Anthony Smith Books at 50 Albermarle Street

Anthony Smith has been a book dealer for nearly 30 years, and mostly he sells his wonderful stock via his website. But every so often he holds a pop-up shop at John Murray’s 0ld publishing offices at 50 Albermarle Street, just off Piccadilly. The building isn’t normally open to the public, so this is a rare chance to see the place where Lord Byron met Sir Walter Scott, and the offices where seven generations of Murrays published books by Jane Austen, Charles Darwin, Freya Stark, Osbert Lancaster, Kenneth Clark, Patrick Leigh Fermor and many many others. And that’s before you get to the books actually on sale. Smith is a much respected dealer and you only have to glance at his website to see the kinds of treasures that he offers: hard to find Osbert Lancasters, a rare edition of John Betjeman’s Summoned by Bells, a limited edition of Eric Ravilious’s book Engraving, just for example, as well as so many other carefully chosen books on all kinds of subjects, from fashion to military history. Highlights at the 20th July pop-up shop include Alexander Herzen’s memoirs of turbulent times in Europe in the nineteenth century, Lord Byron’s letters and journals, and a selection of Guinness pamphlets which were sent to doctors at Christmas between 1933 and 1966. Prices range from £10 – £10,000, so there really is something for everyone. We can’t wait.

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