Argosy Book Store

Last updated
Argosy Book Store
Industry Specialty retail
Founded1925 (1925)
FounderLouis Cohen
Headquarters,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsOut-of-print and rare books; antique maps and prints; autographs & manuscripts
OwnerJudith Lowry, Naomi Hample, Adina Cohen, Ben Lowry
Number of employees
17
Website http://www.argosybooks.com/

The Argosy Book Store is New York City's oldest independent bookstore. Located at 116 East 59th Street in Midtown Manhattan, it occupies an entire six-story townhouse with various sales floors specializing in first editions, Americana, leather bindings, antique maps and prints, and autographs. [1] The store, also noted for a wide selection of bargain books, has its own framing and shipping departments and owns a large warehouse in Brooklyn.

Contents

History

The Argosy was founded in 1925 by Louis Cohen, [2] who picked the name, in part, because it started with the letter "A" and would be listed early in telephone directories. [3] Originally located in the old Bible House on Fourth Avenue's famed "Book Row," it moved to 114 East 59th Street in the 1930s [4] and then moved next door to its current address in 1964 when the previous building was replaced with a skyscraper. Cohen's wife, Ruth Shevin, managed the store's art gallery into her 90s [5] and worked with several other family members over the years. Now in its third generation of family ownership, the store is operated by Cohen's three daughters and grandson. [6]

Since its inception, the Argosy has worked with many prominent customers, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who ordered books from an early catalogue, and later First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who needed help stocking the White House library with Americana. [5] President Bill Clinton has been a regular customer [7] [8] ever since the owners restored his flood-damaged collection of books in Chappaqua, New York. [9] Other high-profile customers have included Michael Jackson, [5] Stephen Sondheim, [5] Princess Grace, [10] Sally Field, [11] Donatella Versace, [12] Oriana Fallaci, [13] and Kevin Rudd. [14] Patti Smith was briefly an employee in 1967. [15]

In October 2012 the Argosy suffered extensive damage during Hurricane Sandy, when bricks dislodged from the 32nd story of the adjacent building and crashed through the store's roof. The resulting flood affected the top two floors and destroyed many historical artifacts, including acts of congress signed by Thomas Jefferson. [16] The store made a full recovery by the fall of 2013.

The Argosy, known for its elegant old-world interior, [17] has been used as a setting for movies and TV dramas, including The Front with Woody Allen, Law and Order , and Person of Interest . [6] Alfred Hitchcock's film Vertigo also features a bookstore of the same name situated in San Francisco. It has also been used as a background for fashion shoots and television interviews. It was prominently featured in the 2018 movie Can You Ever Forgive Me? and is among the New York bookstores where the real-life Lee Israel had attempted to sell her forgeries. It was also featured in the 2019 movie The Goldfinch .

The store and its history was the subject of the 2019 documentary The Booksellers .[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borders Group</span> Defunct American corporation

Borders Group, Inc. was an American multinational book and music retailer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. In its final year, the company employed about 19,500 people throughout the U.S., primarily in its Borders and Waldenbooks stores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnes & Noble</span> American bookseller and retailer

Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller. It is a Fortune 1000 company and the bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. As of July 7, 2020, the company operates 614 retail stores across all 50 U.S. states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strand Bookstore</span> Independent book store in New York City

The Strand Bookstore is an independent bookstore located at 828 Broadway, at the corner of East 12th Street in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, two blocks south of Union Square. In addition to the main location, there is another store on the Upper West Side on Columbus Ave between West 81st and 82nd Streets, as well as kiosks in Central Park and Times Square, and a curated shelf at Moynihan Train Hall. The company's slogan is "18 Miles Of Books," as featured on its stickers, T-shirts, and other merchandise. In 2016, The New York Times called The Strand "the undisputed king of the city’s independent bookstores."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gianni Versace</span> Italian fashion designer (1946–1997)

Giovanni Maria "Gianni" Versace was an Italian fashion designer, socialite and businessman. He was the founder of Versace, an international luxury-fashion house that produces accessories, fragrances, make-up, home furnishings and clothes. He also designed costumes for theatre and films. As a friend of Eric Clapton, Princess Diana, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Madonna, Elton John, Tupac Shakur and many other celebrities, he was one of the first designers to link fashion to the music world. He and his partner Antonio D'Amico were regulars on the international party scene. The place where he was born and raised, Reggio di Calabria, greatly influenced his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donatella Versace</span> Italian fashion luxury designer (born 1955)

