William Gowans (March 29, 1803 - November 27, 1870) was a prominent antiquarian bookseller in New York City. In 1821, he emigrated to the USA with his family. Around 1837, he stayed as a boarder in the house where Edgar Allan Poe also lived. He ran a bookstore for over 40 years, and for his last 10 years was the proprietor of a famously cluttered shop overflowing with volumes on Nassau Street in lower Manhattan.[1][2][3][4]
William Gowans | |
|---|---|
 Gowans as depicted in March 1895 edition of The Bookman | |
| Born | March 29, 1803 |
| Died | November 27, 1870 (aged 67) |
| Occupation | Bookseller |
| Signature | |
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References
edit- ^ (30 November 1870). Obituary: William Gowans, The New York Times
- ^ Dickinson, Donald C. The Late William Gowans, American Bibliopolist, p. 127-29 (Vol. 4, No. 39) (March 1872)
- ^ Dictionary of American Antiquarian Bookdealers, p. 86 (1998)
- ^ Andrews, W.L. The Old Booksellers of New York, The Bookman (New York), p. 130-32 (Vol. I, No. 2.) March 1895)