Burnside Books' Liz Hopkins on Art Nouveau Bindings, Frankenstein, and Cataloging Books

Our Bright Young Booksellers series continues today with Liz Hopkins, cataloger at Burnside Books in Portland, Oregon:

How did you get started in rare books? 

I always knew I wanted to work with books, in some capacity, due in large part to my parents who endlesslessly fostered a love of reading in me. As a teenager, I would sneak out of last period in high school - sorry Mom and Dad - and walk down to Macaluso’s Rare Books in Kennett Square. As soon as I got my driver’s license, I frequently drove my old, rusting Buick to Baldwin’s Book Barn on the weekends. My thirst for endless piles of books started young. No one was at all shocked when I entered the trade nearly ten years ago. 

I earned an undergraduate degree in History and Art History and was awarded a year-long archiving grant almost directly after graduation. I catalogued thousands of objects at the Allentown Art Museum in their costume and textile department. When the grant ran out I briefly moved to Vermont to spin wool on a sheep farm in hopes of continuing down a textile related path. The reality of finding permanent work in the art world seemed pretty bleak. 

Utterly broke and somewhat frostbitten, I moved back to Pennsylvania where I found employment at Firefly Bookstore in Kutztown, a general used bookstore I haunted throughout my college years. Matthew Williams and Rebecca Laincz, the owners of Firefly, shaped me into the bookseller I am today. I later relocated to the Harrisburg area where I sought a position at Midtown Scholar Bookstore just before the pandemic in late 2019. I was the Scholar’s rare book specialist for over four years, working remotely with early and important PA German and colonial imprints. I would, on occasion, work with scarce signed first editions, two of which I sold to my current employers, Rachel Phillips and Roger Hucek. I booked a flight to meet them, interviewed, got the job and well, the rest is history. I’ ve been with Burnside for nearly two years now. 

What is your role at Burnside Rare Books? 

I’m one of Burnside’s catalogers and booksellers alongside my brilliant colleague Madeleine Moore who has been in the trade for the better part of a decade. I think booksellers wear many hats, ourselves included. 

What do you love about the book trade? 

Well, for one, I’m never bored. There’s always something to learn or pique my curiosity. Cataloging books is endlessly fascinating. I know that sounds somewhat trite, but it’s true. I absolutely love the camaraderie, too. I attended CABS last summer and met lifelong friends. It’s clear as day that all of us in this industry are passionate about what we do.

Describe a typical day for you:

I walk to the office, greet the stacks, answer emails and customer inquiries, pack up orders, pick a selection of books I want to clean and photograph and quietly catalogue for the rest of the day. On occasion we welcome visitors by appointment, which is always a treat. Interacting and connecting with our customers is honestly the best part of my job. I will never hesitate to show our Nuremberg Chronicle bound by the Guild of Women-Binders, our ultra-fine first edition of Nineteen Eighty-Four, or our first edition, first issue of Paradise Lost bound by Riviere. Please come visit if you’re ever in Portland, OR, we’d be delighted to meet you. 

Favorite rare book (or ephemera) that you’ve handled? 

The more unusual, the better. I recently catalogued an impeccable 19th century sea moss herbarium bound in whale bone. Absolutely stunning. We have this absolutely precious Alice in Wonderland that is entirely comprised of handkerchiefs from 1930. It blends my love of textiles with books, honestly what could be better? I cataloged a first American edition of one of my favorite books, Frankenstein, last year and a second British edition just a few months ago. Pretty incredible. We had not one, but two firsts, 1sts of Dracula that came and went rather swiftly. Never a dull moment here at the office. 

What do you personally collect? 

I have a lovely arrangement of art nouveau bindings at home, a small but mighty collection of feline-related tomes, a few antique sea moss albums, early 18th c. herbal plates, 20-30’s romances in glorious deco jackets and lots and lots of sea shells. I’ ve been amassing 19th and early 20th c. cyanotypes of women, including one that was gifted to me printed on linen. I have a strange hankering to collect old mugshots, can’t tell you why, but I need them. If it’s hauntingly beautiful, I want it. 

What do you like to do outside of work? 

I’m probably in a bookstore. No joke - can’t keep me away for long. Thankfully Portland is packed with amazing used bookstores, about two dozen of them, my favorites being Mother Foucault's Bookshop and Belmont Books. If I’m not feverishly acquiring books I’m likely reading, hunting for antique furniture and clothing, listening to music, watching obscure films, or practicing my harp.

Thoughts on the present state and/or future of the rare book trade? 

I’m optimistic about the future of the trade. The tides are clearly turning. There’s a fresh, almost electrifying, enthusiasm for books and objects with younger generations, especially through social media platforms. I’m excited to see what the next few years have to bring to the table. 

Any upcoming fairs or catalogs? 

Burnside will be at the Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair October 18-19. Come say hi, I’ll be at the booth! We’ll also be at the New York Antiquarian Book Fair next spring. We just released an e-list of herbariums I had the pleasure of cataloguing over the past few weeks. We print a catalog about once a year, please let us know if you’d like one and we’ll happily send it to you.