The large BOOKS sign which appears on our home page is part of the sign that once proudly hung over the main door of the venerable Johnson's Bookstore in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Founded in 1893, this independent family-owned bookstore grew to encompass several buildings and sold new and used books, art supplies, office supplies and giftware. It became a Downtown Springfield destination at which you could spend hours browsing. Due to the proliferation of the big bookstore chains and the floundering Springfield economy, Johnson's closed its doors for good in the mid-1990s.
Along with some other store fixtures, we purchased the large gilt metal letters that spelled out BOOKSTORE above the door (the Johnson family still has the Johnson's part). Originally mounted on a green background, we mounted the first five letters (we still have the others) on a dark blue background to provide a sharp contrast with the gilt.
So if you ever purchase a book with a small Johnson's Bookstore sticker along the bottom edge of the inner front or rear cover, you now also have a better idea where it came from. The closing of the store marked the end of an era.
