy is located close to the United First Parish Church. This was also built as a result of Adams' gift, completed in 1828. John and John Quincy Adams, along with their wives, Abigail and Louisa Catherine Adams, are buried in a crypt downstairs in the church. Quincy seems a good place to gather all things Adams.
Freeman’s | Hindman Western Manuscripts and Miniatures July 8, 2025
Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. FRANCESCO PETRARCH (b. Arezzo, 20 July 1304; d. Arqua Petrarca, 19 July 1374). $20,000-30,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. CIRCLE OF THE MASTER OF THE VITAE IMPERATORUM (active Milan, 1431-1459). $15,000-20,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. CIRCLE OF ATTAVANTE DEGLI ATTAVANTI (GABRIELLO DI VANTE) (active Florence, c. 1452-c. 1520/25). $15,000-20,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. FOLLOWER OF HERMAN SCHEERE (active London, c. 1405-1425). $15,000-20,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. An exceptionally rare, illuminated music leaf from a Mozarabic Antiphonal with sister leaves mostly in museum collections. $11,500-14,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. Exceptional leaf from a prestigious Antiphonary by a leading illuminator of the late Duecento. $11,500-14,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. CIRCLE OF THE MASTER OF MS REID 33 and SELWERD ABBEY SCRIPTORIUM (AGNES MARTINI?) (active The Netherlands, Groningen, c. 1468-1510). $10,000-15,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. Previously unknown illumination from one of the most renowned Gothic Choir Book sets of the Middle Ages. $6,000-8,000.
Forum Auctions Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper 17th July 2025
Forum, July 17: Lucianus Samosatensis. Dialogoi, editio princeps, second issue, Florence, Laurentius Francisci de Alopa, 1496. £10,000 to £15,000.
Forum, July 17: Boccaccio (Giovanni). Il Decamerone, Florence, Philippo di Giunta, 1516. £10,000 to £15,000.
Forum, July 17: Henry VII (King) & Philip the Fair (Duke of Burgundy). [Intercursus Magnus], [Commercial and Political Treaty between Henry VII and Philip Duke of Burgundy], manuscript copy in Latin, original vellum, 1499. £8,000 to £12,000.
Forum, July 17: Bible, English. The Holy Bible, Conteyning the Old Testament, and the New, Robert Barker, 1613. £4,000 to £6,000.
Forum, July 17: Bond (Michael). A Bear Called Paddington, first edition, signed presentation inscription from the author, 1958. £4,000 to £6,000.
Forum Auctions Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper 17th July 2025
Forum, July 17: Yeats (William Butler). The Secret Rose, first edition, with extensive autograph corrections, additions and amendments by the author for a new edition, 1897. £6,000 to £8,000.
Forum, July 17: Byron (George Gordon Noel, Lord). Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, bound in dark green morocco elaborately tooled in gilt and with 3 watercolours to fore-edge, by Fazakerley of Liverpool, 1841. £4,000 to £6,000.
Forum, July 17: Miró (Juan), Wassily Kandinsky, John Buckland-Wright, Stanley William Hayter and others.- Spender (Stephen). Fraternity, one of 101 copies, with signed engravings by 9 artists. £6,000 to £8,000.
Forum, July 17: Sowerby (George Brettingham). Album comprising 22 leaves of original watercolour drawings of fossil remains of Cheltenham and Vicinity, [c.1840]. £6,000 to £8,000.
Forum, July 17: Mathematics.- Blue paper copy.- Euclid. De gli Elementi, Urbino, Appresso Domenico Frisolino, 1575. £12,000 to £18,000.
Sotheby’s Books, Manuscripts and Music from Medieval to Modern Now through July 10, 2025
Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: Book of Hours by the Masters of Otto van Moerdrecht, Use of Sarum, in Latin, Southern Netherlands (Bruges), c.1450. £20,000 to £30,000.
Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: Albert Einstein. Autograph letter signed, to Attilio Palatino, on his research into General Relativity, 12 May 1929. £12,000 to £18,000.
Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: John Gould. The Birds of Europe, [1832-] 1837, 5 volumes, contemporary half morocco, subscriber’s copy. £40,000 to £60,000.
Sotheby’s Books, Manuscripts and Music from Medieval to Modern Now through July 10, 2025
Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: Ian Fleming. A collection of James Bond first editions, 8 volumes in all. £8,000 to £12,000.
Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 1997, first edition, hardback issue. £50,000 to £70,000.
Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: J.R.R. Tolkien. Autograph letter signed, to Amy Ronald, on Pauline Baynes's map of Middle Earth, 1970. £7,000 to £10,000.
DOYLE, July 23: STOKES, I. N. PHELPS. The Iconography of Manhattan Island, 1498-1909. New York: Robert H. Dodd, 1915-28. Estimate: $3,000-5,000
DOYLE, July 23: [AUTOGRAPH - US PRESIDENT]FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT. A signed photograph of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Estimate $500-800
DOYLE, July 23: [ARION PRESS]. ABBOTT, EDWIN A. Flatland. A Romance of Many Dimensions. San Francisco, 1980. Estimate $2,000-3,000.
DOYLE, July 23: TOLSTOY, LYOF N. and NATHAN HASKELL DOLE, translator. Anna Karénina ... in eight parts. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co., [1886]. Estimate: $400-600
DOYLE, July 23: ROWLING, J.K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. London: Bloomsbury, 2000. Estimate $1,200-1,800