About Us

Since 1937 the George S. MacManus Company has bought and sold rare books. Our clientele includes individual collectors as well as public and private institutions that span the globe. We are located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, and are easily accessible by car or train.

 We are among the leading specialists in the field of Americana, and maintain a large inventory of over 45,000 books focusing primarily on 17th through 19th century American history, specializing in Colonial and Revolutionary War history, Voyages and Travels, Indian and Western history, Local history, Civil War, Southern history, African American history, as well as American and English literary first editions.

 Clarence Wolf, owner and proprietor of the bookshop for over fifty years, is a leading book dealer in the rare book community. He has been instrumental in helping collectors, both individual and institutional, build and maintain their libraries. Currently he serves on the boards of the Library Company of Philadelphia as well as the Clements Library. His former board affiliations include the Rosenbach Museum and Library and the ABAA. He is a member of the American Antiquarian Society as well as the ABAA and ILAB.

 We issue catalogs several times a year in our fields of specialization, and we frequently customize special lists for our clients. Upon request we are able to generate smaller, more specified lists. We are committed to maintaining our inventory, and are active and aggressive buyers. We are always interested in buying good individual books, or entire libraries.

 We are open by appointment or by chance. We are generally here during normal business hours, however an appointment is strongly suggested.

 All material on our website is offered subject to prior sale and is shipped subject to approval. Notification of return must be made within ten days. New customers are asked to prepay, or supply ABAA/ILAB references. Postage is extra. Payment may be made by check, wire transfer, or bank draft; Visa and MasterCard are also accepted.