Books staged like art at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair

The last book fair I attended was probably a Scholastic one at my elementary school in Texas in the 1990s. When I was invited to attend the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair at the Park Avenue Armory on Thursday, I guess I expected a library, with stacks of books with rows of spines on shelves.

What I found instead were beautiful things shown in beautiful displays, a massive crowd of hundreds—if not thousands—of people, and candid dealers unexpectedly willing to discuss their business. The crowd was described to me as “normal," even before the event wraps up on Sunday.

It had the aesthetics of an art fair but with the unpretentious humanity of dealers eager to explain the value and stories behind objects that are intimate in a way a painting never can be.

"Collecting books tends to be more personal, in a way, because the only time you experience it is when you open it. And you can't open it for lots of people," said Rupert Halliwell of Sims Reed. "So, it's not as public as a painting or a print or a sculpture."

Dealers had opened books to the most striking pages, positioned illustrations to catch the light, and built displays around showy pieces meant to pull you in.

Noah Peterson of Black Swan Books in Richmond, Virginia, said the fair “is highly curated” and that his team began preparing six months in advance.

"We're looking for mainly showy pieces, things that pop and can grab people's attention, pull them into the booth," he said.