This book examines works from the Frederick S. Selch Collection pertaining to the history of musical instruments. Selch was well-known for collecting books about history, design, and the use of musical instruments. His books on this field of study present the developing history of the field of organology and present how they will continue to be a resource for research. The books also reveal plenty about the history of printing and book illustration, and with 100 items showcased, this exhibition represents the diversity and quality of Selch's collection.

Produced after the exhibition held at the Grolier Club from January 26 to March 11, 2005, the book contains much of the commentary included in the labels displayed at the exhibition. Laurence Libdin, Curator of Musical Instruments at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and H. Reynolds Butler provide additional commentary. Entries are arranged chronologically under author, compiler, or publisher. Full title transcriptions with original spellings, ligatures, and punctuation, commentary, format, register of signatures, number of leaves, pagination, and page size are all included in the descriptions. A summary of the book's printing history has also been included for many entries, and references are listed for each entry. In addition to the catalogue, appendixes, notes, references, and an index are presented. The book is beautifully illustrated in black-and-white. It was designed by Jerry Kelly and printed by the Studley Press.