Archives Fine Books, located on Charlotte Street in Brisbane, is a bookstore that belongs to a different era, with tightly packed shelves filled with thousands of old and new books. The store is owned by Dawn Albinger and Hamish Alcorn, who can often be found perched among the books with a title in hand. Archives was founded in 1985 by Emmanuel Meschers, with the sign out front promising “One Million Books”. Hamish took over the business in 2008, after working briefly for the previous owner.
Hamish and Dawn first met in 1986 while working at La Boite Theatre, and their love story has all the elements of a classic tale – love, destiny, survival, perseverance, and courage. Hamish has had a varied career, including beekeeping and cab driving, and holds a degree in classics. Dawn, born in Philadelphia, grew up all over the place before settling in Brisbane. Despite the challenges of running a bookstore in the age of ebooks and Kindles, they have never regretted following their passion for books.
Archives Fine Books is not just a bookstore – it is a place filled with history and charm, housed in the John Mills Himself building, which was formerly a printing press. Dawn and Hamish have worked hard to grow the store’s collection of rare and vintage books, with Dawn focusing on the antiquarian side of the business and setting up The Archives Fine Book Collecting Prize. The most valuable book they have acquired was an edition of William Blake’s The Book of Job, priced at $150,000 on consignment.
Despite facing challenges such as the global financial crisis and the rise of digital technology in the publishing industry, Dawn and Hamish have kept Archives Fine Books alive through their passion and dedication. They have weathered many storms and have no regrets about having “followed their bliss” in running the store. Hamish handles the task of cataloguing the store’s collection and growing its online presence, with the goal of making thousands of books searchable by the end of the year.
The story of Archives Fine Books and its owners, Dawn and Hamish, is far from finished. They believe that everything they have done in their lives has led them to this point, where they can draw on their diverse interests and experiences to run the bookstore. Their love for books and the unique charm of Archives Fine Books have kept them going through the years, despite the challenges they have faced. The bookstore continues to be a haven for book lovers, with its collection of rare and vintage books and the enticing smell of bibliosmia filling the air.
