Books in the window

    From evidence found on a quick walk along Edinburgh's George Street today, it would seem that books are the window dresser's prop-of-the-moment.

    Jack Wills filled their windows with hundreds of old books,

while a couple of doors along, Brooks Brothers were also bookish but with a little more restraint.

    In 'the olden days', what is now the Brooks Bros. building was occupied by the famous James Thin, bookseller, complete with a somewhat staid tea room in which scones tended to feature. When Thin's met their end, the shop became a branch of Ottakar's, with a dalek in the children's department and a comfy sofa in 'travel', but now the only books there are set-dressing and the shop is full of clothes. There is still a bookshop on George Street, though, as Waterstone's is a bit further down, and I popped in there for a few minutes and had a quick scout round the new 'paperbacks of the year' tables - I was glad to see that there were some Cornflower favourites among them.

Comments

[Dark Puss]

Thin's demise was a huge loss to Edinburgh. As an undergraduate I had an account there (paid for by my generous father) and made excellent use of their shop. None of the alternatives that followed were a patch on the original in my opinion. Sad days to be reminded of.

[m]

I hate the idea of books as window-dressing. Reminded me of the appalling tower of books at the V&A last year (look, touch, fondle but don't read). http://www.vam.ac.uk/things-to-do/blogs/11-architects-build-small-spaces/filling-tower-books
I believe they were eventually sold as a job lot as Art. I couldn't see any difference from pubs etc buying old books by the yard.

[Nan]

Of course, because I love books, I delight in seeing them, but it makes me sad that they are decorations. And quaint ones at that. It made me feel like books were a thing of the past.

[LizF]

I'm definitely with Nan on this one - it is very sad to see books used as incidental window dressing. Particularly in a shop like Jack Wills which seems to cater for spoiled children and parents with considerably more money than sense!