Stephan Loewentheil, escaped from the practice of law to become an antiquarian over 35 years ago. He founded the 19th Century Rare Book and Photograph Shop and its subsidiary Luxury Catalogs, world renowned firms in the buying and selling of important rare books, manuscripts and photographs.

Stephan has worked for over three decades to build sophisticated collections at the nexus of intellectual and financial values. His specialty is the creation of collections transcending fleeting trends or popular culture, and instead reflecting a long-term perspective on human achievement.

Stephan’s areas of specialization include the first and early editions of Shakespeare, the great 19th-century American authors , the classics of science from Copernicus to Darwin to Watson & Crick, and great books of economics, and American history among others.

Over the decades, he has created world-renowned collections of 19th-century photography including the Civil War era, and early Western American photography. In addition he has built the most important collection of the early photography of China in private hands.

Stephan’s clients have included all of the Presidents of the United States from George W. Bush through Barack Obama, and his books have been in the personal collections of Pope John Paul II, the Dalai Lama, Gorbachev, Blair, Mitterrand, Rabin, Chirac, Berlusconi, the Sultan of Brunei, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, and many others.

Stephan has specialized in developing long-term relationships with some of the greatest collectors from the world of finance and industry, creating extraordinary collections of enduring value.

Early in his career Stephan became deeply concerned about the lack of professional focus on the problems of stolen objects in the antiquarian markets. He has always believed that a respect for due diligence in the issues of provenance is a primary duty of a dealer to his clients.

Stephan is also extremely proud that his upstate home, Zlateh’s Farm, on Shakespeare's pond, raises chicken, eggs, trout, vegetables, fruit and maple syrup sufficient to meet the food needs of his extended family and many friends. The farm also grows organic hay and chopped whole corn feed to round out the diet of his home-bred, pasture-raised natural beef and lamb.