Arturo Pregliasco (1931-2022): He went looking for the never-ending library
It is with heavy hearts that we write today of the passing, on 17 January 2022, of Umberto’s esteemed father Arturo Pregliasco. “A monument of bibliophilia,” as Vincent Buonanno put it in his remarks at the inauguration of PrPh Books in 2013, Arturo lived a long and full life as a truly great bookseller who did much to shape the world of antiquarian books.
Arturo Pregliasco (1931-2022)
At the same inauguration event, Arturo recalled his first visit to the United States and earliest participation at the New York Book Fair. Forging friendships with outstanding American booksellers, Arturo recalled how the idea of opening a business in New York was briefly floated back then, foreshadowing the proud moment, in 2013, when he would see Umberto and Filippo take on this new challenge.
Watch the remarks given by Arturo Pregliasco, Vincent Buonanno, Umberto Eco, and Filippo Rotundo at the opening of PrPh Books in 2013.
Arturo’s father, Lorenzo Pregliasco, founded the family bookshop at Via Principe Amedeo in 1911. In June of 1921, after returning from World War I, the first catalogue was published and sent out to such notable figures as Benedetto Croce, Piero Gobetti and Luigi Einaudi, who used to frequent the shop at that time. Ten years later Lorenzo’s first son, Arturo, was born.
Arturo began working at his father’s side in the early 1950s, first in the bookshop and then around the world. He often recalled travelling in the smoking sections of third class, searching out various libraries, but soon enough he was flying to Paris and London for the first auctions and fairs held at the Europa Hotel, then embarking on lengthy trips to the United States, for example, for an exhibition in Los Angeles in 1967 followed by others at the Plaza in New York.
Making use of his familiarity with French and devoting evenings to studying English, Arturo was gradually able to expand the international scope of the bookshop’s activity. Travelling regularly, he began exchanging books and sharing experiences with all the greatest booksellers of the post-war period, including Menno Hertzberger, Bill Fletcher, Martin Breslauer, Arthur Lauria, Fernand De Nobèle, François Chamonal, Gabriel Rossignol, Charles Traylen, Hans Peter Kraus, Barney Rosenthal, Lathrop Harper, John Fleming, and Bernard Clavreuil. He would often bring with him his son Umberto, who fondly recalls meeting such “Great Old Men” of the book world while standing by his father’s side.
Arturo’s prominence in this expanded field is further attested by his presidency of the ALAI (Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of Italy) from 1970 to 1976, which also speaks to his continued recognition of Italy’s important literary heritage. Indeed, in 1960, he was among the first booksellers in Italy to promote twentieth-century literature on the international stage: for the first time, contemporary Italian writers and Futurists gained bibliographic recognition abroad, even approaching the same level of value long reserved for original editions in French and English. A year later, in 1961, he moved Libreria Antiquaria Pregliasco to its present premises facing the Fine Arts Academy of Turin, a fitting testament to the bookshop’s ongoing commitment to Italy’s rich cultural life, both at home and abroad.
The great bookseller himself recently wrote of his life:
Da ragazzino aiutavo mio padre come garzone, consegnando in bicicletta pacchi di libri e lucidando legature, negli anni Cinquanta acquisimmo a Milano la pregiatissima biblioteca del viceré napoleonico Francesco Melzi d’Eril; i decenni successivi furono densi di esperienze, incontri, viaggi, amicizie, fiere, scoperte.
Mi piace pensare di aver lasciato una piccola traccia nel mondo della bibliofilia, con gli oltre duecento cataloghi redatti in sessant’anni di attività, nelle migliaia di libri rari accuratamente descritti che oggi si trovano in biblioteche private e pubbliche di tutto il mondo. Vivere con i libri è stato un grande privilegio.
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As a boy I would help my father, delivering parcels of books by bicycle and polishing bindings; in Milan in the 1950s we acquired the highly prized library of the Napoleonic viceroy Francesco Melzi d’Eril; the following decades were full of experiences, meetings, travels, friendships, fairs, discoveries.
I like to think I have left a small trace in the world of bibliophilia, with over two hundred catalogues compiled in sixty years of activity, in the thousands of carefully described rare books that today can be found in private and public libraries all over the world. Living with books has been a great privilege.
Arturo’s legacy extends to the impact he had on his fellow bibliophiles. Among the many condolences received by Umberto over the past few days, a number were written by booksellers or collectors expressing their gratitude for his father’s kindness and support when, in their youth, he encouraged them to enter the book trade or build their collections.
Indeed, many kind messages have been received from extraordinary collectors and dealers around the world, some of which we quote here:
He was a very fine person, a gentleman, and a great bookseller. I have many fond memories of being with him in Torino and at meetings of the À.I.B.
Arturo was a bookseller of high distinction, his great love for books evident in his quest for the ‘never-ending library’. The book world is very much the poorer for the loss of this elegant gentleman.
Umberto, non potrò mai dimenticare la affettuosa accoglienza e i preziosi consigli ad un giovane ed inesperto libraio di tuo papà Arturo.
Je n'oublierai jamais la gentillesse de ton père pour le libraire débutant que j'ai été.
Un gentiluomo d’altri tempi da cui ho imparato tanto. Ma tanto. Una figura discreta, distinta, un signore che amava i libri prima di saperli ben valutare e vendere.
I remember how kind he always was to me. He was one of the last, or indeed the last, of his great generation of booksellers.
Era la prima volta che mettevo piede in una libreria antiquaria. Dopo anni di insistenza, mi cedette la sua personale copia delle Terze Rime di Aldo, che non avevo fino a quel giorno mai sentito nominare. Ricordi, e oggi tristezza, di un tempo irripetibile.
For many decades it was always a pleasure dealing with him. He was charming, courteous, with a streak of wicked humor, and a great host. Your family firm was always a necessary stop my book-buying trips.
Arturo’s extraordinary life, filled with exciting encounters with marvelous books, was fueled by his ongoing passion for the literary world. Despite degenerating vision caused by maculopathy, until six years ago he continued to visit the bookshop every day to take care of his books – to “breathe in and listen to” their pages, and June 2021 witnessed two important milestones: the centennial of the first catalogue published by Libreria Antiquaria Pregliasco and Arturo’s own 90th birthday. He was indeed, a monument of bibliophilia whom the book world was lucky to have and whose loss will continue to be much and sincerely felt.
nomina nuda tenemus
U. Eco, The Name of The Rose