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Biographies and memoirs, or books written about a particular person’s life, are a longtime favorite of vintage book collectors, especially when signed by the individual in question. From historical figures to more modern celebrities, and from scholarly works to tell-all reminiscences, this genre is highly varied and can be a lot of fun.
Show & Tell - Share Your Stuff!
George M. Cohan's Fathers Show-b…
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by jdrew5966 on May. 22, 2012
The Bullfighter From Brooklyn, By Sin…
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by loofy62 on May. 22, 2012
» See all biographies and memoirs Show & Tells
Interviews & Articles
To Catch A Thief: A Rare Book Expert on His Literary Obsessions
I don’t remember a time when I didn’t read books. In grade school, I devoured library books. I also loved comic books, and was whe… [more]
An Interview on First Editions with Vintage Book Appraiser Matthew Haley
Strictly speaking, a book’s edition refers to the setting of the text. So the first time you set the text and print a book with it… [more]
An Interview With American Cookbook Expert and Rare Book Curator Peter Berg
Special collections is where we keep non-circulating rare materials which have to be used in the reading room. Our holdings range … [more]
Rita Smith on the Story of Children’s Books
I started working as the curator of the Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature in 1994, but I’d worked with the mater… [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
Great War Dust Jackets
Alan Hewer's comprehensive site is devoted to World War I books and dust jackets from 1914 to 1939. Most of the boo… [read review or visit site]
Google Book Search
Want to do one quick search and pull up the mother lode of vintage books? Try Google Book Search, a database filled… [read review or visit site]
Baldwin Library of Childrens Literature
If you’re interested in collectible childrens books, check out this special digital collection from the Universit… [read review or visit site]
Feeding America
This archive of 76 influential American cookbooks from the late 1700s to early 1900s, assembled by the Michigan St… [read review or visit site]
Gallery of Book Trade Labels
Greg Kindall's collection of over 2100 colorful and historic book labels, pasted into books by publishers, printers… [read review or visit site]
Vintage Kids' Books My Kid Loves
This great blog, by an anonymous mom in Texas, is an ongoing bibliography of hundreds of vintage childrens books, c… [read review or visit site]
Vintage Cookbooks Photo Pool
This Flickr photo pool features over 2,000 photos and scans of vintage cookbooks and old recipes from the 1940s to … [read review or visit site]
Rare Karate Book Collection
This visually interesting and highly specialized collection from the Hawaii Karate Museum focuses on rare and histo… [read review or visit site]
Czech Book Covers
This Smithsonian microsite showcases Czech avant-garde book cover designs from the 1920s and 30s, complete with hig… [read review or visit site]
Bookscans.com
Bruce Black's gallery of paperback book covers from the 1940s and 50s. With help from numerous contributors, he's a… [read review or visit site]
Clubs & Associations: Books
- Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America
- Bibliographical Society of America
- American Society of Bookplate Collectors
- The Bookplate Society
Other Great Reference Sites: Books
Top eBay Auctions
Memoirs Of U.s. Grant. 1885-86- Leather 1st Ed (vintage Civil War)
Antique Civil War Army Nurse Memoir Hospital Nursing Slavery Union Confederate
Personal Memoirs Of U.s. Grant 1885-86 First Edition Green Cloth
Essex - Bettie Page Life Of A Pin-up Legend (signed By Page)
Catholic Bible Size Beautiful Life Of Virgin Mary Leather 1861 Super Nice Art
Life Of Major-general Israel Putnam/rare 1st Edition By Col.david Humphreys/1788
