Description

German-Jewish war refugees Frederick Alexander Bernett and Ilse Blum Bernett founded F. A. Bernett Books in May of 1944, taking a small office directly across from New York’s Grand Central Station. Art-related titles sold particularly well, leading the couple to focus on rare and out-of-print materials on the fine and decorative arts, architecture, and archeology. They drew on their common training as academic art historians (both Frederick and Ilse had completed doctoral studies at the University of Berlin) to guide the business, and soon became known as reputable dealers in the field. With a knack for acquiring sought-after scholarly books — many of them in European languages — the Bernetts attracted a devoted clientele of university researchers and archivists, as well as curators at major art museums. Peter Bernett joined the company in 1973, working as an assistant to his parents and traveling to meet one-on-one with collections development staff at key libraries and museums. Three years later, Peter moved F. A. Bernett Books to its current location in a former warehouse loft at 144 Lincoln Street, in Boston’s historic Leather District.

In 2019, our seventy-fifth year, we were joined by Philipp Penka (formerly Penka Rare Books, Berlin) and began operating as Bernett Penka Rare Books. With a staff including Erika Hapke and Melissa McCaffrey, we continue to purchase and sell books globally via the web and in-person visits to dealers, archives, and collections around the world.

For an up-to-date list of recent arrivals, please visit our website.

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We are happy to search for rare Russian and East European materials - please feel free to share your list of wants!

Explore the list below to see some current offers in our areas of interest, and click here to view our full ASEEES catalog.