David Magee was a bookseller and collector in the Bay Area. Born in Yorkshire in 1905, he grew up in London and came to San Francisco when he was 19. There, he secured a position in the book shop of John Howell and prepared a catalogue, laying the foundation for his future work as an antiquarian bookman, cataloguer, bibliographer, publisher, editor, and author. Over the years Magee travelled frequently to Europe to buy books for his collections that have enriched the shelves of both private collectors and libraries. Through his work, he has taken a central part in many aspects of the world of books in San Francisco. In this interview, Maggee discusses bookselling and book buying, the Grabhorn Press and post-Grabhorn printers, the fine printing tradition in San Francisco, and his approach to writing and editing. This interview is part of a group of interviews documenting literature, publishing, and printing in the Bay Area.
Note
Magee, David. "David Magee: Bookselling and Creating Books." Interview by Ruth Teiser in 1969. Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 1969. Interview date(s) 1969
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