Peter Harrington | London | Rare Books
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"Founded by my father in 1969, Peter Harrington has been selling rare books from our London shops to collectors across the world for more than 50 years. All our books and manuscripts are chosen and catalogued by our experts so that we can guarantee the authenticity of everything we sell."
Where It All Began…
“The start of our business dates back to 1969, when my father Peter Harrington issued his very first catalogue from a stall at Chelsea Antiques Market on King’s Road. In 1971, he joined forces with his brother Adrian and formed Harrington Bros. They proved a successful team at selling rare books, gradually expanding the business in the 1970s. By the early 1990s the brothers owned the whole market, which at its peak housed more than a hundred stalls. During this period, my father also started a gallery with my mother Mati, focused on maps and limited-edition prints, which operated at a separate premises under the name Old Church Galleries. In 1997 he united his half of the rare book business and the gallery under one name: Peter Harrington.”
Pom Harrington joined Harrington Bros. in 1994, straight out of school, working shifts with his father and uncle at their shop over the weekends. In 1997, he joined his father in setting up Peter Harrington Antiquarian Books, opening a new shop at 100 Fulham Road, which currently serves as the company’s headquarters. Pom took over the business in 2003 when his father Peter passed away. Under his ownership, the company has grown to employ more than 60 team members, with a customer base and presence at book and art fairs across the globe. With a passion for the rare books trade, Pom has taken an active role in the Antiquarian Books Association – the senior trade body for book dealers in the UK. He served as its elected President from 2021 - 2023, bringing his experience of close to 30 years in the trade to the role. He is also the Chairman of Firsts, London’s Rare Book Fair, the keystone event in the annual calendar of UK book fairs.
“I collect books myself, and I believe acquiring rare books should be fun and personal. I believe I have inherited my father’s instinctive approach to rare book buying. You never know what book you will find next or where you will find it, and that keeps things interesting. My advice to any aspiring collector would be to buy books you love, and buy the best copies you can afford. Chances are, when the time comes to move them on, someone else will love them too”, Pom Harrington.
