Local Expert Brings Rare Books to Life

For as far back as he can remember, Ken Gloss has been surrounded by books.

Growing up as the son of George Gloss, owner of the historic Brattle Book Shop, Ken has fond memories of working in the famous used and rare bookstore from the tender age of 4.

“Work isn’t quite the word for it,” he admits. “At that age I was running around… getting in the way.”

Decades later, Gloss has created a name for himself in the rare book world – you might recognize him from regular appearances on PBS’s Antiques Roadshow – and maintains the same shop his parents purchased in 1949.

The Brattle Book Shop, now housed in a three-story brick building tucked away in Downtown Crossing, is full of atmosphere. It’s also jam-packed with books – used books, old book, older books and rare antiques. Down in the basement, accessed by an old-fashioned cage elevator, books are stacked to the ceiling, waiting to be shelved or added to the shop’s outdoor sale carts.

Gloss has been running the shop full-time for nearly 40 years now. His days are taken up with appointments visiting estates or homes with collections to sell. No two trips are alike.

“You never know what you’re going to be looking at,” he said from the third floor of his shop. “It’s like Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island.”

Gloss doesn’t limit his purchases to just valuable antiques – Brattle sells dozens of $1, $3, and $5 volumes on outdoor carts – but his knowledge of rare books is extensive. When giving talks on the subject, he invites the public to bring along books for informal, on-the-spot appraisals. During one event, an audience member presented him with a copy of the Declaration of Independence, which Gloss determined to be a second printing of the document, worth $250,000 at the time.

He tells most people that their books are worth $20 or less, which can be a relief to anyone concerned with preserving potential collectors’ items.

“A lot of times people are happy when you tell them they’re not worth a lot of money,” he said. “They don’t have to worry about it.”

For his next appearance, Gloss will be speaking at the New England Historic Genealogical Society on Newbury Street in the Back Bay. The talk, entitled “,” is free and open to the public.

The talk will begin with a brief “show and tell,” as Gloss calls it – he plans to pass around an original Red Sox program from the 1912 World Series and a sales brochure for the Titanic. Rather than lecture, Gloss keeps the mood light and leaves plenty of time for questions and appraisals.

“I try to tell stories and make it entertaining,” he said. “I find if you try to teach everybody falls asleep. If people leave the talk saying ‘books are fun’ it’s successful.”

Gloss’s talk, “Is There Value in Your Old and Rare Books,” will be held Wednesday, April 13 at 6 p.m. at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99-101 Newbury Street. The event is free and open to the public and will include free appraisals.