Book Listing

Book Life: The Life and Times of David Scott Mitchell 1836–1907

Australia’s greatest book collector, David Scott Mitchell, gave his extraordinary library and a bequest for its development to the people of Sydney and the world.

This is the first comprehensive account of his life and what, how, and why he collected, told through his books, reading, and contemporary correspondence.

Mitchell’s life and his collecting opens a window on the world of ideas, literature, libraries, and philanthropy in the nineteenth century.