This is a bibliographical study of 7,844 books of 1,277 types from family collections from the Seoul and Gyeonggi region that can currently be tracked which were formed and developed from the late Joseon era to modern times: namely the Han Sang-eok Collection, Su-dang Collection, Seong-ho Collection, Gyeong Seol-jae Collection, and Seo-gye Collection. I surveyed the formation and development of each collection ; researched and analyzed the central figures, themes and types of books that were formed with each development stage of the libraries to shed light on the historical and bibliographical characteristics ; and revealed the characteristics of the entire collections by collection form, print types, themes, and schools of thought. The conclusions are as follows.
First, the characteristics of the collection form show that 7 books were published in the 1500s (0.54%), 285 books in the 1600s (22.31%), 305 books in the 1700s (23.88%), 557 books in the 1800s (43.61%) and 123 books from 1900-1940 (9.63%) with the highest ratio of publication being from the 1800s. Each stage of the collection’s development show a different inclination toward theme, type of printing, and book according to the individual collector. As in the Han Chang-su era of the Han Sang-eok Collection and the Min Yong-dal era of the Su-dang Collection, we can observe book collections that show the characteristics of personal collections concentrated on individual interests. The public office term of the individuals who contributed to the libraries influenced whether the books were metal type prints, wooden type prints or block books.
Second, the type of prints used are divided into 406 handwritten books (31.79%), 530 block books (41.50%), 160 metal type prints (12.52%), 61 wooden type prints (4.77%), 64 rubbing prints (5.01%), 18 lithographic prints (1.40%) and 38 lead type prints (2.97%). Block books were collected in the highest number, with handwritten books having the second highest number as the result of the individual’s academic studies. The high percentage of handwritten books in libraries such as the Seong-ho Collection can be accounted for advancement in Hakpa, while a high percentage of special prints such as rubbing prints can be analyzed as a tendency toward Gahak.
Third, the themes were sorted into 287 Confucian classics (22.47%), 342 books on history and law and administration (26.78%), 155 philosophical works (12.13%) and 493 literary works (38.60%). The collections that are distinguished by themes show a tendency toward Gahak, while individual writings and biographies reflect the family individual’s Hakpa inclinations. Confucian classics were collected to educate the children of the household. The unofficial historical documents of the Su-dang Collection, the documents on traditional rites of the Seong-ho Collection, the divination texts of the GyeongSeol-jae Collection, and the epigraphy studies of the Seo-gye Collection reflect Gahak tendencies.
Fourth, the dominance of Hakpa in the beginning of the collections weakened after the 19th century, revealing a more progressive and open character that referred to and accepted many schools of thought in the study of Confucian classics and the study of rites. Also, the collections showed different levels of Hakpa according to the individual in the collection’s formation stage, which makes it possible to study the changes in Gahak and schools of thought.