Moses Polock

Moses Polock (May 14, 1817 – August 16, 1903) was a publisher and the first bookseller in the United States who dealt exclusively in rare books. At the time of his death, he was the oldest bibliophile in the country. He was Jewish.

Early life Moses Polock was born in Philadelphia on May 14, 1817. He was the fourth of twelve children to Hyman Polock (April 3, 1786 – August 15, 1870) and Rebecca Barnett (May 24, 1791 – September 5, 1884).

The two were wed on June 12, 1811 in London and immigrated to the United States in 1813 at the encouragement of Barnett's uncle, Aaron Levy, who possibly financed the voyage. During the trip, Barnett was pregnant with her first child. In 1786, he laid out a settlement in Centre County, Pennsylvania, which was later named Aaronsburg after him.

Hyman and Rebecca Polock moved to Philadelphia and were members of Congregation Mikveh Israel. Hyman worked as a jeweler and was an active member of the local Jewish Community. He was an original member of the Hebrew Society for Visitation of Sick and Mutual Assistance, founded in 1813 as the first Philadelphia Jewish mutual aid and insurance association, of which he eventually served as president.

Career After attending preparatory schools, Moses Polock entered the Franklin Institute in 1828. Three years later, at the age of 14 years, he started work as a clerk at the book store McCarty & Davis, located on the north side of Market Street, near Fourth Street in Philadelphia. In 1815, the two sold the firm to William McCarty and Thomas Davis. The new owners of the firm would be wholesale book publishers of British dramas, the works of Shakespeare and many law books. Moses would be employed by the firm for twenty years, working his way up to being its chief businessman. McCarty eventually retired and Davis would die in 1850, naming Polock as executor of his will.

Personal life Polock never married nor fathered any children. He was an active member of the Jewish community, being a life long member of Congregation Mikveh Israel. At the time of his death, he was its oldest seat-holder, and perhaps the oldest native Jew in the Philadelphia area. Notable items included were:

A printing of The Aitken Bible, the first English Bible printed the United States. An original manuscript from John Heckewelder. Seven volumes of books from the library of George Washington, purchased at a sale in 1876. A batch of letters from eminent English and American Statesman connected with the American Revolution and addressed to John Hancock. The Washington Letter, in reference to the exchange of Lord Cornwallis, and the survey of a part of Mount Vernon. Ivory miniatures of the author Charles Brockden Brown and his wife.

Rosenbach and his brother Philip borrowed enough money from their mother to buy most of Polock's inventory at the auction, including some important Americana and early children's books. Starting at a level that would take other collectors years to reach, the brothers used the items as the base inventory of their business venture, The Rosenbach Company.