Justin G. Schiller
Justin G. Schiller | |
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| Born | September 10, 1943 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
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| Known for | Antiquarian children's books and related art; writer, lecturer, and collector |
Justin Galland Schiller (born September 10, 1943) is an American dealer specializing in rare and collectible children’s books. He initially operated under his personal name from 1960 to 1969, then as Justin G. Schiller, Ltd. until 2020. Based in New York City, his firm was recognized as the longest-standing specialist business in the United States dedicated to historic and collectible children’s literature, original artwork, and manuscripts. In 1988, he partnered with Dennis M V David to establish Battledore Ltd, focusing specifically on original illustrations for children’s books and preserving the heritage of Maurice Sendak.
Early life
Born in Brooklyn, New York, on September 10, 1943, Justin Galland Schiller is the son of Samuel Gary Schiller and Constance Audrey Galland. His early education included Public School 236 and Samuel J Tilden High School. At the age of eight, he began assembling a collection of Wizard of Oz volumes by L. Frank Baum, portions of which were loaned to Columbia University’s Butler Library for the author’s centennial exhibition in 1956. When he was thirteen, Schiller founded the Wizard of Oz Fan Club—later renamed The International Wizard of Oz Club—appointing Frank Joslyn Baum as its honorary president.
On November 3, 1956, coinciding with the television premiere of MGM's Wizard of Oz film, Schiller appeared alongside host Bert Lahr and ten-year-old Liza Minnelli. He introduced the movie by reading from his original first edition (1900) copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Recognized as an authority on Oz memorabilia, Schiller also featured on the game show To Tell The Truth in 1972.
Career
Schiller attained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ithaca College in 1965 with Honors in English Renaissance Literature. He participated in the International Symposium at the Shakespeare Institute at Birmingham University in 1964 and pursued graduate studies along with a teaching fellowship at Harpur College, SUNY Binghamton, completing them in 1966.
His first catalogue specializing in antiquarian books was released in 1960. In 1967, he became a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and later served on its Board of Governors in 1976—the same year he published his inaugural specialty catalogue dedicated to collectible children’s literature. From 1969 to 1989, Schiller was affiliated with the Antiquarian Booksellers Association (UK), and since 1969 he has been a member of the Bibliographical Society of America, serving on its Council between 2001 and 2007. Between 1973 and 1976, he chaired the board of the Antiquarian Booksellers Center and has been a member of the Grolier Club since 1982. Other memberships include participation in the International Association of Bibliophiles (1983–2012), involvement with the American Antiquarian Society since 1984, contribution to the Lenox Society Steering Committee for Rare Books & Manuscripts at the New York Public Library (1986–2000), and service on the board of the Lewis Carroll Foundation from 1988 to 1995.
Through numerous articles covering authors, illustrators, genres, and collectible items—along with yearly reports and auction reviews—Schiller has actively promoted early children’s literature awareness within trade publications such as AB Bookman's Weekly, contributing regularly from 1971 until 1989.
As both consultant and dealer, Schiller has played a key role in developing prominent private and institutional collections worldwide. Notable among these are Yale University’s Beinecke Library Betsy Beinecke Shirley Collection, Princeton University’s Firestone Library Lloyd E. Cotsen Collection, and Harvard University’s Houghton Library Peter J. Solomon Collection.
His enduring contributions include establishing two fellowships with the American Antiquarian Society and Bibliographical Society of America aimed at fostering research into early children’s literature prior to 1901. The Justin G. Schiller Fellowship specifically supports doctoral and postdoctoral investigations into American children’s books published up to 1876 through interdisciplinary approaches.
