London, United Kingdom Oct 6, 2022 (Issuewire.com) - The William Reese Company, the world’s leading antiquarian bookseller of printed and manuscript Americana, is pleased to announce the continuation of the William Reese name and bookselling tradition under the new ownership of a joint venture between New York-based James Cummins Bookseller and Peter Harrington, London. The business will continue at the company’s existing premises in Temple Street, New Haven.
The late William S. Reese (1955-2018), renowned as one of the foremost dealers of antiquarian books of his generation, founded the New Haven, Connecticut-based William Reese Company in 1975, leaving an indelible impact on both the trade and book collectors worldwide. Following his untimely death four years ago, the company has successfully continued under the leadership of his widow Dorothy Hurt, with the Literature department led by long-time Reese Company specialist Terry Halladay and the Americana department by Nick Aretakis. The team will be expanded next month with the addition of two new book specialists in Americana.
The business has been bought along with its significant inventory of around 40,000 items. Day-to-day operations will continue seamlessly under Aretakis, without change to the Reese Company’s highest bookselling standards and customer service. The location, name, and contact details of the business will also remain unchanged, and printed catalogues and e-lists will continue to be frequently issued. James Cummins Bookseller and Peter Harrington are proud to be part of the continued legacy of William Reese.
"It was always my goal to have the William Reese Company carry on as a leading antiquarian bookseller and it gives me great pleasure that Peter Harrington, James Cummins, and Nick Aretakis will continue the business in Bill’s tradition. The William Reese Company has always been synonymous with Americana at the highest level and I look forward to seeing the business continue to succeed,” says Dorothy Hurt.
ENDS
Photo caption: (From left to right) Nick Aretakis, Pom Harrington, James Cummins, Terry Hallyday
About William Reese Company
Founded in 1975 by the late legendary bookseller William S. Reese, the New Haven-based William Reese Company is among the leading specialists in the fields of Americana and world travel, with a large and eclectic inventory of more than 40,000 first editions and antiquarian books. For close to half a century, the company has served a large international clientele of individual collectors as well as private and public institutions in the acquisition of rare books and manuscripts, and in developing their own collections. The company also occasionally publishes works related to American bibliography and holds some recommended Americana references in its inventory.
James Cummins Bookseller
Founded in 1978, James Cummins Bookseller is one of the leading antiquarian book dealers in New York City, specializing in American and English literature, Americana, sporting, and fine books. Led by its founder Jim Cummins, the business has expanded over the last decade his son James Cummins III, and includes both a shop on Madison Avenue as well as multiple warehouses holding over 600,000 volumes.
Peter Harrington
Since its establishment in London in 1969, Peter Harrington has specialized in sourcing, selling, and buying the finest quality original first editions, signed, rare and antiquarian books, fine bindings, and library sets. For the past twenty years, the business has been run by Pom Harrington, Peter’s son, and has become one of the leading rare book dealers in the world and the largest antiquarian book dealer in Europe, with a flagship bookshop in Chelsea, and another gallery-style shop in Mayfair which offers a carefully curated selection of its finest stock.
Media Contact
Peter Harrington radhina@peterharrington.co.uk +44 (0)20 3763 3220 43 Dover Street http://www.peterharrington.co.uk
