The story
History
Marvin Post opened Attic Books in 1976. It was located on the top floor of 428 Richmond Street, London and moved to the second floor of 388 Clarence Street in 1977. Development in downtown London forced Attic Books to relocate to Parkhill, Ontario in 1987. In 1996, mayor Diane Haskett encouraged Post to bring Attic Books back to London. It is now one of the few longstanding destination businesses in the city's downtown core.
In 2006, Attic Books' second floor, previously only available to dealers and known collectors, was opened to the public and is stocked with specialized antiquarian books, maps, prints, collectibles, antiques and books on books.
Other information
Attic Books is one of the very few places where Charles van Sandwyk's fine art and fantasy cards and books can be purchased.
Involved in the community, Attic Books often sponsors and hosts awards and events in London, Ontario.
It is also the only local supplier of Brodart mylar jackets.
Attic Books also participates in trade shows in Toronto and Ottawa.
History of the building
The building at 240 Dundas Street is late Victorian red brick commercial in style. Originally, the building was a single floor and only about 20' long. It was not expanded until the 1880s, when the second and third floor were added. The second floor was attached to 242 Dundas Street, creating a large space that accommodated Somerset Hall. Doorways on the main floor also allowed access to the adjacent building. A hoist existed where the current elevator can be found.
During a major renovation in 1909, arts and crafts elements were added to the façade. The back end of the store was extended and a mezzanine was added to the third floor. This renovation was designed and executed by famous London architect J. M. Moore. Before 1909, the building matched the three structures that surround it, two to the west and one to the east. The elevator was installed in 1909, and was made by the Roelofsen Machine and Tool Co. in Galt, Ontario.
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The large pane glass windows overlooking the street were installed by McPhillips & Co. in the 1930s. The outer two window panes on each of the upper picture windows pivoted to open like doors. These windows facilitated the movement of pianos from the street to the upper floors for display. They have since been replaced with more energy efficient windows
Marvin Post purchased the building from the Thompson family, owners of Supertest, in 1996. The Thompsons had owned it since the early 1930s. When repainting the elevator, Post removed 35 lbs. of lead paint from the car, unveiling a rainbow of colours that had been added over the years. The alternating dark and light wood on the second level flooring is called a "wedding floor", made of walnut and maple, and can also be found in 242 Dundas next door. When Post took possession of the building in 1996, the toilets had not been updated, although the plumbing had been. The toilet tanks were still made of wood, and have since been replaced.
The gargoyle overlooking Dundas Street was added by the current owner. It was designed by Florin Musta, and acquired through Tony O'Callaghan of Studio Celtia, former business at 242 Dundas Street.
From Wikipedia’s article on Attic Books, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4