Benjamin Guild (1749-1792) was a bookseller in Boston, Massachusetts, in the late 18th century. [1] He ran the "Boston Book Store" and a circulating subscription library in the 1780s and 1790s at no.59 Cornhill, "first door south of the Old-Brick Meeting-House." [2] [3]
Born in 1749 to Benjamin Guild and Abigail Graves, Benjamin attended Harvard College (class of 1769); classmates included Theophilus Parsons, Alexander Scammel, Peter Thacher, William Tudor, and Peleg Wadsworth. [4] [5] He later tutored at Harvard, 1776-1780, [5] and travelled abroad. [6] In 1784 he married Betsey Quincy (1757-1825). [7] [nb 1] He served as a charter member and an officer of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, [8] [9] [10] and on the editorial committee of the Boston Magazine. [11]
Guild sold books from his shop at no.8 State Street from around 1785 until 1786, when he moved to Cornhill (1786-1792). [12] In addition to the bookshop, he ran a circulating library, one of the first in post- war Boston. The library contained "several thousands" of volumes, which, according to its 1787 newspaper advertisement "will furnish such a fund of amusement and information as cannot fail to entertain every class of readers ... whether solitary or social -- political or professional -- serious or gay." [13] Subscribers paid eight dollars per year, or "two dollars per quarter -- to have the liberty of taking out two books at a time and no more -- to change them as often as the subscriber pleases -- and no book to be retained longer than one month." [14] Guild stipulated that "any book lost, abused, leaves folded down, writ upon or torn, must be paid for." [14] After his death in 1792, Guild's bookshop and library were taken over by William P. Blake. [15]
Among the titles in Guild's circulating library in 1789: [16]
Benjamin Guild (1749-1792) was a bookseller in Boston, Massachusetts, in the late 18th century. [1] He ran the "Boston Book Store" and a circulating subscription library in the 1780s and 1790s at no.59 Cornhill, "first door south of the Old-Brick Meeting-House." [2] [3]
Born in 1749 to Benjamin Guild and Abigail Graves, Benjamin attended Harvard College (class of 1769); classmates included Theophilus Parsons, Alexander Scammel, Peter Thacher, William Tudor, and Peleg Wadsworth. [4] [5] He later tutored at Harvard, 1776-1780, [5] and travelled abroad. [6] In 1784 he married Betsey Quincy (1757-1825). [7] [nb 1] He served as a charter member and an officer of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, [8] [9] [10] and on the editorial committee of the Boston Magazine. [11]
Guild sold books from his shop at no.8 State Street from around 1785 until 1786, when he moved to Cornhill (1786-1792). [12] In addition to the bookshop, he ran a circulating library, one of the first in post- war Boston. The library contained "several thousands" of volumes, which, according to its 1787 newspaper advertisement "will furnish such a fund of amusement and information as cannot fail to entertain every class of readers ... whether solitary or social -- political or professional -- serious or gay." [13] Subscribers paid eight dollars per year, or "two dollars per quarter -- to have the liberty of taking out two books at a time and no more -- to change them as often as the subscriber pleases -- and no book to be retained longer than one month." [14] Guild stipulated that "any book lost, abused, leaves folded down, writ upon or torn, must be paid for." [14] After his death in 1792, Guild's bookshop and library were taken over by William P. Blake. [15]
Among the titles in Guild's circulating library in 1789: [16]