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Globe Corner Bookstore

Coordinates: 42°22′20.5″N 71°7′11.5″W / 42.372361°N 71.119861°W / 42.372361; -71.119861
From Alfawiki
Globe Corner Bookstore
Company typePrivate
IndustryRetail (bookstore)
Founded1982
FounderPatrick Carrier
Defunct2011
FateClosed; brand and website acquired by Brookline Booksmith in 2012
Headquarters
Cambridge, Massachusetts
,
United States
ProductsTravel books, maps, guidebooks, atlases, travel literature, nature guides, photography volumes, cookbooks, language learning resources
Websitebrooklinebooksmith.com


File:Globe Corner Bookstore, Cambridge MA.jpg
Globe Corner Bookstore, Cambridge location from 1988 to 2011

The Globe Corner Bookstore ranked among the largest purveyors of travel books and maps across North America. Situated at 90 Mount Auburn Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, near Harvard Square, it specialized in an extensive array of travel and outdoor leisure reference materials. Its inventory included guidebooks, atlases, maps, travel literature, nature guides, photography volumes, cookbooks, and language learning resources tailored to various destinations.

Founded by Patrick Carrier in 1982, the original Globe Corner Bookstore occupied the historic Old Corner Bookstore building in downtown Boston. This establishment evolved from the Old Corner Bookstore with a renewed focus on travel-related products.[1][2] Responding to changes in Boston’s retail landscape, the company expanded by opening a Harvard Square location in 1988 and later a store in Boston's Back Bay district in 1993.

In the winter of 1995, the bookstore launched its website, pioneering one of the first comprehensive online platforms dedicated to travel books. By 2007, this site had grown to feature over 100,000 pages.

The Globe Corner Bookstore was also known for its Adventure Travel Lecture Series, which showcased prominent figures such as Jan Morris, Bradford Washburn, William Dalrymple, Bruce Chatwin, Eric Newby, Paul Theroux, Roger Tory Peterson, Rory Stewart, and David Allen Sibley among others.

Due to escalating rental costs and a downturn in downtown Boston’s retail environment, the company shuttered its downtown Boston branch in March 1997. Subsequently, it sold its Back Bay lease at 500 Boylston Street to Boston Private Bank in December 2000.[3] In 2010, citing health issues related to a seizure disorder diagnosis, the owner placed the remaining Cambridge store on the market. Despite considering multiple offers, none met the criteria to maintain ongoing operations, leading to an official announcement of closure.[2]

On July 4, 2011, Globe Corner Bookstore welcomed its final in-person customer after serving more than two million patrons. The brand and website were acquired by Brookline Booksmith of Brookline, Massachusetts in May 2012.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Wilson
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named close
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named doors
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Booksmith

External links

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