Story: Second-hand trade

Smith's bookshop, Christchurch

Smith’s in Christchurch was first established in 1894 and sold second-hand books from 1966. The historic building on Manchester Street had three storeys full of books, maps, sheet music, old photographs, postcards and engravings. In the sound clip from 2003 a customer explains the attraction of the shop. The building was substantially damaged in the February 2011 earthquake and was subsequently demolished. The bookshop reopened at the Tannery Emporium in Woolston.

Sound file from Radio New Zealand Mō Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa. Any re-use of this audio is a breach of copyright. To request a copy of the recording, contact Radio New Zealand Mō Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa (Spectrum (16/02/2003) - Smiths Bookshop...a never ending story).

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How to cite this page:

Kerryn Pollock and Bronwyn Labrum, 'Second-hand trade - Commercial shop trading and dealing', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/speech/24948/smiths-bookshop-christchurch (accessed 19 April 2024)

Story by Kerryn Pollock and Bronwyn Labrum, published 11 Mar 2010