Antiquarian collectors prized books whose content contradicted their conservative values

Evidence

The greatest irony was that these antiquarian books, in their content, often espoused precisely those philosophies that the intellectual revolutionaries of the period had sought to overthrow. This irony was lost, however, on the bookbrokers, auctioneers, opportunistic librarians and rich collectors who had commodified these books, and now dictated their price. — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 548

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 548
• XREF: connects to: Libraries began to prize books for physical attributes over content. — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 502; Manuscript collectors assembled bespoke texts, a freedom print abolished — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 65; Collectors’ biases shape which non-European tales survive and how they sound — , A Year of World Stories, 17

Broader Connections

• Libraries began to prize books for physical attributes over content. #expands (0.75) — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 502
• Manuscript collectors assembled bespoke texts, a freedom print abolished #expands (0.65) — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 65