Collection context
Summary
- Creator:
- Howard, Peter B. and Serendipity Books (Firm)
- Abstract:
- The Serendipity Books mss., 1960-2010, consists of invoices, orders, paid bills, and other financial papers of the bookselling firm Serendipity Books, Inc., of Berkeley, California.
- Extent:
- 134 Boxes and 2 folios (oversize)
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
[Item], Serendipity Books mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
Background
- Biographical / Historical:
Peter Brigham Howard, 1938-2011, was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on 1 July 1938 and grew up in Alabama, Japan, and Shanghai. He completed his BA in English literature at Haverford College in 1960 followed by his MA in English literature at the University of California at Berkeley. In 1968, Howard started the legendary antiquarian bookshop Serendipity Books. He died in Berkeley, California, on 31 March 2011. The shop closed a few months after Howard's death.
- Scope and Content:
The Serendipity Books mss., 1960-2010, consists of invoices, orders, paid bills, and other miscellaneous financial papers, including cash receipt books, ledgers, and yearly financial statements for the bookselling firm, Serendipity Books, Inc., of Berkeley, California. The collection also contains personal materials of Peter Howard, proprietor of Serendipity Books, and includes correspondence, photographs, printed ephemera, and a photo portfolio and text pertaining to the limited-edition book Martin Stone, Bookscout, written by Howard.
Correspondents include: Carter Burden, Tom Farber, Amanda Green, Jon Paul Henry, Abram Hoffer, William Martin Hoffer, Esme Howard, Ian Jackson, Cris McMann, Phyllis McMann, Larry McMurtry, Richard Newsome, Katherine Spelman, Ralph Segura, J. D. Salinger, Martin Stone.
- Acquisition information:
- Acquired: 1986, 1996, 2002, 2010, 2011, 2014
- Arrangement:
The collection is organized into the following series: I. Invoices; II. Orders, Paid Bills; III. Miscellaneous; IV. Additions.
- Physical location:
- ALF (Auxiliary Library Facility); ALF (Auxiliary Library Facility) - OVFlat
Indexed Terms
- Subjects:
- Booksellers and bookselling --California.
Booksellers and bookselling
Antiquarian booksellers
Independent bookstores --United States - Names:
- Serendipity Books (Firm)
Howard, Peter B.
Stone, Martin, 1946-
Burden, Carter
Hoffer, Abram, 1917-2009
McMurtry, Larry, 1936-2021
Salinger, J. D. (Jerome David), 1919-2010
Access
- RESTRICTIONS:
-
This collection is open for research.
Many collections are housed offsite; retrieval requires advance notice. Please make an appointment a minimum of one week in advance of your visit.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
-
Photography and digitization may be restricted for some collections. Copyright restrictions may apply. Before publishing, researchers are responsible for securing permission from all applicable rights holders, then filling out the Permission to Publish form.
- PREFERRED CITATION:
-
[Item], Serendipity Books mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
-
1200 East Seventh StreetBloomington, Indiana 47405-5500, USA
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- CONTACT:
-
(812) 855-2452liblilly@indiana.edu