Donatella Francesca Versace is an Italian fashion designer, businesswoman, socialite, and model. She is the sister of Gianni Versace, founder of the luxury fashion company Versace, with whom she worked closely on the development of the brand and in particular its combining of Italian luxury with pop culture and celebrity. Upon Gianni's death in 1997, she inherited a portion of the Versace brand and became its creative director. She is currently the brand's chief creative officer. Along with her brother Gianni, she is widely credited for the supermodel phenomenon of the 1990s by casting editorial models on the runway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Versace</span> Italian luxury fashion house in Milan

Gianni Versace S.r.l., usually referred to as Versace, is an Italian luxury fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978 known for flashy prints and bright colors. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as well as haute couture under its Atelier Versace brand and licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear. Gianni Versace being a native of Calabria, in the ancient Magna Grecia, the company logo is inspired by Medusa, a figure from Greek mythology.

Waldenbooks, operated by the Walden Book Company, Inc., was an American shopping mall-based bookstore chain, from 1995 as a subsidiary of Borders Group. The chain also ran a video game and software chain under the name Waldensoftware, as well as a children's educational toy chain under Walden Kids. In 2011, the chain was liquidated in bankruptcy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amazon Books</span> Bookstore chain by Amazon.com

Amazon Books was a chain of retail bookstores owned by online retailer Amazon. The first store opened on November 2, 2015, in Seattle, Washington. On March 2, 2022, it was reported that all Amazon Books would close on various dates in the future.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zabar's</span> Specialty food store in New York City

Zabar's is an appetizing store at 2245 Broadway and 80th Street, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, founded by Louis Zabar and Lillian Zabar. It is known for its selection of bagels, smoked fish, olives, and cheeses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Americana Manhasset</span> Shopping mall in Manhasset, New York

Americana Manhasset is an upscale, open-air shopping mall located in Manhasset, in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. It is located along a stretch of Northern Boulevard commonly referred to as the Miracle Mile of Manhasset.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Levine Books and Judaica</span>

J. Levine Books and Judaica is an independent bookstore located in Midtown Manhattan. J. Levine is a fifth-generation family business and one of the oldest standing Judaica stores in United States since it opened in 1905.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midtown Comics</span> Comic book shops

Midtown Comics is a New York City comic book retailer with three shops in Manhattan and an e-commerce website. The largest comic book store in the United States, the company opened its first store in the Times Square area in 1997. Its second was opened on Lexington Avenue in 2004, and is known as the Grand Central store for its proximity to Grand Central Terminal. Its downtown store was opened on Fulton Street in the Financial District in November 2010, and its Astoria, Queens outlet store opened in March 2020. It also used to operate a boutique inside Manhattan's Times Square Toys R Us.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Scribner's Sons Building</span> Commercial building in Manhattan, New York

The Charles Scribner's Sons Building, also known as 597 Fifth Avenue, is a commercial structure in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, on Fifth Avenue between 48th and 49th Streets. Designed by Ernest Flagg in a Beaux Arts style, it was built from 1912 to 1913 for the Scribner's Bookstore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gotham Book Mart</span> Former bookstore in Manhattan, New York (1920–2007)

The Gotham Book Mart was a famous Midtown Manhattan bookstore and cultural landmark that operated from 1920 to 2007. The business was located first in a small basement space on West 45th Street near the Theater District, then moved to 51 West 47th Street, then spent many years at 41 West 47th Street within the Diamond District in Manhattan, New York City, before finally moving to 16 East 46th Street. Beyond merely selling books, the store virtually played as a literary salon, hosting meetings of the Finnegans Wake Society, the James Joyce Society, poetry and author readings, art exhibits, and more. It was known for its distinctive sign above the door which read, "Wise Men Fish Here". The store specialized in poetry, literature, books about theater, art, music and dance. It sold both new books as well as out-of-print and rare books.

