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All the United States Massachusetts Boston Brattle Book Shop
AO Edited

Brattle Book Shop

One of the oldest used bookstores in the U.S. has been selling antiquarian treasures since 1825.

Boston, Massachusetts

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Asia London Palomba
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Brattle Book Shop.   Chris Ball
  Julius Spada / Atlas Obscura User
  MtnLady / Atlas Obscura User
  M0nac0 / Atlas Obscura User
A mural of famous authors outside in the sale lot.   Asia London Palomba / Atlas Obscura User
  libbylknapp / Atlas Obscura User
The book shop’s sale lot.   Asia London Palomba / Atlas Obscura User
Exterior book lockers are painted to represent a bookshelf.   pauldbentz / Atlas Obscura User
  alderwoodvt / Atlas Obscura User
  cait7911 / Atlas Obscura User
A mural depicting famous authors outside in the sale lot.   Asia London Palomba / Atlas Obscura User
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Wedged between red brick buildings and hidden from the hustle and bustle of Downtown Boston is an antiquarian bookshop that has been selling used books since 1825.

Located a couple of steps away from the Boston Common is the family-owned Brattle Book Shop. It offers more than 250,000 books, postcards, maps, and prints spanning across multiple genres and decades. It attracts an eclectic crowd, ranging from JD Salinger to a patron with a penchant for eating Bibles. 

The first two floors of the store are packed with general used books. Space is limited as its shelves, all stuffed with titles, are crammed close together, making it nearly impossible to navigate the store without bumping into someone. Small step stools are scattered around the space, allowing visitors to reach books on the highest shelves.

The third floor houses collectible and first-edition antiquarian books spanning a range of genres. If you're lucky, you might find notes and dedications scribbled on pages from decades ago.

Outside the store, sandwiched between two industrial brick buildings, is an open-air sale lot. Racks and bookshelves fill the outdoor space, selling books for as little as $3. Small, compact Russian short stories or thick and heavy Encyclopedias are just some of the treasures that can be found lining the outdoor area. Splashed on one wall is a patchwork mural of famous authors such as Toni Morrison and Italo Calvino who look down on you as you sift through thousands of titles.

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Bookstores Cities Books Stores Commercials Literature

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Added By

Asia London Palomba

Edited By

nekokat, pauldbentz, cait7911, M0nac0...

  • nekokat
  • pauldbentz
  • cait7911
  • M0nac0
  • alderwoodvt
  • libbylknapp
  • MtnLady
  • Julius Spada

Published

March 9, 2018

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  • https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/aug/01/brattle-book-shop-boston-rare-collectibles-salinger
Brattle Book Shop
9 West St
Boston, Massachusetts
United States
42.354663, -71.062057
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