2 Vol Set Personal Memoirs Of U S Grant First Edition 1885 Inscribed Signed Book
Richard Avedon An Autobiography In Photos 1st Edition 1993 Hb Acetate Jacket
James Boswell's Life Of Samuel Johnson 6 Vols Powell & Hill 1st Printing
1885 Personal Memoirs U.s. Grant Antique 1st Edition General Ulysses Book Us Map
1888 Civil War Army Nurse Memoir Hospital Nursing Slavery Sanitary Commission
Stroke Of Luck By James Carone - The Memoirs Of Three Stooges Larry Fine - Mint
Pattie Boyd Signed Wonderful Tonight George Harrison Eric Clapton & Life Memoir
The Life Of Dr. Mudd - Lincoln Conspiracy
Don Felder Signed Heaven And Hell Life In The Eagles 2008 Rock N Roll Memoir
1929 Roycroft Press The Elbert Hubbard I Knew, Biography By Mary Hubbard Heath
Duffy: An Autobiography By Duffy Daugherty Msu Football Coach-signed 1st Edition
Fine Leather Binding/gilt 2 Volumes 'life Of Napoleon' John Holland Rose 1108pp
Down The Fairway, Bobby Jones Greatest Golf Biography! 1931 
Easton Press Patton Biography, Rare, Very Fine
Johnny Cash Autographed Autobiography 1997 Softcover Faint Signature
Life Of General Robert Hatton Lebanon Tennessee Ltd Printing #184 Of 500 Mint Hc
Traci Lords Signed Underneath It All 2003 Revealing History Of P0rn Star Memoir
The Eighth Art: A Life Of Color Photography By Keppler Hb 1938 Signed Numbered
Personal Memoirs Of U.s. Grant First Edition Green Cloth 1885-86 Outstanding Set
The Spirit Of The Horse. Lucy Kemp - Welch. 1869-1958. Biography Art Illustrator
Autobiography Of Benjamin Franklin- Easton Press- Leather- 100 Greatest Books
Lorna Luft Signed My And My Shadows 1998 Show Biz Memoir Judy Garland & Liza
1811 The Life Of Mahomet - Rev. Samuel Gibson - Islam - Leather - Frontis - 1st 
Easton Press The Autobiography Of Benjamin Franklin 
Very Rare Antique Book "the Life Of Moses" By G.t.bedell Published In 1832
1924 Mark Twain Autobiography Vol. I & Ii From "1924" Harper & Brothers Ny
1893 Ole Bull: A Memoir. W/ Ole Bull's Violin Notes & Anatomy Of The Violinist
1875 Ed;life Of Henry Clay:by John Frost:antique,illustrated Biography;vg Cond!
Easton Press James Madison "the Fourth President: The Life Of James Madison"
The Life Of John Randolph Of Roanoke, Vol. I & Ii, By Hugh A. Garland, 1851
Easton Press - Theodore Roosevelt: An Autobiography
Home Grown An Iowa Memoir 1920s-30s Robert P Long 1988
The Family Life Of Heinrich Heine - Baron Ludwig Von Embden, 1892 First Edition.
Easton Press- The American Leonardo: The Life Of Samuel Morse - Very Fine
1888 Civil War Nurse Memoir Union Army Hospital Medical Camps Rebellion C.s.a.
The Sexual Life Of Savages In North-western Melanesia, 1932, Illustrated
A Dual Autobiography By Will & Ariel Durant 1977 Hc/dj First Edition
1881 Book - "the Life Of James A. Garfield"
Very Good 1st Ed Hcdj The Louisa May Alcott Biography Bedell Little Women Author
A Popular Life Of Gen. George A. Custer Frederick Whittaker 1876
Ti Frer Marcel Poinen J-c Cangy Sega Mauritius Ile Maurice Music Biography
Janice Dickinson Signed Everything About Me Is Fake And I'm Perfect Memoir
Life Of Michelangelo Buonarroti 2 Volumes John Addington
Rare 1874 Illustrated Book On The Life Of David Davey Crockett Alamo Hero
Teri Garr Signed Speedbumps Flooring It Hollywood Actress 2005 Memoir
Illustrated Biography Of U. S. Grant Published In 1885, The Year Of His Death
The Life Of Jacob And His Son Joseph- 1836-american Sunday School Union
Sketches From The Life Of Pual By Ellen G. White 1974 Hc Vg Cond
1934 First Edition - Charles Dickens The Life Of Our Lord Hb Photo Frontispiece
1988 Oscar Wilde By Richard Ellmann Biography Hardcover 1st Edition Second Print
Life Of James Buchanan - 15th President - 1883 - V1&2 - George Ticknor Curtis
Secret Life Of Plants, Peter Tompkins & Christopher Bird 1st Pb Ed. Botany Esp
Facing Mount Kenya - The Tribal Life Of The Gikuyu By Jomo Kenyatta - 1953
Signed Physician Doctor Memoir Medicine Among Pennsylvania Amish Lancaster Wentz