Collections
Justin G. Schiller curated a variety of significant collections that culminated in distinguished single-owner auctions and exhibitions, such as:
- L Frank Baum and related Oziana, Swann Galleries New York sale 1118 (November 2, 1978)
- Lewis Carroll and Alice, Christie's New York sale 9046 (December 9, 1998)
- The Treasure of Siam, Christie's Bangkok sale 9991 (August 7, 1999)
- Dutch Modernism ... Symbolism, Art Nouveau and Art Deco 1880-1930, Sotheby's Amsterdam sale 1047 (February 5, 2008)
- Vintage Chinese Posters 1939-1990, Bloomsbury London sale 583 (September 21, 2006)
- Red China 1921-1976, Bloomsbury London sale 35982 (October 4, 2012)
- The Art of Maurice Sendak at the Society of Illustrators in New York, 2013
- Quotations of Chairman Mao 1964-2014 (The Little Red Book, 50th anniversary), Grolier Club New York, 2014
- Once Upon A Time, inventory from Justin G Schiller Ltd, Heritage Auctions Dallas sale 6234 (December 16, 2020)
Publications
Schiller’s prolific writings focus on the collection of children’s literature and bibliographic research, including:
- "L Frank Baum and his Teen-Age Serials: a Bibliographical Checklist," Boys' Book Collector II:3 (1971)
- "Collecting Children's Literature," American Book Collector (1972)
- "Memoirs of an Antiquarian Bookseller," Horn Book Magazine (1973)
- "Artistic Awareness in Early Children's Books," Children's Literature: The Great Excluded III (1974)
- "Magazines for Young America: the First Hundred Years of Juvenile Periodicals," Columbia Library Columns (1974)
- "The Publication of Little Black Sambo," The Book Collector (1974)
- "Collecting American Juveniles," in Jack Tannen's How To Identify And Collect American First Editions (1976)
- "Early Children's Books at the Pierpont Morgan Library," American Book Collector (1976)
- "Collecting Historical Children's Books," Art At Auction (Sotheby's) (1976–77)
- Classics in Children's Literature, co-edited with Alison Lurie (Garland, 1977)
- Introductions to Lothar Meggendorfer's mechanical toybooks for the Metropolitan Museum of Art during the late 1970s
- L Frank Baum and related Oziana, The Schiller Collection, Swann Galleries (1978)
- "The Osborne Collection: An Appreciation," A Token for Friends, Toronto Public Library (1979)
- "Appraising Historical Children's Books," AB Bookman's Yearbook (1984)
- Introduction to Barry Moser's illustrated edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Pennyroyal Press/University of California Press (1985–86)
- Nonsense Books bibliography on Edward Lear for the Royal Academy of Arts (1985)
- Nonsensus: Cross-referencing Edward Lear's limericks with manuscripts, Catalpa Press (1988)
- "Illustrated American Children's Books," Brandywine River Museum (1989)
- "One Collector's Progress," The Washington Post Book World (1989)
- Re-description and census of suppressed printings for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1990)
- "Collectible Children's Books: An Introduction," Rare & Collectible Children's Books, Tokyo: Maruzen Co. (1990)
- Contributions on Beatrix Potter featured in Brooklyn Museum's Guennol Collection (1991) and Christie's International Magazine (1997)
- Sendak in Asia exhibition catalogue published in Tokyo (1996) alongside essays on Maurice Sendak
- Articles exploring Charles Perrault's Fairy Tales and the Paul Bunyan myth in Biblio magazine (1997–98)
- "Appraising Collectible Children's Books," publication by the American Library Association (1998)
- Digging for Treasure: An adventure in appraising rare and collectible children's books, lecture version for Indiana University Friends of the Lilly Library (1998)
- "Welcome to the Land of Oz," Antiquarian Book Review XXIX:6 (2002)
- Pioneering Collectible Children's Books: the First One Hundred Years, lecture publication by University of Virginia (2002)
- Several essays honoring Maurice Sendak appearing in Horn Book Magazine and exhibition catalogues through the early 2000s
- "The Tale of Beatrix Potter," cover story for Rare Book Review (2006/07)
- "Fifty Years of the Oz Club," The Baum Bugle vol. LI:2 (2007)
- Memorial tributes to Betsy Beinecke Shirley published in Drawn To Enchant and American Antiquarian Society Proceedings
- "[Martin Gardner]: A Personal Reminiscence" included in Bouquet For The Gardener by Lewis Carroll Society N.A. (2011)
- Maurice Sendak: A Celebration of the Artist and His Work, exhibition catalogue by Abrams/Society of Illustrators (2013)
- Bibliographical study titled Quotations of Chairman Mao 1964-2014, Grolier Club publication (2014)
- Radiant with Color and Art: McLoughlin Brothers and the Business of Picture Books, published by The Grolier Club
- Sendak and Blake illustrating "Songs of Innocence", Battledore Ltd, Kingston NY (2018)
Appearances in Documentary Films and Television
- The Booksellers (2019)
- Murder Among the Mormons (2021)
Personal Life
Schiller lives in Kingston, New York with his partner Dennis M V David. They have been together since 1981 and formalized their marriage in 2011. Their residence is a Victorian-era home originally constructed for George Coykendall, situated overlooking the historic area of Rondout.
External Links
- Justin G. Schiller profile featured by the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (YouTube)