Rare Book Monthly

Articles - August - 2022 Issue

Who Gets John Adams' Library – the City of Quincy (Massachusetts) or the Boston Public Library?

A shelf of books from John Adams' collection at the Boston Public Library (from BPL's website).

A shelf of books from John Adams' collection at the Boston Public Library (from BPL's website).

A conflict may be brewing over possession of what the Boston Public Library calls “one of the largest colonial American libraries still intact.” It is the library of the second President of the United States, John Adams, one of the nation's founders and an avid reader. It contains approximately 3,000 volumes, mostly from the President's collection, along with some donated by family members. Adams left the books to the people of Quincy, Massachusetts, his hometown, but since 1894, they have resided at the Boston Public Library. Therein lies the rub.

 

When Adams died in 1826, he left his books, some land and money, to Quincy. The land and money were to be used to build a church and an academy in that order. The first instruction was followed in quick order. The United First Parish Church, of the Unitarian Universalist denomination, was built in 1828, just two years after Adams died. Adams, his wife Abigail, and son and President John Quincy Adams and his wife, Louisa Catherine, are buried in the church's basement.

 

It took a bit longer to build the academy. Adams left money to build it, but not enough. It took many years to raise sufficient funds. It was finally completed in 1872. For a few decades it prepared students for college, sending many to Harvard, but it competed against other private academies and then public schools. It closed in 1908. The town then leased it out to various organizations. Since 1972 it has been leased by the Quincy Historical Society.

 

The final part of the bequest was the most difficult. Quincy did not have a very suitable place to keep such an important library. In 1894, the collection was placed with the Boston Public Library. The Boston Public Library, on its website, describes the collection as having been “deposited” with them. The decision to move the books to the Boston Library was made by Charles Adams, Jr., great-grandson of President John Adams, grandson of President John Quincy Adams.

 

Two years ago, Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch announced that the town planned, long range, to build a center to recognize its two favorite presidential sons. The plan was to use the site of the old Adams Academy. You might think there would be an Adams presidential library, but presidential libraries are a more recent development, the first being that of Herbert Hoover. Some communities of earlier presidents have built their own centers to serve as quasi-presidential libraries and Quincy is looking to join those ranks. As home to two presidents, it surely ought to have one.

 

At the time, Mayor Koch informed the Boston Public Library of their plans but apparently never received an official reply. A short time ago, Mayor Koch announced the formation of a non-profit foundation to raise money, design and build the Adams Presidential Center to honor the two presidents. He said they are still in the “infant stages” of the process but it is now underway. He also said that he has asked the Boston Library to return the books, though the building of the center is not contingent on receiving them. However, he believes the new center will be able to adequately maintain the library and sees it as a focal point of the new center.

 

How will the Boston Public Library react to the Mayor's request? They have not spoken so we don't know their thinking. Nor do we know how they interpret the instructions given them by John Adams' great-grandson. Quincy's newspaper, the Patriot Ledger, quoted a “journalist with the library” as speaking of the 125 years of investments BPL has made in the collection, its in-house preservation laboratory to repair and preserve the collection, and $1 million in federal funds obtained to digitize the library. It has already been digitized and put online – click here. She said it has been viewed and downloaded 5 million times. It doesn't sound like the BPL is eager to be rid of the collection. One thing no one has questioned is how well the Boston Public Library has cared for the Adams Library over the years.

 

On the other hand, the same newspaper quoted Mayor Koch as saying he would sue the BPL if they don't turn over the books. Hopefully, it never comes to that. BPL has a valid case after holding, maintaining, and investing in the library for 125 years and proving itself worthy of the responsibility. It would be hard to imagine Quincy being able to do better considering its size and likely budget, and Boston is a more accessible place for scholars than Quincy, down on Massachusetts' South Shore. On the other hand, Quincy can claim ownership if it only housed the collection with BPL temporarily, albeit a very long temporarily. Additionally, Adams' will stated he wanted the books to go to Quincy. It's hard to ignore his wishes. It is not easy to decide when there are two good choices.

