New West's Groove Cat Books and Records has created a portal for readers to escape into the past.
Set to be unveiled to the public on Saturday, Aug. 12, with a live music concert by classical guitarist Daniel Karrasch, the Antique and Collectible Book Room will house a selection of books by authors such as Jack London, Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, the Brontë sisters, Thomas Carlyle and more.
John Hughes, who co-owns the bookstore with Catherine Hughes, added that the room will sport a working 1938 Rca Victor stand-up radio, and an old-school chair where readers can “chill out” with a first edition of a John Steinbeck novel, the 1950s hit children’s book series Dick and Jane or a book by the Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl (best known for his 1947 Kon-Tiki expedition).
The room will also be home to a “very old” first-year Latin textbook and a copy of Happy Hunting-Grounds which was first published in 1920. While the store doesn’t have the tomes precisely dated, John confirmed that the oldest book they have is from the latter decades of the 1800s.
What had the owners turn an office room at the bookstore into a vintage-only nook was a chance online find, said John.
They had come across someone who was selling a bunch of antique books online, he said.
“We just thought we’ll grab them all and figure out what to do with them later.”
Since the office room seemed like the "right size" for all of the books that they had sourced, they decided it a logical step to go ahead and design a room for people who wanted to pore over old literature.
"It will transport you decades into the past…” promises the store's Instagram post.
Join the unveiling of the Antique and Collectible Book Room at Groove Cat Books & Records, 775 Sixth Street, on Saturday, Aug. 12, between 2 and 3 p.m.
