The Last Bookstore is quite a sight to behold. An icon in Los Angles, its grandiose interior of marble pillars and high ceilings with towering coloured shelves are nearly as intimidating as they are mesmerising, adorned with art work. Located at Spring Street, the two-level, 22,000 sq ft TLB – formerly a bank – is stocked with a treasure of used books, rare, vintage titles, in a beautiful disarray to capture your imagination. Photo: The Last Bookstore
Founded by Josh Spencer, the Kentucky native was selling merchandise on eBay until he got tired of his apartment looking like a permanent garage sale when he decided to focus on books. He took over a cheap commercial space from across his apartment in 2009, but the shop soon grew out of space. Photo: The Last Bookstore
Spencer then took on a much larger unit not far away, and it became home to TLB. Spencer said that he would just "sit there and imagine it: the high ceilings, the columns, the immensity of it. I was enthralled.” The store has since become a tourist attraction, book fan must-visit, IG dreamscape and a media darling. And, it's so, so hard to leave the store without a bag of books. |
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