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Hans P. Kraus

Austrian-born American rare book dealer (1907-1988) · United States · On the map · Writers · Died at 81

Hans Peter Kraus, also known as H. P. Kraus or HPK, was an Austrian-born American book dealer described as "without doubt the most successful and dominant rare book dealer in the world in the second half of the 20th century" and in a league with other rare book dealers such as Bernard Quaritch, Guillaume de Bure and A.S.W. Rosenbach.

Hans P. Kraus is read about 34 times a day, in 7 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 18 June 2026

The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 60 days, one point a day.

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About this person

Kraus specialized in medieval illuminated manuscripts, incunables, and rare books of the 16th and 17th centuries, but would purchase and sell almost any book that came his way that was rare, valuable and important. He prided himself in being "the only bookseller in history...to have owned a Gutenberg Bible and the Psalters of 1457 and 1459 simultaneously," stressing that "'own' here is the correct word, as they were bought not for a client's account but for stock."

Country
United States
Category
Writers
Type
Writer / Author
Status
Deceased
Dates
Lived 1907 to 1988 · aged 81