Located at 116 East 59th Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues in Midtown Manhattan, it occupies an entire six-story townhouse with various sales floors specializing in first editions, Americana, leather bindings, antique maps and prints, and autographs.

[6] Since its inception, the Argosy has worked with many prominent customers, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who ordered books from an early catalogue, and later First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who needed help stocking the White House library with Americana.

[9] Other high-profile customers have included Michael Jackson,[5] Stephen Sondheim,[5] Princess Grace,[10] Sally Field,[11] Donatella Versace,[12] Oriana Fallaci,[13] and Kevin Rudd.

[15] In October 2012 the Argosy suffered extensive damage during Hurricane Sandy, when bricks dislodged from the 32nd story of the adjacent building and crashed through the store's roof.

The Argosy, known for its elegant old-world interior,[17] has been used as a setting for movies and TV dramas, including The Front with Woody Allen, Law and Order, and Person of Interest.