Some More Bookshops from Harald's Archive

Some More Bookshops from Harald's Archive

11. OK Bazaars

1940s, perhaps earlier and later

Eloff between President and Pritchard, east side.

A small but well-stocked book counter in a corner on ground floor

New books

Bought: Murder for Pleasure by Howard Haycraft, 2nd printing October 1942. Sticker reads ‘ O.K. Bazaars (1929) ltd booksellers'.
The Works in Prose and Verse of Charles and Mary Lamb, 2 vols in 1 on Oxford India paper 1924, 1782 pages with gilt top UK price 12/6.
The correct SA price was 21/- but this was wrongly marked 10/- and I succumbed to temptation; probably a mistake as I already had the Essays of Elia from Juta’s at 1/6 (Everyman's).
Seen: Specimen Days in America by Walt Whitman (World’s Classics).

At another counter on the ground floor in 1937 I bought my first complete Bible, London, British and Foreign Bible Society, Ruby 32 mo, no date, one shilling. This was when I was at Twist Street School and must have been about a month after my parents and I arrived in SA.

1999-12-07

12. British and Foreign Bible Society

1940s and 50s, probably earlier and later

North side of Bree between Eloff and Hoek, Hotpoint House – I think their offices were in the building.

New books

Mainly Bibles

Bought : A book containing the Lord’s Prayer (or the opening lines) in all the languages published by the Society. I no longer have it. (Black binding with red edges)

1999-12-07

13.Books Unlimited

1949

Cape Town

I was in Cape Town in October 1949 to meet an aunt arriving from Germany on the Sibajak, a converted troop carrier. A friend took me to Books Unlimited (can’t remember location). There was a thickset man in his forties with dark hair.

Used books

Bought : Collected poems of E.B. Browning, two small elegant volumes.
Cornish Ballads by R.S. Hawker ed. C.E. Byles
Select Poems of Lord de Tabley ed J. Drinkwater
This last is the only one I still have.
Seen : Poems by George Darley. Can’t remember title.
Elsewhere I bought England Made Me, by Graham Greene for immediate reading. Found it depressing. Also paperback of Cynthia Asquith’s Ghost Book (the first). Sometimes it rained and I had a tooth ache.

14. Bibliophile

Early 1980s

South side of Plein between Wanderers and King George, Stanhope Mansions.

Successor to Harold's Book Agency.

Owned by Mrs Eileen Song ( I think that was her name - can't remember how I came to know it.). There was also a husband and a small boy but they were not active in the shop.

She had previously dealt in books from an office and was originally a librarian.

A very nice lady who gave me a ± 1980 OUP catalogue. She must have sorted out her predecessor's stock (someone had to!). There were piles of probably prewar US movie star magazines, 50 cents each.

New books only

Bought : 18th century vignettes first series World's Classics 1937 with three illustrations including a folding plate of Vauxhall Gardens, price one rand, by Austin Dobson.
Jane Austen - Selected Letters, 1981 impression, price R14. Also The Country Child by Alison Uttley, Nelson Classics, layout similar to predecessor.
1999-12-14
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