Versus (Versace) was a diffusion line of the Italian luxury fashion house Versace. It was founded in 1989 by Gianni Versace as a gift to his sister Donatella. The line was discontinued in 2005 but was relaunched by Donatella in 2009 with a capsule collection of accessories designed by British designer Christopher Kane.

Benjamin Anastas is an American novelist, memoirist, journalist and book reviewer born in Gloucester, Massachusetts. He teaches literature and writing at Bennington College and is on the faculty of the Bennington Writing Seminars MFA program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics and Prose</span> Independent bookstore in Chevy Chase, Washington, D.C.

Politics and Prose is an independent bookstore located in Chevy Chase, Washington, D.C., on Connecticut Avenue. It was founded in 1984 by Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade. They expanded it fivefold to its present size. After a failed sale attempt in 2005, they sold it to Bradley Graham and Lissa Muscatine in 2011. Its author events attract famous speakers, such as Bill Clinton and J.K. Rowling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rizzoli Bookstore</span> Bookstore in New York City, NY, US (founded 1964)

Rizzoli Bookstore is a general interest bookstore, located in the St. James Building, 1133 Broadway in New York City, that primarily specializes in illustrated books and foreign language titles. Its previous location at 31 W. 57th Street was noted for its beautiful interior. After Rizzoli's lease expired in April 2014, the 57th St. building was demolished. Rizzoli moved to its current NoMad location on July 27, 2015. The Rizzoli Bookstore is indirectly owned by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore an Italian multimedia company, having acquired the books division from RCS MediaGroup. The direct parent company of the bookstore is Rizzoli International Publications, also known as Rizzoli New York.

Book Row was a district in New York City from the 1890s to the 1960s composed of six city blocks which, at its peak, contained over three dozen bookstores. Many – if not most – of the places were used bookstores. In its heyday, Book Row spanned the stretch of Fourth Avenue between Union Square and Astor Place. Other names for it included "Booksellers' Row" and "Second-Hand Row."

Books of Wonder is an independent bookstore and publisher based in Manhattan. It was established in 1980 by Peter Glassman and James Carey and is focused on selling antique, classic and new children's books. It has been called "New York City's oldest children's-only bookstore" still in activity.

References

  1. Thomas, Michael (October 2005), "Volumes of Praise: One Loyal Customer's Appreciation for the Argosy Book Shop", Quest , p. 145
  2. "The world's most inspiring bookstores" Salon
  3. Nelson, Sara (December 2006 – January 2007), "A Family Affair: Book lovers flock to the Argosy Book Store, a thriving New York cultural institution presided over by savvy sisters", Publishers Weekly Book Life, p. 27
  4. Chernofsky, Jacob (April 15, 1991), "Louis Cohen and the Argosy Book Store", AB Bookman's Weekly , pp. 1509–1510
  5. 1 2 3 4 "A shrine to books past clings to independence" The New York Times (October 13, 1997)
  6. 1 2 Molarsky, Mona (February 16, 2009). "Favorite Midtown bookstores east of Fifth". Examiner.com.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  7. Barron, James (December 25, 2001), "Boldface Names", The New York Times
  8. "Page Six: Sightings", The New York Post , December 9, 2004
  9. Barron, James; Waldman, Amy (July 31, 2001), "Boldface Names", The New York Times
  10. Reynolds, Tripp (April 4, 1995), "Little Shop of Treasures: New York's Argosy Bookshop Is A Paradise For Collectors Of All Kinds", Chicago Tribune
  11. Kachka, Boris (November 11, 2012), "Sally Field Spent a Decade Getting Into Character for Lincoln", New York Magazine
  12. Kling, Cynthia, "Shortlist: Donatella Versace", Elle Decor
  13. "Page Six: Sightings", The New York Post , December 20, 2005
  14. Barron, James (September 24, 2009), "City Room: A Prime Minister and a Roosevelt", The New York Times
  15. "Jonathan Lethem & Patti Smith" (interview). PEN American Center. November 3, 2010.
  16. Barron, James (November 15, 2012), "Storm's Damage Extends to Nation's History", The New York Times
  17. Shapiro, Gary (February 14, 2006), "An Uptown Book Oasis", The New York Sun

Coordinates: 40°45′45″N73°58′09″W / 40.7624°N 73.9691°W / 40.7624; -73.9691