A Bookstore, a Boutique, a Gallery, a Monument: Harriett’s as a Place of Modern Black History

Every reader knows what I’d call “the draw of the indie bookshop” — that feeling they get when they pass an indie’s storefront, book covers facing the street, like somehow the books are calling out to them. A storefront may radiate a welcoming sense of comfort, strength among the pages of history, or a unique artistic aesthetic. Walking into Harriett’s Bookshop in Fishtown, Philadelphia, the enraptured reader somehow experiences all three. And these feelings are all linked by the desire to foster community, historical dialogue, and acts of Black resistance.

In owner Jeannine Cook’s words, Harriett’s can be called “a bookshop meets an art gallery meets a monument.” To the right of the door is the store window display, cubic white shelves showing off those books readers can see from the street. But “when you walk in, you’re literally inside of a book,” Cook explains in one interview, adding a group of artists came together to create the illustrations on the walls and floors. Quotes by Black writers and drawings of Black figures surround the space. A quote next to the entrance is cited from Langston Hughes’s poem “American Heartbreak: 1619.” Another simply says “Lifting my voice” from Sonia Sanchez, and another “I rise” from Maya Angelou. A portrait of Harriett Tubman overlooks the checkout desk. Antique mirrors hang on the walls with ornate bronze and gold frames — these contrast, but also somehow complement, the modern “pop art” of the black-and-white illustrations. This serves to enhance the timeless sense of history, community, and family Black readers can feel right as they enter the shop. The video below, posted on the bookshop’s X (formerly Twitter), gives a great view of Harriett’s interior.

Not trying to alarm, y’all. We aren’t throwing our hands up screaming “help.” We are no where near ever giving up. Just saying, we can’t do it without you. And with less than 3% of businesses in Philly being owned by Blk women. Far less than that making it to the 5 year mark. We… pic.twitter.com/cAhEGe2BG3

— Harriett’s Bookshop (@harriettsbooks) October 21, 2023

The small, cubic shelves appear in this first room next to the front desk, by the store window display, and in a corner with furniture. Non-book items accompany the books on their shelves, such as pink flowers in vases, porcelain dishes and teacups, framed vintage photographs, bronze decorative pieces, oil sprays, and even a black-and-white guitar. It is as if these “objects are somehow the past they narrate, and thus bring both the object and the narrative of the past much closer to the beholder’s eye” (Miller 3). The antique décor thus creates a warm, historical aesthetic — paying homage to Black ancestors.

All the shelves are fairly low to the ground and non-overwhelming, making the space accessible. Books are stacked horizontally, with approximately four or five set spine-out, and then one displayed upright on top with the cover facing out. Some shelves have only two or three books, and others are singularly placed in their cube upright. Interestingly, all the shelves are slightly different in size and shape. Not all of them appear like traditional “bookshelves”, either: some look more like coffee tables, tea trays, chairs, or stepladders. Bookshelves in any sense “are dynamic, iterative objects that cue us to the social values we place on books and how we think books ought to be read” (Pyne 2). At Harriett’s, the shelves cue both a welcoming (low, uncrowded, bright) but also antiquarian (ornate, flowery, porcelain) feel.

Note that the stock itself isn’t constant. Each month, Cook works with a local artist to exhibit their work; but along with it, she asks them what books may pair best with their work or have been important in the artist’s life. The artist’s chosen books are then set out for readers to purchase. Still, while there are many styles, genres, and rotations of books at Harriett’s, the “foundational texts” will always be those of Zora Neale Hurston, Octavia Butler, Toni Morrison, and Alice Walker. These authors’ works can be found in the shop no matter the monthly theme. Other constants include the children’s, cookbook, and self-care sections.

Cook says in an interview that patrons call her store a “literary sanctuary”, although the space is meant to encourage discussion alongside reading. Guided visits and contemplation help accomplish this goal.

In one literary podcast, Cook says of Harriett’s and its sister bookshop, Ida’s, “I think the shops kind of adapt to the personality of the person they’re named for.” Harriett’s, then, is more “classy and soft and attentive.” So not only does Cook work to pay homage to Tubman’s historical achievements in the abolition movement, but also to her legacy as a person: as a human being with a heart for other human beings. Nowhere could that be more evident than in this bookshop, where history meets homeliness in the life-size pages of a book. Cook adds, “the furniture is nimble and everything’s always moving… Harriett was a small but mighty woman… and I think this shop is definitely that.” A map of the floor plan of Harriett’s is below.

Traveling into the room beyond the main area, there are two children’s shelves to the right. The children’s shelves especially focus on cover display of picture books; and because of Cook’s emphasis on Black writers, most feature children of color. Unlike the other shelves, the bottom of the children’s shelf has books lined up in the traditional vertical way, likely to be more accessible and friendly to little hands that might grab them. Furniture in the center of the room also displays books.

To the left, we see the bathroom and storage area, but that’s not nearly as exciting as the door that leads out to the reading garden. This niche outdoor space features white cast-iron chairs and tables, inviting people to relax and read. The walls are painted over in a colorful mural from a local artist, giving the space a more modern aesthetic — and one that carries over to Harriett’s underground.

Head down a wooden staircase, and the shop is entirely transformed into something more dark, artistic, and profound. The “underground” — the name Cook uses for her basement — is bathed in purple, blue, and pink light, with LEDs lining the bookshelves along one wall. The goal of the space is to pay homage to those ancestors who had to read in secret. The books are once again shelved horizontally and with only a few to a stack; except down here, they are gently used and priced at just five dollars apiece. Categories of books include post civil-war fiction, the Harlem Renaissance, and women politicians.

