William Gowans
American antiquarian bookseller
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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.
William Gowans | |
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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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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] His later store on Nassau Street had "three floors one hundred feet deep, crowded with books falling all over one another. Book-lovers were amazed by the large, dark cellar filled with books and by the way Gowans was acquainted with the contents of his huge collection."[5]
He collaborated with Joseph Sabin, compiler of Bibliotheca Americana: A Dictionary of Books Relating to America.
He also has the same birthday as Joseph Wines and Laura Siviter.