As the son of a librarian, Jim Rule developed a passion for antique books at an early age. In the nearly 30 years since he began his collection, it naturally evolved to include bookends, which may play a supporting role but have a rich and interesting history all their own. Rule’s Antiques and Fine Books, located at I-40 Antique Center in Maumelle, now features upwards of 60 pairs.
Quite simply, their main function is to hold up books. At the beginning of the 19th century, when books were printed on an industrial scale and the public’s libraries began to grow, so too did their desire for different means of displaying and accenting them. In the United States, factories like The Bradley & Hubbard Manufacturing Company responded, adding bookends to a line of products that already included clocks and sewing machines.
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