Circulating Books
The Socio-Material Presence of Printed Matter in the Life and Studies of Anders Johan Sjögren in the 1810s
Abstract
Delving into the history of book culture, this article addresses the challenges posed by the study of material aspects and activities surrounding books and reading. How is it possible to scrutinize the physical intertwinement of printed matter and its users? The article concentrates on the life and studies of young Anders Johan Sjögren (1794–1855), an ardent bibliophile and diary keeper, who wrote extensively about book recycling and his reading habits. The examination shows the way in which Sjögren’s activities of buying, reading and recycling books and periodicals entangled with the early capitalist
book trade and the networks of his companions at school and university. In the city of Turku, Sjögren and his friends, most of whom were book lovers, organized themselves into a larger social formation which promoted Romantic ideas and literature.
Keywords: book culture, recycling, material history, networks, book trade
