Goldberry at Home's Elizabeth Mebane on Publisher’s Bindings, Benito Mussolini, and Charlotte Mason Booklists

Our Bright Young Booksellers series continues today with Elizabeth Mebane, proprietor of Goldberry at Home.

How did you get started in rare books?

My family was spending a few months in London, and I was reading Manalive by G.K. Chesterton, now one of my favorite books. The day after I finished the last chapter, we took a trip to Oxford. I turned down an alleyway and found myself in a bookshop, and the first book I picked up was a first edition of Manalive. This was my first encounter with any sort of collectible book, and it simply had to come home with me. I spent all my souvenir money on it. A year later, my personal library had experienced expansion to such an extent that my shelves could hold no more. The excess volumes found new homes through Etsy, and so my bookshop began.

When did you open Goldberry at Home and what do you specialize in?

I opened Goldberry At Home on Etsy in January of 2019, and am currently in the process of moving my inventory to my own website. I specialize in publisher’s bindings, illustrated classic literature including authors such as Jane Austen and Lewis Carroll, Catholicism, poetry, and natural history, all circa 1850-1930.

What do you love about the book trade?

There are many delightful things about the trade, such as the thrill of the hunt, learning from other dealers and collectors, and getting to hold so many different books I would otherwise never get to see in person. I particularly enjoy the stories behind the books that I discover along the way, such as the original illustrations of Little Women being drawn by Alcott’s sister who was the real-life inspiration for Amy March, or the dispute between Lew Wallace and his wife that resulted in three different binding designs of Ben-Hur in the first year following its publication.

Describe a typical day for you

I have a one-year-old daughter, so my schedule varies from to day to day. Most of my work happens during her nap-time and in small increments throughout the day. I usually pick one task each day to accomplish, such as cataloguing books, scouting, or shipping open orders, and anything else that gets done is a bonus.

Favorite rare book (or ephemera) that you’ve handled?

Probably Shakespeare’s second folio.  A close second is a book by Benito Mussolini whose early aspirations leaned towards literature, although he quickly became a failed romance novelist. After that, of course, he graduated to fascist dictatorship. Perhaps he should have stuck with writing fiction.

What do you personally collect?

While most of my books are nice sturdy reading copies with pretty covers or illustrations, I do collect antique or first editions of living books mentioned in various Charlotte Mason booklists.

What do you like to do outside of work?

Aside from spending time with books, a few of my favorite pastimes include playing Canasta and Spades with my husband, reading poetry to our daughter, baking cakes, and sewing clothes.

Thoughts on the present state and/or future of the rare book trade?

I am young and optimistic. More people are recognizing the value of the printed and written word in a culture where it is becoming increasingly scarce. More classic books are coming back into print, which signifies an increasing demand for them, and as long as people are falling in love with books, particularly timeless ones, there will be a demand for rare editions. Given the number of people of all ages who eagerly attend book fairs and frequent my shop, I can only conclude that our trade is far from dying, and that there is a huge number of book lovers who only need to be introduced to rare materials and educated about them in order to pursue a lifetime of collecting books and building beautiful libraries of both antique and special modern editions.

Any upcoming fairs or catalogs?

I am looking forward to having booths at the Dallas Antiquarian Book Fair in June and the Fort Worth Book and Paper Show in September.