Resources

ON THE EDGE:Image of the fore-edge painting from Gulliver's Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World showing Gulliver bound to the ground by the Lilliputians.
The Hidden Art of Fore-Edge Book Painting

Made possible through a gift from Anne and David Bromer, On the Edge: The Hidden Art of Fore-Edge Book Painting was a website that showcased the Albert H. Wiggins Collection of fore-edge paintings in the Boston Public Library's Rare Books Department. The online exhibit contained over 200 high-resolution images of the paintings themselves, along with an introduction by Anne Bromer, videos, and interactive zoom functions to view the paintings in fine detail. The website is no longer available, but the high-resolution images can be explored on Digital Commonwealth.

 

Bookseller Association Memberships

Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America
Promoting ethical standards and professionalism in the American antiquarian book trade since 1949. Anne Bromer is the former President of the New England chapter.

International League of Antiquarian Booksellers
ILAB-LILA speaks for twenty nations and two thousand leading dealers. Its sign stands for the integrity and professionalism of the trade worldwide. We are proud members.

Southern New England Antiquarian Booksellers
The organization's members include bookselling firms founded as early as 1825. Anne and David Bromer are founding members.


Other Memberships

American Printing History Association
APHA which encourages the study of printing history and its related arts and skills, including calligraphy, typefounding, typography, papermaking, and bookbinding.

Bibliographical Society of America
Founded in 1904, the BSA is the oldest scholarly society in North America dedicated to the study of books and manuscripts as physical objects.

Book Club of California
Founded in 1912 and limited to 1000 members, the BCC is a non-profit organization of book lovers and collectors with a special interest in Pacific Coast history, literature, and fine printing.

St. Botolph Club
The St. Botolph Club was founded in 1880 "for the purpose of promoting social intercourse among persons connected with, or interested in, the arts, humanities, and sciences."

Designer Bookbinders
A contemporary bookbinding society based in Great Britain and one of the foremost in the world. We are members of DB, and carry a wide variety the artists' works.

Edward Gorey House
The Edward Gorey House celebrates and preserves the life and works of Edward Gorey in his own home. Bromer Booksellers shares a history with Mr. Gorey.

Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies
An organization with the goal of exchanging ideas and pursuing the enjoyment of bibliocentric fun.

Fine Press Book Association
The FPBA is comprised of a world-wide membership of individuals interested in 'the art of fine printing to promote printing skills and the appreciation of beautiful books'.

Guild of Bookworkers
GBW is a national organization of bookbinders, book artists, calligraphers, paper makers, printers and marblers. The Guild sponsors a yearly conference on standards of excellence in bookbinding and traveling exhibitions of member's works.

Guild of Bookworkers, New England Chapter
Follows the purpose of the Guild of Book Workers on a regional level. Bromer Booksellers hosted three exhibitions for the Guild in the 1980s.

Japanese Art Society of America, Inc.
This organization provides a dynamic forum in which members can exchange ideas and experiences, and in which experts and scholars of Japanese art share their knowledge.

Miniature Book Society
The purpose of the MBS is to sustain an interest in miniature books, which are no bigger than three inches in length, width, or thickness. We are longtime members.

Museum of Printing
Dedicated to preserving the history of the graphic arts, printing equipment and printing Craftsmanship, the museum holds many special collections and small exhibits.

Society of Printers
SP is dedicated to the study and advancement of the fine art of printing. Anne Bromer has served as Vice President, and is a former member if the Council of Society of Printers. She also served as initiator and first chairman for the "Boston Ink" exhibit, in addition to being a curator.

The Ticknor Society
An organization of book collectors, booksellers, librarians, historians, archivists, conservators, printers, and all lovers and readers of books.


Library Friends

The Boston Athenæum
One of the oldest and most distinguished independent libraries in the country. Its collections comprise over half a million volumes. The Bromers are lifetime members of the Boston Athenaeum, which presented them with the honor of becoming Proprietors of the Athenaeum in 2010. 

