First edition. A fine copy.

In one of the most elegant annotated bibliographies ever created, Leonora Navari the compiler in association with Konstantinos Staikos, a leading authority on library history and bibliographies, have created an indispensable aid to any scholar of Greek culture. This work documents the renowned collection of Dimitris Contominas whose library was built with the goal of collecting every book by scholars and visitors to Greece from the fifteenth to the mid-twentieth century. Each book is completely described bibliographically, with pagination, collations of signatures, description of illustrations, and bindings. The notes are varied and include information on printing history, biographical details of the authors, illustrators, the significance of the work, and its connection with the historical bias of its time as well as a listing of selected holdings. The historical introduction is bilingual in English and Greek with all the annotations in English. There are over 200 rare illustrations most in color and multiple indexes. From the reference library of Philadelphia Rare Books & Manuscripts with their bookplate included.