More art is displayed down here along with the lights, spelling out “Harriett’s” or “Light the Way” in bright neon pink. The underground experience is more oriented towards modern Black arts and culture rather than the antique, historical feel of the upstairs; and yet, its darkness still holds a degree of ancestral respect. Harriett’s, therefore, encompasses different facets of Black community throughout time.

The underground is also not just for book-buying. It’s a space for Black artists and musicians, for book clubs to meet, and for community discussion and engagement. Visitors to the shop will notice the large area of the underground dedicated to performers from DJs to drummers. “I recognize that our artists and musicians weren’t making any money,” Cook explained on the literary podcast mentioned above. She wanted the shop to “make sure that we’re a space for them.”

Harriett’s places emphasis, then, on community for Black artists, authors, musicians, poets, and historical figures — and does this in ways that are simultaneously modern, historical, and timeless.

Sources

Texts

Butze, Olivia. “Libro.fm Podcast – Episode 12: ‘Interview with the Owners of Harriett’s Bookshop’.” Libro.fm Blog, Libro.fm, 27 March 2023, https://blog.libro.fm/libro-fm-podcast-episode-12-interview-with-harriets-bookshop/#transcription.

Poitevein, Jessica. “This Philadelphia Bookstore Honors Harriet Tubman’s Legacy With Literature, Art, and Activism.” Travel + Leisure, Fact checked by Jillian Dara, 20 Oct. 2022. Dotdash meredith, https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/harrietts-bookshop-philadelphia.

Pyne, Lydia. Bookshelf. New York, Bloomsbury Academic, 2016.

Miller, Peter N. “How Objects Speak.” The Chronicle Review, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 11 Aug. 2014, https://susqu.instructure.com/courses/4398/files/457849/download?download_frd=1.

Rebolini, Anna. “Harriett’s Bookshop Owner Jeannine Cook Says Connection Is at the Root of Everything.” Oprah Daily, 28 Feb. 2022, Oprah Daily LLC, https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/books/a39186848/jeannine-cook-harrietts-bookshop/.

Images and Videos

“A look at Harriett’s Bookshop in the heart of Fishtown.” Speculation Time: A Forever Home for Harriett’s Bookshop, OCF Realty, 16 June 2023, https://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-philly/fishtown/speculation-time-a-forever-home-for-harrietts-bookshop/.

A., Vanessa. “Photos for Harriett’s Bookshop.” Yelp, 14 July 2022, https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/harriett-s-bookshop-philadelphia?select=D7ZXf8zfzPTDLjML6pp7hA.

“Harriett’s Bookshop, 258 E Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, Book Stores — MapQuest.” https://www.mapquest.com/us/pennsylvania/harriett-s-bookshop-426513502.

Harriett’s Bookshop (@harriettsbookshop) Instagram photos and videos. [Underground]. https://www.instagram.com/harrietts_bookshop/.

Harriett’s Bookshop. “Not trying to alarm, y’all. We aren’t throwing our hands up screaming “help.” We are no where near ever giving up. Just saying, we can’t do it without you. And with less than 3% of businesses in Philly being owned by Blk women. Far less than that making it to the 5 year mark. We ask that you stop by Harriett’s today between 12-6 pm or online at http://harriettsbookshop.com to keep the magic of what we’ve built together as a community alive.” X, 21 Oct. 2023, https://twitter.com/harriettsbooks/status/1715729157508751701.

Harriett’s Bookshop. “We’ve redone the bookshop — again. It’s giving art gallery meets book boutique. Pop thru today from 12-6pm.” X, 19 March 2022, https://twitter.com/harriettsbooks/status/1505170778110705664/photo/1.

Harriett’s — Our Sister Bookshops. [Front window display]. https://www.oursisterbookshops.com/harrietts.

“Philadelphia Bookstore Honors Harriet Tubman’s Legacy With Deliveries On Horseback.” The Kelly Clarkson Show, YouTube, 5 April 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Esnh6OJyxrQ.

R., Anastasia. “Photo’s for Harriett’s Bookshop.” Yelp, 26 March 2023, https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/harriett-s-bookshop-philadelphia?select=ce9CmdJnlVFGhPO_WRS2PA.

R., Anastasia. “Photo’s for Harriett’s Bookshop.” Yelp, 26 March 2023, https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/harriett-s-bookshop-philadelphia?select=qg7WKvnYe_iKcd39SY8uTg.

R., Anastasia. “Photos for Harriett’s Bookshop.” Yelp, 26 March 2023, https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/harriett-s-bookshop-philadelphia?select=v-Vle8hY1mt8llAc_ELkwA.

W., Rita. “Harriett’s Bookshop – North Philadelphia – 258 E Girard Avenue.” FourSquare City Guide, 3 Sept. 2022, https://foursquare.com/v/harrietts-bookshop/5e35b8a132cdc20008ddbb52?openPhotoId=6313b54cac1af96c13e38908.

W., Rita. “Harriett’s Bookshop – North Philadelphia – 258 E Girard Avenue.” FourSquare City Guide, 3 Sept. 2022, https://foursquare.com/v/harrietts-bookshop/5e35b8a132cdc20008ddbb52?openPhotoId=6313b54d171bf42e594c303f.

W., Rita. “Harriett’s Bookshop – North Philadelphia – 258 E Girard Avenue.” FourSquare City Guide, 3 Sept. 2022, https://foursquare.com/v/harrietts-bookshop/5e35b8a132cdc20008ddbb52?openPhotoId=6313b0ec9ac58d506954bfc4.