Bernard Rosenthal

Dear Barney, on this first anniversary I was visiting the Leonardo exhibition at the Louvre, and nothing could remind me of you better than those incredible manuscripts. Your Latin was probably better than his but I'm sure you're having all kinds of terrific conversations up there.

Many of the manuscript fragments that David Jordan and I used to teach our paleography course in the Stanford Library came from Barney's. The highlight of our course each year was a trip with the students to Berney's shop, where he regaled them kindly and showed them manuscript, book, and photographic treasures.

Dear Bernard, you will be sorely missed.
Rarely has such erudition been matched by such a twinkle in the eye. You were a wonderful friend to my parents, Luc and Adrienne Fontainas, and it was a joy and a privilege to partake of that bond. My deepest sympathy to your family.

Barney -- Across forty-plus years of acquaintance, every encounter, every conversation or correspondence was a delight, and a time of learning. Bernard M. Rosenthal, nonpareil

Aussi longtemps que j'ai connu Barney, il incarnait pour moi la jeunesse d'esprit. Sa disparition en est d'autant plus difficile à admettre. Dans le vide qui s'est créé soudain tant de choses s'échappent. Reste le souvenir de ses yeux rieurs, de son écoute bienveillante, de sa curiosité, des liens qu'il savait établir et conserver. Il fut pour moi l'ami américain idéal. L'Ami tout court.
Mes pensées vont à sa famille et plus particulièrement à David, que Barney m'avait fait rencontrer.

Barney, you were a giant and will be sorely missed.

Working with, lunching with and purchasing manuscripts from Barney was a delight of my career as a rare book librarian. I was fortunate to be just down the street on the Berkeley campus and to be able to see him often at his place or mine. We joked about our "manuscript of the month club." Discussing the substance as well as the form of the manuscripts with knowledge and with humor was a joy.

To David, Oriane and Ruth, sending you our heartfelt condolences. We feel fortunate to have had the pleasure to meet "Barney".
The Klein family.

my dear friend, you will always be young.
so willing to be helpful. how can i be a bookie without you?
jill oriane tarlau, bookbinder