Leary's Book Store

The policy of the bookstore was not to interfere with readers and browsers, but simply to direct customers to their areas of interest if asked.

In 1836, William A. Leary established a sidewalk book stall on North Second Street in Philadelphia, in close proximity to the Old Market, eventually acquiring a location at No.

Leary's Book Store tied its advertising to The Bookworm, an 1850 painting by the German painter and poet Carl Spitzweg.

A cropped portion of this painting, showing the bookworm on a ladder, was used in Leary's advertising and commercial signage.

Customers and visitors were routinely given bookmarks containing this image as well as informative posters related to the bookstore and its history.