its Jimmy Stewarts library, not Rod. FYI.

BWAH-HAH-HAH-HAH! Most of those are not libraries, but rather “built-in bookshelves,” and limited ones at that.

I hardly think that the Kelsey Grammer one counts as a “library”…

Karl Lagerfeld’s is impressive. I heard once that whenever a new fashion related book was published he had “his people” buy three copies, one to keep clean, one to flip through and one that he could rip pages out of for inspirations. Looking at that library I now believe the story.

Just because they have books doesn’t mean they can read.

Actually, I’d bet Kelsey Grammer is one of the only celebs on this list who has actually read most of the books in his library. It’s a lousy picture, true, but he’s a smart guy.

Richard Burton (the actor) had a very nice library at his home in Majorca.

Greta Garbo’s look fake

Kelsey Grammer only has a handful of books on two bookshelves…you’d have to get all of your books on loan from Karl Lagerfeld.

I wonder what kind of sex dungeons are located behind the trap door libraries.

Kelsy Grammer is not at all intelligent. He’s a “conservative.”

quantity does not equate to quality. and anyways,you can’t judge a person by one photo anymore than you can judge a book by it’s cover…just sayin…

Woody’s is the only one I would like to browse.

Garbo’s and Oprah’s look like they were designed to look good on shelves rather than to read (though obviously Oprah reads books). I just lament that the pictures aren’t big enough to read the titles.

And when it comes to bibliomania, well, I know a thing or two:

http://www.lawrenceperson.com/?p=595

Those are case law books on Greta Garbo’s shelves. She must have spent many a leisurely afternoon perusing them :)

MJ’s looks like the Time-Life collections… :)

Looks like Lagerfeld is a librarian’s worst nightmare…organizes his according to size and color rather than topic or author :)

[...] being overrun with tacky knick-knacks, it looks like a good starting point.  I found this picture here, where you can pictures of other celebrity [...]

Warehouses of mostly unread books, no doubt. (You’re damn right I’m jealous.)

[...] Fonte Arredamento, Real Life libreria (11), libri (15), michael jackson (21), sinatra (2), woody allen (2) Share Tweet Vote TinyUrl Effettuare il login per lasciare un commento [...]

typo…that’s JIMMY Stewarts’s house not Rod Stewart

So it would appear that Keith Richards is a lot better-read than Woody Allen…
http://ourlibrary.mornpen.vic.gov.au/Page/images/KeithRichardsLibrary.jpg

Simply gorgeous! I’m sure the brighter rooms are better for reading but there’s something so welcoming about the dark woods.

[...] friends over at Flavorwrire have compiled a commendably bookish collection of photos of celebrities’ home libraries, showing how the likes of Karl Lagerfeld (above), Rod Stewart [...]

Marilyn Monroe’s books: http://www.llibrevell.cat/wp/marilyn-monroe-i-els-llibres/

Michael Jackson didnt just read the books:

http://gracemj.wordpress.com/2010/05/25/michael-jackson-influenced-academic-literature-too/

I have personally toured Michael Jackson’s Neverland Valley Ranch Library.
It is filled with volumes of well-read books and beautiful antique model sailing ships.
I hope some day Michael’s children, members of the public, and I, are allowed to tour Michael’s beloved
Library at Neverland, again. In the meanwhile we can read and search for the meaning of these quotes
from the well-read Michael Jackson:

“In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe.”

“The meaning of life is contained in every single expression of life. It is present in the infinity of forms and phenomena that exist in all of creation.”

Michael Jackson was a voracious reader- he had over 10,000 books in his library-one of his friends talked about how well read he was and how many of the books were dog-eared and well worn.

strange article. why didn’t you talk about or show the actual libraries? i seen it reported in several places that michael jackson owned a million volumes, and could talk about every book in his collection. tom messerau has talked about his collection as one of the biggest in the world. jackson often wiped out the entire inventory of rare book dealers. so why just the shot of the den at neverland? weird.

[...] estrela televisiva Oprah Winfrey, da diva Greta Garbo etc. – fotos que podem ser conferidas aqui, no link da [...]

[...] cannot get enough of glimpses like these: celebrities’ libraries. Really, anyone’s library. If I walk into your house for the [...]

