Southside in Berkeley in Alameda County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Moe's Books
Berkeley History
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, July 3, 2019
1. Moe's Books Marker
Inscription.
Moe's Books. Berkeley History. In 1959, Morris (Moe) Moskowitz and his wife, Barbara, opened a small paperback bookshop on Shattuck Avenue. They soon moved to Telegraph Avenue where Moe's Books evolved into a renowned emporium featuring hundreds of thousands of books. Moe's Books was a pioneer in giving honest, fair prices by establishing a fair trade policy of offering cash or a higher value in "Moe Dollars” ("In God and Moe We Trust) for used books. These innovative trade slips-membership cards to a literary world- give previously read books respect and value. Defying Berkeley''s no-smoking ordinance, the iconoclastic, politically leftist Moskowitz enjoyed his cigars at work, typifying Telegraph Avenue''s anti-authoritarian identity. Since his death in 1997 the bookstore has remained a family-run business, continuing its legendary founder's traditions.
In 1959, Morris (Moe) Moskowitz and his wife, Barbara, opened a small paperback
bookshop on Shattuck Avenue. They soon moved to Telegraph Avenue where Moe's
Books evolved into a renowned emporium featuring hundreds of thousands of books.
Moe's Books was a pioneer in giving honest, fair prices by establishing a fair trade
policy of offering cash or a higher value in "Moe Dollars” ("In God and Moe We Trust)
for used books. These innovative trade slips-membership cards to a literary world-
give previously read books respect and value. Defying Berkeley''s no-smoking ordinance,
the iconoclastic, politically leftist Moskowitz enjoyed his cigars at work, typifying
Telegraph Avenue''s anti-authoritarian identity. Since his death in 1997 the bookstore has
remained a family-run business, continuing its legendary founder's traditions.
Erected 2014 by Berkeley Historical Plaque Project.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1959.
Location. 37° 51.93′ N, 122° 15.518′ W. Marker is in Berkeley, California, in Alameda County. It is in Southside. Marker is on Telegraph
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Avenue, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2476 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley CA 94704, United States of America. Touch for directions.
The marker is visible just to the left of the entrance.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 3, 2019, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 226 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 3, 2019, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
