The Personal Library of Merle Armitage

Dawson's Book Shop was in downtown Los Angeles on Figueroa Street in 1960 when they published this catalog of the library of Merle Armitage when he and his wife downsized and moved to a smaller house. The cover of the catalog was designed by Merle Armitage and was printed by Lynton Kistler, who printed many of the books written or designed by Armitage. This copy was sent to Peggy Christian, an eminant bookseller of the time. The address of her shop was at 5516 Santa Monica Blvd, which was her second shop, the first being around the corner on Western Avenue. Eli Goodman and his first partner took over the Western Avenue location and started Cosmopolitan Books at that spot. The catalog is a journey back in time, a lot of great books for sale at prices that are insanely low by today's standards.

(Notes by Paul Hunt)