You didn’t do Michael Jackson library justice. Books were a big passion of his. And me thinks Oprah’s complete library looks a lot different than the little part displayed on the photo. Karl Lagersfeld’s library looks like it consists of nothing but paperbacks. Most book-lovers opt for hard-bound editions of the books they love most, since they last longer.

The Joan Rivers “library” consists of little more than an entertainment center reworked and shelves added.

You really need to correct that — it’s JIMMY Stewart’s library — not Rod’s! Fix, please!

Greta Garbo and…Oprah? Both had “books for looks”. I guess Oprah only reads a couple of REAL books a year, and then goes and makes their authors super rich and famous…if they aren’t already. Karl Lagerfeld seems to shelve books willy-nilly, since some of ‘em don’t even appear to be spine out. If you saw the documentary on him you’d know that in fact he probably has as many iPods (and white collars…and black boots…and heavy-ass rings) as he does books. And Diane Keaton seems to have arranged many of her books by size.

[...] on over to Flavorwire to have a peek into some celebrity libraries. E-Verse picked its own three favorites. Thanks to [...]

My mother used to work at a bookstore with a location on Rodeo Drive. It was very common for celebrities to order “books to look good on 25 feet of bookshelves” or some such similar order. Lots of books owned does not equate with lots of books read, except for those of us who buy books we canb’t afford because we love them.

Pictures of wealthy persons’ abundant libraries don’t mean those people ever cracked any or all of the books. Like as not, the library is the work of a well-paid interior decorator

Its a shame so much now is being said about the legendary king of pop the right hon mj.To become such a wonderful user of the language he has to be a book worm. He is simple the great. His understanding of things and his songs says it all. Long may his true legacy live from generation to generation.

“My mother used to work at a bookstore with a location on Rodeo Drive. It was very common for celebrities to order “books to look good on 25 feet of bookshelves” or some such similar order.”

Several of the larger and more high-end antiquarian bookshops in Britain sell books “by the foot”. This is essentially a service for people who have got a big library with empty shelves and just want them to look impressively full. What tends to happen is that books that have attractive tooled bindings but few other points of interest get set aside and are then bought up en masse to look good on the shelf.

In fairness, I’d say most of the pictures above look like working libraries that have undergone a vigorous tidy in anticipation of the photographer pitching up, rather than anything else.

Why all of the snarky comments? It’s fun looking at other people’s libraries, without speculating about what they’ve actually read. And there are more ways to shelve books than what you see at Barnes and Noble. A few factoids: (1) in medieval libraries, books were stored flat (see Lagerfeld); up until the mid-sixteenth century, books were shelved with the fore-edge (not the spine) facing out (that’s why they’re called the fore-edge and spine); (3) shelving books by size was a common practice in libraries up until the nineteenth century, because it uses space more efficiently; (4) the famous English diarist Samuel Pepys not only shelved his books by size, he put little pedestals under them so that the top edges were in a straight line (books for looks?); (5) up until the seventeenth century, most books had few, if any, identifying labels on the outside – often they were marked only with their location coordinates in the library (bookcase or bookpress number, shelf number, position on shelf); (6) in early libraries it was a common practice to bind multiple books into a single volume (a sammelband), which then might be shelved either by size, or date of acquisition, or some other scheme completely unrelated to subject or author.

I’d kill to have Lagerfeld’s :-)

[...] is Karl Lagerfeld’s place. Via @kylevanblerk and Flavorpill. 0 Comments No Comments so far Leave a comment Subscribe to RSS for comments or TrackBack URI [...]

I want Stewart’s library, but I’m afraid my bookshelves look more like Sinatra’s. Still, either are better than Garbo’s. God knows she was an intelligent person, but I’ve never seen so many books look so un-LIVED in!

I too like Karl Lagerfield’s library. Wonder if I would have space that big :)

[...] finally, here is an article featuring the libraries of the rich and famous, and I am jealous of [...]

[...] Libraries of the rich and famous. [...]

thank you, Bubba, and others, for pointing out that many of these aren’t Libraries – they’re intellectual decoration. Everyone has books. Oprah’s shelves have color coordination to match her couch’s skirt…. “library”? hardly.

[...] To read the whole article, and view photos of the rooms please click here: [...]

now all those library’s combined can be read on your smartphone or reader. no need to kill all those trees to have the library on congress now….

[...] more at Flavorwire (Thanks Christopher [...]

