Our approach
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David Wenner has always had a deep enthusiasm for the physical sciences, and now uses collecting as a way to study the history of science.
His first commitment is always to the story of the science and to the completeness of its coverage. The scientific importance of a document is paramount (not who previously owned it, or signed it). Wenner always seeks the best quality and form warranted for the significance of the contents of a document. Sometimes it is an offprint; other times a journal issue; and still others a journal volume. Most are first editions, but not always. Availability plays a part in every decision.
Wenner uses multiple approaches when identifying and acquiring documents:
Extensive reading and research, across many sources
Relationships with hundreds of rare books and manuscript dealers around the world
Maintenance of a highly researched and extensive “wish list” with an emphasis on the documents that were of vital importance to the advancement of that science
Daily searches for new listings using search engines and Boolean expressions
Most collections of scientific documents either consist of a few well-known “trophy titles” or a larger assembly of loosely-related documents collected ad-hoc when offered by dealers or at auction. Very few collections tell the complete story.
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Each collection is meticulously leather-bound and boxed by a classically trained, artisan bookbinder — Kevin Oliver. Oliver carefully repairs old volumes, binds long runs of journals to complement one another on the shelf, and creates beautiful boxes to house multiple papers that relate to the same discovery.
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Throughout the process, Wenner carefully documents each essay, paper or manuscript and how it fits into the story of the collection. When possible, related documents are boxed together, often including a card describing the topic and explaining the role of each individual work. The documentation of the History of Physics collection, as an extreme example, culminated in an impressive 600+ page book that summarized the collection, its contents, and the significance of each piece.