1724 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA
We discovered Joseph Fox on a rainy weekend in Philadelphia while on a break between cultural explorations. It’s not terribly far from all the big art museums and there are plenty of restaurants nearby for a convenient lunch to pair with your browsing. And after an awkward initial interaction with the staff, the shop proved itself worth the walk and the time spent poking around the various displays.
Upon entering a bookstore, one of the first things I do is snap a few photos to remind myself of what that initial vibe in the main/front room, but the moment I did so, a staff member rushed over and asked me to stop. It turns out people take photos of their books and then post them online as being for sale, posing as the shop? It was a bit confusing, and I’d never heard of that happening, but it must, and after explaining that I review bookstores, they cautiously allowed me to continue to browse. No harm, no foul, only slightly embarrassing, but I don’t run into that very often so I try not to let it get in the way of some good old browsing around.
As for the books, I was happy to see a lot of titles and/or editions I hadn’t seen in other shops, which is always a great sign. Nobody wants to browse the same books over and over, and to see so many indie voices and authors from diverse backgrounds, nationalities, and perspectives was refreshing. The shop has a solid array of fiction, with plenty of artsy editions of modern classics, foreign authors, and brand-new releases in hardcover and paperback by notable icons and fresh writers alike.
Their nonfiction selection was wide-reaching and robust, focusing on harrowing current events, modern cultural shifts, race relations, sex and gender, labor and economics, memoir, history, and plenty of art books, as well as those on design, photography, architecture, theater, music, and more. I snagged a small but fascinating book on the rise of authoritarianism and how to spot it called On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder. It felt representative of the vibe the shop gave off: intellectualism in compact offerings.
Joseph Fox offered us a welcome respite from the rainy day outside and we found plenty of enlightening, evocative, and unique titles that kept us browsing with great curiosity. This smart, well-lit, and meticulously organized shop is worth checking out on your next jaunt into Philly.
Atmosphere — A narrow shop with clean, angular aesthetics, boxy wooden shelves, and organized stacks running from the indie offerings up front to the children’s section in the rear.
Quality — The books new and sometimes wrapped in plastic to protect them until they find their forever home.
Quantity — For the size of the shop (on the smaller side) they have a good number of books here, but it’s not crammed or overwhelming. The displays are often as clean and organized as the geometric cover art of many of the titles.
Diversity — This shop has a strong focus on indie and unconventional offerings, art, design, and off-beat fiction, modern history, and current social issues.
Affordability — The books were all very fairly priced for new titles
Amenities — The shop isn’t huge so when you go, you’re there to browse more than hang out and lounge around as you read or write.
Location — We walked here from the cluster of art museums to the north, and it sits not too far away from Rittenhouse Park.
Customer Service — Aside from the awkward greeting previously mentioned, the staff were efficient and helpful.
Overall — This shop has enough unique offerings and diverse voices to set it apart from the usual mainstream bookstore, and the location is convenient to a lot of Philly’s cultural offerings, so a short stroll and lunch nearby makes a great break from museum browsing. Just be careful if you plan to take any pictures.
