617-292-4700

This article appeared in the Jan. 15, 2004 Jewish Advocate.

Book purveyer makes history come alive

By Susie Davidson

CORRESPONDENT

“Howard claims he wanted this location because he could get a Kosher lunch at the Milk Street Cafe down the street,” says Antiquarian Books of Boston manager Phyllis Butters. “However, I think the fact that this place used to be Goodspeed's bookstore had something to do with the decision.”

While Border’s across the street maintains its contemporary literary niche, Howard Feldstein’s shop has long catered to a different sort of high-minded clientele. Located downstairs in The Old South Meeting House, its catalogue of 30,000 scholarly and unusual titles includes Americana, Art, Books on Books, Chemistry, Children’s, Classical History, Economics, Engineering, Genealogy, History, Illustrated Literature, Judaica, Law, Mathematics, Medicine, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Psychiatry, Reference, Science, Sports, Theology and Travel. Some editions are current, but the bulk are historic. Occasionally, books are dated pre-1850; recently, a 1608 Latin book of Tacitus was sold. Unusual offerings include a book on the invention of the toilet, a 1720 set of books from the London Spectator, and a set of fox-hunting books that belonged to a wealthy man who went down on the Titanic. It’s a far cry from Danielle Steele.

Feldstein, a Winthrop resident, grew up in Boston. He studied at the Boston Lubavitz Yeshiva/New England Hebrew Academy, Boston University, and took additional courses in the Talmud. “My love of learning was mostly influenced by Rabbi Ciment of the New England Hebrew Academy, and the many happy hours I spent at my maternal grandparents' library at the Martins of Golders Green in London,” he recalled. Feldstein’s father, Barnett Feldstein, drew the Jewish Advocate comic strip in the 1920's. Feldstein, single and is a Cohen, has a particular interest in Torah commentaries including natural sciences, which he tries to keep in stock. His sister Michele teaches high school in Israel; another sister, Rochelle, is the environmental attorney for the state of Israel.

Feldstein purchases library and personal collections; new books arrival daily. “Most of Howard’s buying involves estates or private libraries, often from college professors who are either retiring or downsizing personal collections, private researchers or life-long book collectors, but he occasionally purchases books from walk-ins as well,” said store associate Andrew Jantz. “Some of the collections we bring in are astounding, including rare editions and signed books. For example, we recently bought the library of Alfred North Whitehead, who taught at Harvard toward the end of his life. His family kept most of his philosophy books, but he was an extremely well-read person with a lot of books on a lot of different subjects.”

The staff keeps an eye out for books that may appeal to their regular customers and often puts aside a new acquisition in that might be of interest. “Our customers are mainly educated people who are avid readers, and they find our prices very reasonable,” Jantz added. The majority of books are priced between four and fifteen dollars.

The store quickly ships their books ($7.50 for first book, $2.50 each additional), which can be accessed at their website in great detail. Feldstein’s painstaking cataloguing of Emma Lazarus’ “Songs of a Semite” is representative: “1. Emma Lazarus Songs of a Semite: The Dance to Death, and other Poems New York / Chicago: The American Hebrew, 1882. Original Green Cloth. Good. First Edition. 6 By 9-1/4. 80 pages plus publisher's page. The "Contents" leaf is detached with chipping to its edge. From the library of one of the Sulzbergers of Philadelphia, who stamped his name on the Title page and several other margins through the book. Corners rubbed, slight wearing. Darkened backstrip and small whitish spots on rear cover and backstrip. The paper is delicate and can tear easily. Bookseller Inventory #5597. Price: US $250.” Despite the intricate description, returns are accepted if the buyer finds that the book is not as described.

Antiquarian Books of Boston is located at The Old South Meeting House, 2 Milk St., intersection of Milk and Washington Streets, next to the State Street MBTA station. Hours are Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Closed Saturdays and on Jewish holidays. For information, please call 617-292-4700, email arlbooks@aol.com or visit www.abebooks.com/home/ASCHOLAR (has a searchable index)