Isabella Stewart Gardner (New York, 1840 - 1924, Boston)
A Choice of Books from the Library of Isabella Stewart Gardner, Fenway Court, 1906
Printed ink on paper with handwritten annotations, 24 x 16 x 1.5 cm (9 7/16 x 6 5/16 x 9/16 in.)
Macknight Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner collected books and manuscripts before she acquired the works of art and furniture that fill the galleries of her museum. She was exceedingly careful in her selections and took pride in cataloguing her rare books. In 1906, she published a catalogue of her book collection; this version shows handwritten efforts to update the text for a later edition.