Rare Book Monthly

  • Fonsie Mealy’s
    Rare Books & Collectors’ Sale
    April 30th & May 1st
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Taylor (Geo.) & Skinner (A.) Maps of the Roads of Ireland, Surveyed 1777. Lond. & Dublin 1778. €500 to €750.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Messingham (Thos.) Florilegium Insulae Sanctorum seu Vitae et Acta Sanctorum Hibernia, Paris 1624. €350 to €500.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Heaney (Seamus). The Haw Lantern, L. (Faber & Faber) 1987, First Edn., Signed and dated. €225 to €350.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Valencey (Lt. Col. Chas.) Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis, Vols. I-IV, 4 vols. Dublin 1786. €400 to €600.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Powerscourt (Viscount). A Description and History of Powerscourt, Lond. 1903. €350 to €500.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Moryson (Fynes). An Itinerary ... Containing His Ten Yeeres Travel Through the Twelve Dominions of Germany, Bohermerland, Sweitzerland…, Lond. (John Beale) 1617. €700 to €1,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: After Buffon, Birds of Europe, c. 1820. Approx. 120 fine hd. cold. plts., mor. backed boards. €125 to €250.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Dunlevy (Andrew). An Teagasg Criosduidhe De Reir Ceasda agus Freagartha... The Catechism or Christian Doctrine by Way of Question and Answer, Paris (James Guerin) 1742. €400 to €700.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: The Georgian Society Records of Eighteen-Century Domestic Architecture in Dublin, 5 vols. Complete, Dublin 1909-1913. €500 to €750.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Scale (Bernard). An Hibernian Atlas or General Description of the Kingdom of Ireland, L. (Robert Sayer & John Bennet) 1776. €625 to €850.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: [Johnson (Rev. Samuel)]. Julian the Apostate Being a Short Account of his Life, together with a Comparison of Popery and Paganism,L. (Langley Curtis) 1682. €300 to €400.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Nichlson (Wm.) Illustrator. An Almanac of Twelve Sports, Lond. 1898. €300 to €400.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Heaney (Seamus) trans. The Light of the Leaves, 2 vols., Mexico (Imprenta de los Tropicos/Bunholt) 1999. €1,500 to €2,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Fleming (Ian). Moonraker, L. (Jonathan Cape) 1955. €1,500 to €2,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Heaney (Seamus) & Egan (Felim) artist. Squarings, Twelve Poems, D. (Hieroglyph Editions Ltd.) 1991. €1,750 to €2,250.
  • Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: ANDERSEN'S EXTREMELY RARE FIRST APPEARANCE IN PRINT. "Scene af: Røverne i Vissenberg i Fyen." in Harpen, 1822.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: FIRST ISSUE OF THE FIRST THREE FAIRY TALE PAMPHLETS, WITH ALL INDICES AND TITLE PAGES. Eventyr, fortalte for Børn. 1835-1837.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: THE FIRST FAIRY TALES WITH A SIGNED CARTE DE VISITE OF ANDERSEN AS FRONTIS. Eventyr, fortalte for Børn. 1835-1837.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: KARL LAGERFELD. Original pastel and ink drawing in gold, red and black for Andersen's The Emperor's New Clothes (1992), "La cassette de l'Empereur."
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: PRESENTATION COPY OF THE SIXTH PAMPHLET FOR PETER KOCH. Eventyr, Fortalte For Børn, Second Series, Third Pamphlet. 1841. Publisher's wrappers, complete with all pre- and post-matter.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN RARE AUTOGRAPH QUOTATION SIGNED IN ENGLISH from "The Ugly Duckling," c.1860s.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: HEINRICH LEFLER, ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR FOR ANDERSEN'S SNOW QUEEN, "Die Schneekönigin," 1910.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: FIRST EDITION OF ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES IN ENGLISH. Wonderful Stories for Children. London, 1846.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: ANDERSEN ON MEETING CHARLES DICKENS. Autograph Letter Signed ("H.C. Andersen") in English to William Jerdan, July 20, 1847.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: PRESENTATION COPY FOR EDGAR COLLIN. Nye Eventyr og Historier. Anden Raekke. 1861.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: DOLL HOUSE FURNITURE BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON, DECORATED WITH FANTASTICAL CUT-OUTS, for the children of Jonna Stampe (née Drewsen), his godchildren.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: PRESENTATION COPY FOR GEORG BRANDES. Dryaden. Et Eventyr fra Udstillingstiden i Paris 1867. 1868.
  • Sotheby's
    Sell Your Fine Books & Manuscripts
    Sotheby’s: The Shem Tov Bible, 1312 | A Masterpiece from the Golden Age of Spain. Sold: 6,960,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: Ten Commandments Tablet, 300-800 CE | One of humanity's earliest and most enduring moral codes. Sold: 5,040,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: William Blake | Songs of Innocence and of Experience. Sold: 4,320,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: The Declaration of Independence | The Holt printing, the only copy in private hands. Sold: 3,360,000 USD
    Sotheby's
    Sell Your Fine Books & Manuscripts
    Sotheby’s: Thomas Taylor | The original cover art for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Sold: 1,920,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: Machiavelli | Il Principe, a previously unrecorded copy of the book where modern political thought began. Sold: 576,000 GBP
    Sotheby’s: Leonardo da Vinci | Trattato della pittura, ca. 1639, a very fine pre-publication manuscript. Sold: 381,000 GBP
    Sotheby’s: Henri Matisse | Jazz, Paris 1947, the complete portfolio. Sold: 312,000 EUR

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