Barbers Book Store

Title

Barbers Book Store

Artist

Joan Carroll

Medium

Photograph - Digital Photograph

Description

This small sign tells doesn't even hint at the interesting story behind it. This building was originally constructed around 1910, but was remodeled in the 1930's with an Art Deco facade. Over the years, the building has housed a cafe, a hotel, and most notably, Barber's Bookstore. One online source states that "The bookstore closed in late 1997 and its contents were liquidated in the fall of 1998." Another source says that the "book store has closed down for the most part but still resides as the Back Door Book Store. The second story of the building still holds the inventory for the book store." StrangeUSA says "Ghostly footsteps. Sounds of pages being turned, strange shadows on staircase and an apparition are also reported. Building is now an antique store." The real story may be more interesting. Excerpts from a local news story follow.... "Like all interesting stories, what�s behind the storefront on Throckmorton in Fort Worth is a tale you can�t judge by what you first see, but only by what you explore inside....Eighty-year-old Brian Perkins is a collector of the written word. To him, books are like the glue that keeps the pages of his journey bound together.... Perkins opened his store in 1955 and ran it until the end of its last chapter 40 years later in 1995....�When we retired we sold our last 80,000 books. It took 10 trucks to haul them away,� said Perkins...What's left in the space is his private collection -- a small library of somewhere between 30,000 and 50,000 books. Perkins says it�d take three days just to figure out the number. �I don�t want to count them,� said Perkins...With so many books in his collection, people might be surprised to learn he�s rather picky. He sticks to what he calls "unusual� or �uncommon." Hundreds of books sit on top of each other in stacks almost reaching the ceiling. Even with being selective Perkins still has large sections including military, art, science, any religion you want, and more. Though the collection looks like stacks or piles to some casual observers, Perkins insists there's a rhyme and a reason in his grouping...�There must be something good about them or they wouldn�t be here. This may not look like it�s organized but there is a rudimentary foundation to it. I can�t imagine the guy who invented the Dewey Decimal system,� said Perkins...Perkins profits by renting out the first floor -- leaving the interest that became his job, to once again be his full-time hobby...�In 1969 they told me at that time that I either had to buy the building or take my books and get out. So�it�. Moving the books was sort of an impossible job which should have taught me something then,� said Perkins...�I would like to get these priced and organized. I realize it�s never going to happen, but it gives me something to do,� said Perkins...Now Perkins helps people looking for a book they might not be able to find elsewhere..�I�ll go up there and let them look around and see if they can find it and then charge them too little for it,� said Perkins...He�s always searching for more at thrift stores, estate sales, anywhere...Leaving him to enjoy his passion in the way most people read -- quietly, in plain sight, open for those who are interested.

FEATURED PHOTO, Vast Cosmos group, 9/1/14

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June 3rd, 2014

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