With its friendly red exterior, Clayton Fine Books & Cyber Caf8e stands out among the other specialty shops of North Charles Street. Inside, a similarly unique interior makes visitors feel welcome; a small yet charming caf8e offers cappuccino, espresso and hot teas to warm those coming in from the cold. Visitors can also order breakfast or lunch and choose from a multitude of deserts and other drinks.
Large wooden shelves filled with rare and out-of-print books line the walls, giving the place an old-world atmosphere. In the back of the store is a staircase leading up to even more books and an area where readings are held. The store's collection of rare and out-of-print books provides a welcome opportunity for both book lovers and collectors alike.
The owners of Clayton Fine Books, Cameron and Donna Northhouse, are even more hospitable than the store itself. They are friendly and willing to lend a helping hand in finding books and ordering food or drinks.
The Northhouses moved from Dallas to Baltimore in 2000. They have been selling books for 30 years by mail order, over the Internet and through a catalog. In April 2004 they decided to take the next step by opening up a shop.
"We decided we needed to pick out some place that at least we thought would have a lot of foot traffic and potential buyers and the two choices were either near Hopkins or downtown.
We couldn't find any space near Hopkins so that left downtown." The location came ready with the bright red store front. "The storefront, when we first looked at it, we thought, `well that looks just like a Victorian bookstore'."
Primarily they sell literature, art history, American history, out of print and rare books. They have books on the fine and performing arts, biography and children's literature, as well as a few new books on Baltimore and Maryland. They also offer historical newspapers.
Many of the books are first editions and are signed by the author. The range of price of the books is from one dollar to $15,000; the most expensive is a book which was published in 1698.
Surprisingly, most of their buyers come from out of town. Customers come from as far away and as varying as London, Madrid, Paris, Burmuda and Romania. Garrison Keillor, a well-known NPR radio personality and author, orders books from the Northhouses.
The first and third Saturday of every month, the Northhouses host poetry readings from the IE Poetry Series. Poets from Baltimore and Maryland, as well as poets from California to New York, have read in the upstairs reading area.
In the past the store has hosted well-known poets such as Simon Pettet, Rosemarie and Keith Waldrop, John Yau and Cole Swenson.
Attendance usually ranges from around 15 to 45 people. Upcoming readings by Bill Berkson, Heather Fuller, Peter Gizzi, Rachel Blau DuPlessis and Bob Perelman will happen in March and April. For more information on the IE Poetry series visit http://ieseries.wordpress.com.
Clayton Fine Books is located at 317 North Charles Street, about a five minute walk from the Washington Monument. They offer a 10 percent discount for students and faculty. It is open Thursday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can also open by appointment.
Clayton Fine Books
317 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD. 21201
410-752-6800
