A Temple to knowledge: Blackwell's Norrington Room, Oxford

                                              (source)

Opened in 1966, the Norrington Room was (but no longer, I suppose) the largest single room devoted to book selling, as certified by the Guinness Book of Records. Instead of focusing on Mathematics, Science and Engineering during my frequent visits there, I invariably wandered off to the enticing displays of knowledge and wisdom all around me.

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There is now an online virtual tour of Blackwell's, offering panoramic views from various vantage points. A good view of the Norrington Room is available here.

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Blackwell's in Books: here

The Turl Cash, Thornton's, and my lost youth

My intellectual development has been greatly influenced by Oxford’s venerable bookshops. I have particularly fond memories of The Turl Cash, Thornton's, and Blackwell's (of course). I am gratified to discover an old essay, "Oxford Bookshops" by William Ridler, of July 1963, when the original Parker's building had been demolished, and the new one (that I knew in 1974) was yet only on the drawing board. The essay has a particularly rare (I think) and delightful description of The Turl Cash.

ps. Exeter College demolished the old Parker’s bookshop at Nos. 26–27, Broad Street, Oxford and built its Thomas Wood Building (1964) on the corner of the Broad and the Turl. (source) The new building housed Parker's at the old spot from 1964 until c. 1993 when Blackwell's Art and Poster Shop moved in.