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Printed Page Bookshop

Named one of the top three best bookstores in Denver

When booking passage also meant the passing of books

April 7, 2016 By Dan Danbom

April 12 is the anniversary of the sinking of the Tittanic.  Thirty-seven months later, the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk.  Coincidentally, each sinking had rare-book related aspects that reverberate to this day.  One of the Titanic passengers was Henry Elkins Widener.  Widener was a noted collector of rare books whose collection included a Gutenberg Bible and a Shakespeare Folio.  In the spring of 1912, he went on a book-buying trip to England, where he bought a rare first edition of essays by Francis Bacon.  The story goes that after he placed his mother and her maid in a lifeboat, he returned to his room to retrieve the book.  He and the book went down with the ship.  Mrs. Widener endowed the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library at Harvard in his memory.  It remains one of the most famous libraries for rare books in the world.  Another book lost, though not Widener’s, was a jeweled copy of “The Rubaiyat” valued at $2,000 — or about $45,000 today. 
Boston bookseller Charles Lauriat came aboard the Lusitania with a priceless set of drawings by William Meakepeace Thackeray and a one-of-a-kind edition of “A Christmas Carol” with handwritten notations by Charles Dickens. He did not insure either, figuring that the chance of the Lusitania sinking was “nil.” Both items went to the bottom, but Lauriat managed to save what he considered the real prize:  Photos of his baby. In 1922, Lauriat filed a claim against Germany, valuing the Dickens and Thackeray items at more than $51,000.  He was awarded $10,000. 
Also on the Luisitania was Elbert Hubbard, a writer, publisher and founder of the Roycroft artisan community. Hubbard even wrote a small pamphlet about the sinking of the Titanic.
Now here’s where those coincidences begin piling up:  Printed Page bookseller Robert Rust knew Hubbard’s daughter and is a Roycroft historian who’s written and contributed to books about the Roycrofter movement.  And three Danboms who died on the Titanic were Printed Page co-owner Dan Danbom’s distant relatives. 
Neither Robert nor Dan has any plans to take a transatlantic cruise.

Filed Under: Book history

Location & Hours

1416 S Broadway
Denver, Colorado 80210

As of May 1, 2021, our hours are:
Monday-Saturday 10:30 am - 5:30 pm
Sunday Noon- 5:00 pm

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Contact

303-777-7653
theshop@printedpagebookshop.com

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Printed Page Bookshop
Reviewed from Google

4.9 out of 5 stars

Lily Chang
Lily Chang

5 out of 5 stars

posted 1 year ago

Printed Page Bookshop is a local, co-op store co-owned by John and Dan. This Denver, South Broadway bookstore has some ten dealers and a variety of used books, including some signed first editions. I’ve met John and some other vendors. These people love books ans love what they do. It’s a great place to go, browse, and shop.

Peyton Deal
Peyton Deal

5 out of 5 stars

posted 5 months ago

Stumbled upon this shop walking down Broadway. Dan is wonderful, kind, and helpful. So many great books to browse through with the company of the shop dog, Izzy. Left with a friend children's book for my friend's son. Such a great experience spending time in here!

Linda Hylle
Linda Hylle

5 out of 5 stars

posted 8 months ago

Printed Page is a well curated and beautifully maintained “pre-owned” book shop. Sections are clearly labeled and if you have questions the owners are happy to answer any questions. The day I stopped in one of the owners, Dan, happily chatted with me and helped me choose a book as a gift for my son from a specific genre. It is obvious these owners are passionate about books and and sharing their inventory with the public.

Read All 207 Reviews
Printed Page Bookshop 5.0 star rating 46 reviews Yelp logo

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