Volume XI page by page Volume XI must have been a joy for Lillian to compile; it contains entries for several of her favorites books as well as a number of stories on how she obtained various volumes. Among those she particularly appreciates are Eugene Field’s The Love Affairs of a Biliomaniac, Henry James’s The […]

Volume XII page by page In Volume XII Lillian brings up several issues that she discusses in earlier volumes, such as deciding what counts as a best seller and how to weigh popularity and literary merit. For example, in her entry on Henry James’s The Sacred Fount, she writes, “James never a ‘best-seller,’ but he […]

Volume XIII page by page In Volume XIII  of her collecting journals, Lillian continues her careful tracking of first editions while enhancing her entries with stories, amusing observations, and historical background. Her entry for The “Goldfish,” for instance, records a neat story about discovering the author: “Written by Arthur Train. The author a mystery until […]

Volume XIV page by page Like the other volumes, XIV is filled with stories and reflections on American culture. The highlight of is certainly Lillian’s long anecdote about purchasing her first edition of Anne Douglas Sedgwick’s Adrienne Toner, which illustrates her pleasure in searching for first editions. “A fine copy for which I paid 10 […]

Volume XV page by page By the time Lillian began her entries for Volume XV, she had a very strong opinion about the literature of the early 1930s—she either liked or disliked things greatly. Of Marc Connelly’s play The Green Pastures, for instance, she writes, “A remarkable performance. Deeply impressive, the choir singing the Negro […]

Volume XVI page by page Volume XVI opens with some interesting correspondence to Lillian from Randolph G. Adams, the Director of Clements Library at the University of Michigan. Adams wrote to Lillian upon hearing of her reaction to his essay on “Librarians as enemies of books.” After reassuring her upon the value of her collection, […]

Volume XVII page by page Lillian begins Volume XVII with a long quote from John Buchan (Lord Tweedsmuir) on the pleasures of reading, copied from his “Pilgrim’s Way: an Essay in Recollections.” The passage relates well to Lillian’s various reflections throughout her collecting journals about reading for pleasure and assessing literary merit. Buchan writes, “I […]

Volume XVIII page by page Volume XVIII, the final volume of Lillian’s collecting journals, is unfinished. Though she leaves the end date of the cover blank, the final entry is dated 1947. The volume likely remains incomplete because of the collection’s donation to the University of Virginia Library. Begun when she was 81 years old, […]

Volume I Volume II Volume III Volume IV Volume V

Alberton Mill. The Alberton Mill was founded by Lillian’s grandfather, James Sullivan Gary. The mill remained in the family until around 1940; even after the sale Stanley Jr. acted as the director for the company. 212 Lombard Street. Until Lillian reached the age of six, the Garys lived at 212 Lombard street. 212 Lombard Street […]