Boston Public Library
The library boasts over 1.2 million rare books and manuscripts, and a comprehensive collection of Rockwell Kent material, acquired from Bromer Booksellers. The BPL also holds the archives for Anne Bromer's book on Dorothy Abbe entitled Strings Attached.

Boston Public Library Associates
A community-based organization dedicated to expanding the role of the Boston Public Library in the intellectual life of the City. David Bromer currently serves as Treasurer and Investment Advisor on the Board of Directors. Anne and David Bromer have recently set up the Rare Book Fund to promote greater understanding of rare books.

Dartmouth College Library
Dartmouth's Rauner Special Collections Library holds the Bromer Booksellers publishing records from 1977-1991.

Houghton Library, Harvard University
The Houghton is the primary repository for Harvard's rare books and manuscripts. Bromer Booksellers is proud to have contributed to their extensive collections in both early printing and theater.

Osbourne Collection of Early Children's Books
Located within the Toronto Public Library, The Osborne Collection encompasses the development of English Children's literature.

Washington University in St. Louis
The university acquired the "Triple Crown Collection" of Charles Gould from Bromer Booksellers. It contained the complete works of each of the presses and an astounding collection of ephemera. The university also purchased the Eric Gill Collection of Charles Gould from Bromer Booksellers.

Cary Graphic Arts Collection
The Cary Collection at the Rochester Institute of Technology is one of the country's premier libraries on graphic communication history and practices. Acting as agents for the library, Bromer Booksellers purchased the Albion handpress on which William Morris printed his Kelmscott Press masterpiece, The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, for the Collection in 2013.


Professional Contacts

American Library Association
The oldest and largest library association in the world, with its mission to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information.

Antiquarian Booksellers Association
The ABA is the senior trade body for dealers in rare and fine books, manuscripts, and allied materials in the British Isles and elsewhere.

Caxton Club of Chicago
An organization of authors, binders, collectors, conservators, dealers, librarians, publishers, and scholars who share a common interest in the book arts.

Harcourt Bindery
The Boston-based bindery is the largest bindery in the United States exclusively devoted to fine bookbinding by hand, in operation since 1900.

Lilly Library Exhibition: 4,000 Years of Miniature Books
Although this exhibit from 2001 has long gone, the site remains and serves as a useful tool in learning about miniature books from all periods.

The Microbibliophile
A journal dedicated to the world of miniature books, including information on events, reviews of newly published books, and articles about all aspects of miniature books. 

Rare Book School at University of Virginia
Anne and David Bromer have attended RBS's courses on topics concerning rare books, manuscripts, and special collections.


Other Institutions & Related Interest

Antique Trader
A weekly publication dedicated to the antiques marketplace, offering the latest news in the world of art and collectibles.

Iowa Center For the Book
The UICB offers classes in book-related topics, hosts lecturers, sponsors conferences, and encourages the exchange of ideas among individuals with interests in the book.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Mrs. Gardner was an avid collector of rare books and manuscripts. Her home houses one of Boston's preeminent collections of some of the most recognized artists in the world, especially the early printed works of Dante.

Massachusetts College of Art (Mass Art)
The school offers regular tutorials, workshops, and courses on bookbinding, collage, and various printing methods. Many of the faculty have special interests in book design.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA)
The MFA houses some of the world's greatest collections of 19th-century French paintings, American paintings, prints and drawings, Egyptian art, Asian art, and photographs. The departmental library's holdings include rare booksof the sixteenth to early twentieth centuries.

North Bennet Street School
The school's mission is to train students for careers in traditional trades that use hand skills in concert with evolving technology, to preserve and advance craft traditions, and to promote greater appreciation of craftsmanship.

Peabody Essex Museum, Rare Books & Manuscripts
PEM's Phillips Library is one of New England's most important and historic research libraries. It is a major resource for maritime history and art, New England life and culture, American decorative arts, Asian art and culture, Native American history and art, the art and culture of Oceania.

School of the Museum Fine Arts, Boston (SMFA)
The school offers courses on a regular basis covering topics of papermaking, printmaking, and traditional and modern bookbinding techniques.