Great Garbo must have actually said ” I vunt to be a lawyer’n “

[...] bei Flavorwire gibt es eine schöne Galerie mit Bildern von den Bibliotheken der Promis. Von Frank Sinatra, Oprah, Rod Stewart, Michael Jackson, Diane Keaton, Woody Allen, Joan Rivers, [...]

[...] Libraries of the Rich & Famous [...]

It is obvious from Michael Jackson’s way of thinking, his diction and personal demeanor what a cultured and well read man he was. His sensiivity to local culture, human and especially children’s needs abundantly prove him to be one of the most profound, spiritual and cultured people in the world.
Hopefully his library would one day be open to visitation.

MJ’s library is exactly how I always pictured one. It must have been really relaxing enjoying a glass of wine and a good book by the fire place. Although I am sorry you couldn’t find a better picture to illustrate Michael’s passion for books. Interesting post.

[...] of libraries of the rich and famous (hat tip Frank Wilson) raise questions: Have those that own these books actually read them? Or are [...]

Garbo’s library may actually look the way it does because, for a time, it was fashionable for the well-heeled bibliophile to order custom clamshell cases to keep books free from dust and sunlight – and they look pretty good on the shelves that way, too. It’s an idea I’ve toyed with myself. It was also fashionable in Garbo’s day for people to send entire collections out for custom rebinding.

From a special collections history standpoint, clamshells and rebinding were popular back when collections became an actual *legacy* in and of themselves – these days, however, even famous collections become scattered to the winds once the creator dies, and finding 99.9% of particular editons is as easy as clicking a button on a website. And what do you do with a person’s entire collection? Libraries no longer have the space, heirs aren’t interested, and even very beloved collections now get little use. (I should know, I administer one that is little more than a reliquary, though I try to use the books when I can.) Collecting is less and less of an art and a challenge, though I’m perfectly fine with that since the tradeoff is better access.

[...] knew celebrities could read?! just kidding, but on an interesting note – Flavorwire has a nice little compilation of celebrity libraries. i was surprised at the decor certain celebrities chose – i would have pegged the interior of their [...]

[...] via via via Veröffentlicht in Brustwarze, Kultur, Kunst / Art, Life, Sexy, Style, VJ LIVE, [...]

[...] Schaut Euch mal um … Libraries of the rich and famous [...]

[...] нещодавно нам вдалося знайти підбірку фотографій, які зображають домашні бібліотеки іноземних [...]

I think the best library so far was MJ. It wal well-mannered and in order, the way it represent the filing from the ceiling and have a god ambience too for relaxing. Wow! beautful & pleasant to look, easy to find. It shows how intelligent he was and loves much of art and history..imagine…..Gosh! wish i could turn up to his neverland someday..godbless!

[...] Kända människors bibliotek (Flavorpil) ”Celebrities may live glamorous lives, but at the end of the day, we’d like to think that a good number of them curl up at home with a good book.” [...]

[...] σπιτοσκυλοφάν Μαρία έστειλε στο σπιτόσκυλο ετούτο το post του Flavorwire με τις βιβλιοθήκες των διασήμων, και το σπιτόσκυλο [...]

An interesting look at some celeb’s libraries. I think mine looks most like Sinatra’s – a bit messy but comfortable and well read books!

[...] Libraries of the Rich and Famous! #celebritiescanread [...]

I agree that most of these I wouldn’t consider libraries, but bookshelves. I definitely have a dream library. Big, big, big!

you think that anyone has touched half of these books?

[...] Libraries of the rich and famous. [...]

I have a very tiny bookshelf full of books. I read 2-3 books per week and obtain all of my books from my free local library. A photo can no longer tell us whether a person is well-read.

I wish John Larroquette was included. He is a huge bibliophile and collector of 1st editions. I’d love to see what his library looks like.

[...] well-documented obsession with books — he apparently owns 300,000 of them, and photos of his library have been making the blog rounds for months — has inspired him to create a new, book-scented [...]

[...] favorite interior decorating piece of the week has been recent Flavorwire article showcasing celebrity libraries.  I’ve always dreamed of having a home library, and these [...]

[...] to go hunting for more. We’ve already shown you a choice selection of the libraries of the rich and famous, but here, inspired by Price’s book, we’re focusing on the libraries, studies, and [...]