bell’s offers a delicious and eclectic mix of new, used and rare books. while it is possible to find rare herbs from the 17th century, with botanical woodcuts, printed on handmade linen paper; 18th- and 19th-century medical treatises bound in sheepskin; limited editions signed by joseph conrad, jack london or wallace stegner; And gilt-edged Moroccan leather-bound sets of the works of Charles Dickens, you can also find the latest children’s book on Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the new biography of Barack Obama.
You are reading: Bells books palo alto
Known for our large stock in literature and history, bell’s also carries a wide variety of books on gardening, art and architecture, cookbooks, vintage technical books, new children’s books, military science, transportation, religion, history natural and much, much more. By far the largest part of the collection, over 150,000 volumes available to browse, are simply good quality second-hand hardcover or paperback books in 500 subject categories. the challenge and joy has been changing our inventory to reflect the interests and needs of the surrounding community.
We often have customers bring their grandchildren to see where three generations of their family have bought books. Although our regulars have included Nobel Prize winners, Pulitzer Prize winners, Newbery Prize winners, bishops, movie stars, senators, international statesmen, and Silicon Valley industry leaders, the generations of Palo Alto book lovers who have passing through our doors day after day for eighty-five years, keeping our spirits up and sharing our enthusiasm, they are the ones who have made it possible for the bell family to continue doing what we love most every day, and for that we are deeply grateful.
Recent changes of seismic proportions in the world of book sales have raised questions about the relevance of traditional bookstores in the Silicon Valley environment, but if you, like us, enjoy the real books in the world real; holding volumes that feel good, smell good, and are a treat for the eyes and hands, then join us in joy knowing that at bell’s you can be physically surrounded by the works of the greatest minds of all time.
a story from bell’s books
In 1935, 24-year-old Herbert Bell drove north from Los Angeles with a truck full of books, to start the University Book Company with his employer, David Lawyer, a Los Angeles bookseller. They hoped to sell textbooks, as Stanford did not have its own bookstore at the time. The original location was 104 University Avenue, next to the sporting goods store known as Smith’s on the Circle. the idea was to attract students who came to rent bikes.
in 1936, david’s attorney determined there was no money to be made selling books to students and sold it for $2,300 to herbert bell, who later said “…so he sold it for a song and i bought it for a song, and I sang my way into poverty, and I lived on hamburgers for a while.”
By 1938 it was called the College Book Shop and had relocated for the first time to 536 Emerson. When the landlord raised the rent, 1944 brought another move (to 408 University) where we participated in book drives for the troops in W.W.II.
in 1948 we moved to 229 hamilton (the cardinal hotel building) where high ceilings allowed for our distinctive appearance; towering shelves with tall stairs. Finally, 536 Emerson Street came up for sale in 1950, and the Bells bought it. the building, with egg-and-dart molding on a dark green marble base on the exterior, pressed-tin ceilings, and a period staircase and balcony on the interior, was built in 1924 and designated a category #2 on the historic register by the city of palo alto in 1988.
See Also: Shelf-promotion: the art of furnishing rooms with books you havent read | Books | The Guardian
That final move was achieved with the physical assistance of the head of the German department. In Stanford, employee Barbara Worl and a local police officer who took pity on Bell’s when the owner threatened legal action if they didn’t leave by midnight. They all rolled carts of books around the corner from Hamilton to Emerson late into the night.
That night’s labor put Barbara in the hospital with a back injury, but that didn’t keep her down. Just out of Stanford with a degree in history when she started at Bell’s, she stayed on for 55 years. She was a noted rosarian, with two roses named after her, and an encyclopedic knowledge of books of horticulture. She gave lectures, had her own publishing house (Sweetbrier Press), and had her garden featured in international horticultural books and magazines. She got Bell’s involved annually for a decade with the San Francisco Landscape Garden Show… a fundraiser for Golden Gate Park. Barbara retired in 2006 to work full time in her garden. She died in her home in September of 2017, with her roses in full bloom.
In 1953, the name changed to Bell’s University Bookstore, and in 1971, to Bell’s Bookstore. today it is legally called bell books.
Many of the members of three generations of bells, their spouses and their children have worked in the store: conversation at the table is abundantly peppered with book references and talk about the store. libby and jane bell worked there during the summer as teenagers.
Michael Bell, a musician, developed sections related to his interests, and managed the store for five years. His wife Joanie sold her hand crafted baskets in the store.
The late Jonathan Bell, trained in library science and law, did a much-needed reorganization in the early 1980’s. Although he went on to other pursuits, he maintained an encyclopedic recall of his broad reading throughout his life.
faith bell worked at the store as a teenager, then returned in 1983 after a ten-year stay in canada. she now she, as an owner, she buys old and new books, and large private collections. She has linked her interests in book arts, literature, social justice, and history with her work on various boards and organizations.
Her husband, Christopher Storer, a recently retired philosophy professor, has a new role as bookkeeper (in all senses of the word) and man-about-the -shop. He repairs shelves and saves us all from being complete Luddites.
Valeria Bell, Herbert’s wife, began working at the store in 1965. Her book interests include fine woodcuts, mysteries, and labor history. With her penchant for organization, she kept the shelves tidy, the bookkeeping on track for fifty years, purchased many private libraries, and generously shared her expertise. Now in retirement, she reads avidly and follows the news, advising us on good titles to stock.
See Also: Product marketing reading list | Product Marketing Books
The “new girl” on our staff, Tärna, has been with us for a fourteen years now. She has a background in history and linguistics, and wide-ranging interests in travel and popular culture. Her daunting ability to recall minutiae essential to tracking down vaguely recalled titles for customers, along with her keen eye for scouting desirable books have been invaluable contributions to our store.
In addition to faith, chris and tärna, we have three other regular staff members that you might run into on a typical day in the store:
emma is the daughter of tärna. He started out doing his homework in the back room of high school, moved on to being an aide during the summer and holidays, and now, after receiving his degree in linguistics, he is cataloging our rare book collections and sharing his knowledge of contemporary literature and avant-garde ideas. true crime with customers. (and she knitted that sweater!)
With close to 20 years of bookselling experience, Kevin brings his eclectic knowledge of modern literature, nature writing and photography to offer great recommendations. Listen carefully for his subtle and quirky sense of humor, and watch for his artwork in some of our window displays.
<- that’s her blind cat, brie!
kris, with his doctorate in music composition, could challenge you to identify the music he plays here. he brings offerings from his private collection of philosophy books and can entertainingly regale you with stories from the philosophers and the classical world of his.
everyone is knowledgeable and helpful – let them find great gift books for you this season!
herbert bell was passionate about music, food and good literature. he worked to keep Latin in the public schools and acted in local theater productions. For half a century he led Bell’s through a landscape of changing times, one volume at a time. he spent every day of his life surrounded by books and quoted readily from a wide variety of sources. He died in 1992, with the family home filled with 30,000 carefully classified books and the harpsichord he had built.
the bell family has been actively involved in social change for seven decades, working for education, literacy, creative writing, music, anti-war and political action, unhoused issues, preservation history and local business development. It has been and continues to be an honor for us to serve you.
website credits
See Also: 19 Best Places to Sell Textbooks for the Most Money in 2022