Peter Harrington, Rare Book Store

Established in 1969, Peter Harrington has become one of the leading rare books firms in the world.

With a stock of fine books from the fifteenth to twentieth centuries in a broad range of subjects, in the past few years we have sourced and sold such outstanding items as

James Joyce, Ulysses, one of 100 copies on Dutch paper, in the original wrappers
Shakespeare first folio, 1623
Samuel de Champlain’s very rare Les Voyages du Sieur de Champlain Xaintongeois (Paris, 1613), a pioneering work in ethnography with the first accurate mapping of the New England coast
Virginia Woolf’s pocket engagement diaries for eight years including that for the final year of her life
The publisher’s copy of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn: “the first copy ever bound”, with a unique autograph draft of Clemens’s unused dedication
Our customer service includes not only sales advice but commission bidding at auctions, library projects and others. We regularly produce fully-illustrated catalogues featuring our newest acquisitions. Each entry is fully described and carries our unconditional guarantee. We provide both domestic and international shipping and accept all major credit cards.

We are members of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association (ABA), the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) and of the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association (PBFA). We exhibit regularly at a number of international book and antique fairs.

In 1969 Peter Harrington began selling rare books and first editions from the Chelsea Antiques Market on London’s King’s Road. In 1997 we moved to much larger premises on the Fulham Road, still in Chelsea.

Since 2000 the bookshop has been run by Peter’s son, Pom Harrington. Peter passed away in 2003.

In 2000 we founded The Chelsea Bindery, where we have some of the finest binders in the world producing fine bindings and boxes for both ourselves and our customers.

In the 1970s Peter established, alongside his books, a successful map and print business in the Antiques Market, ably assisted by his wife Mati. In 1989 Mati and her daughter Nicky established Old Church Galleries as a separate business, with a shop in Old Church Street next to the Chelsea Rectory. As a thriving concern, Old Church Galleries then moved to retail premises on King’s Road, and opened a second branch at 98 Fulham Road, next door to the bookshop. In 2003 the two gallery branches consolidated into 98 Fulham Road. Nicky left in 2005 to start a family; Mati continues to work as a partner and consultant.

In 2010 we amalgamated Peter Harrington Antiquarian Bookseller and Old Church Galleries into one business and one premises, so that the new firm of Peter Harrington now occupies a double-fronted building, with more than 20,000 volumes and 6,000 works on paper arranged over four storeys.