Owner of city's famed Strand Book Store, Fred Bass, dead at 89

[sandensea]

Source: New York Daily News

Fred Bass, a lover of literature who transformed the Strand Book Store into one of the world’s most famous, died Wednesday morning. He was 89.

Bass died at his Manhattan home surrounded by relatives. The cause was congestive heart failure, according to Leigh Altshuler, the Strand’s director of communications.

“It is with a heavy heart we share that Strand's owner, Fred Bass, passed away early this morning at home surrounded by loved ones at the age of 89,” the Strand said in a statement.

Bass spent more than 70 years at the East Village literary haunt founded by his father Benjamin Bass in 1927. The younger Bass first began working at what was then a little-known used bookstore on Fourth Ave. in the early 1940s at the age of 13.

“We can't overstate what Strand Bookstore means to the literary community of NYC,” the National Book Foundation said in a tweet.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/owner-of-city-e2-80-99s-famed-strand-book-store-fred-bass-dead-at-89/ar-BBHPTEX

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Fred Bass, 1928-2018.

[Javaman]

1. Rest in Peace, sir. Many a hour I spent in your store. nt

[Yavin4]

2. A life well spent. RIP Mr. Bass.

And thank you.

[SeattleVet]

3. Spent many hours in that store...

they used to let some of the workers sleep in the store during hard times. A good side-effect of this was that if you were looking for a specific book, they usually knew *exactly* where to find it. Like in, "next row over, second shelf from the bottom, behind the front row of books in the leftmost section, about 10 from the left side." They really knew the inventory, and were super helpful in finding obscure books for you.

A life well spent, indeed!

[Judi Lynn]

7. Wonderful to hear. Very rare people. Thanks for your remarks. Amazing. n/t

[BigmanPigman]

4. I love that place when I lived in NYC!! It's a NYC landmark as far as

I am concerned! Whenever I visit the city now it is in the top 10 places I always make sure I stop by and check out.

[Weed Man]

5. Love that store

Ive spent hours there while in NYC. One of the best kept secret! May the store continue to run.

[IrishEyes]

6. I applied for a job there once.

There was a literature quiz with the application. I ended up getting another job by the time they called me in for an interview. Great store. I shop there often.