Standing in New York City's University Place Bookstore on the 10th of August 1958, Albert A. Howard knew he had arrived. While browsing the bookshelves, the then Brown University library cataloger found an edition of the Latin poet Statius, published in Venice in 1502. Having cataloged other books by this particular publisher, Howard knew he liked the work. So he bought it for $30—a large sum of money in those days.
“I've been carting it around for 46 years,” said Howard. “It was very exciting. I'd 'arrived,' you know.”
Ever since that summer day, Howard has been collecting books—over 1,000 titles that span five centuries, actually. But this summer, Howard announced he is sharing his passion with the University of Southern Maine.
Howard, a USM libraries cataloger for the last 34 years, has given the University his collection of rare books dating back to the 16th century. The Albert A. Howard Book History Collection will eventually bring more than 1,200 rare books to USM, as well as an endowment for the collection's care and expansion. The collection, which includes a 1553 edition of the first illustrated children's book, 16th century popular poetry collections and even a late 1500s book on gardening, will be housed in the Mildred Brenner Glickman Special Collections Area on the sixth floor of USM's Glickman Family Library, Portland.
Because Howard was trained in the classics, he started out collecting titles in Latin. But he quickly realized that Latin wasn't really what people were reading. So, he pursued other genres. Today, his extensive collection is divided into general areas of interest, including popular poetry of the 16th century, “fine press” books printed after 1900 and pre-1900 children's books.
The first portion to be acquired by the University is a collection of 700-800 books printed after 1900. These are reference books, books on illustration, and other titles from what are considered “fine presses” in the United States. Notable for their beauty and craftsmanship, they feature engraved and woodcut illustrations, fine paper and bindings. A standout treasure from this collection is a 1917 book about Newark, N.J., which Howard acquired from an English book dealer. Published by D.B. Updike of Boston for the Cartaret (N.J.) Book Club, it features colored woodcuts by Ruzicka, a Czech immigrant, who is considered one of the great masters of this art.
The second portion will be bequeathed to the University upon Howard's death, and includes a collection of 200 titles of early printings, among them Henry VIII's letter to Martin Luther (1527). Another portion of 200 titles features children's books, including the first illustrated children's book—published in 1553 by the Charles Stephanus family publishers in Paris—a study of ships. Another work in this collection is a cornerstone of Maine children's books, “Scripture Animals,” by Jonathan Fisher of Blue Hill, published by William Hyde Publishers, Portland, in 1834. Finally, some 325 titles comprise books from 1600-1900.
Howard has collected mainly children's books in the last five to six years because, he says, he realized that the books “do surprising things.”
“I've become more interested in children's books because they're amusing, they're lots of fun,” said Howard. “The ones I'm most interested in are these books of city cries and trades. The 19th century was extremely prolific in producing these books for children; I don't know if it was because of the Industrial Revolution. All kinds of things—printing, food preparation, all kinds of trades, hatters, window drapers.”
But why give such a personalized collection to USM? Howard said his decision was made partly in recognition of his long tenure with the University and partly due to USM President Richard L. Pattenaude's appreciation of his collection. He also wants to see his collection used.
“My purpose in donating this collection is to create at the University of Southern Maine a resource of original supporting materials for the study and teaching of the printed book as the social and cultural instrument in Europe and the Americas from the year 1500 to the present day,” said Howard.
“I am delighted that Albert has chosen to donate his outstanding collection to USM,” said USM Director of University Libraries David Nutty. “It is a thoughtful and well-developed collection, reflecting Albert's knowledge and interests. As with all of our special collections, the Howard Collection will be for USM faculty and students to use as a part of the curriculum.”
“One of the reasons Special Collections was eager to get this collection was to support the USM curriculum and students going for graduate degrees,” said Susie Bock, USM's head of special collections. “For instance, women were widely employed in the publishing field in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Albert's collection of fine press books and titles published before 1900 could be used by someone pursuing a degree in the Women Studies Program. I can also see students in the Honors Program using the collection, and I suspect faculty in political science, philosophy, history, and foreign languages departments will find texts that they could use in lectures or assignments.”
“I am going to be completely surprised who does use it and who makes the best use of it,” said Howard. “I think this is a surprise often to curators of some of the great collections. I will be delighted, and I hope I'm still around to see people use it.”
Howard, a 1951 Brown University graduate, worked at his alma mater, at Colby and at Dalhousie University in Halifax before joining the USM library staff in 1970. He still works at USM on a half-time basis.
