One of the windows at New York City department store Bergdorf Goodman this Christmas season is dedicated to—of all things one would think far from the minds of ladies browsing among $600 scarves and purses costing ten times that much—Great Books! In fact, a mannequin representing the fashionable upscale shopper sits in the midst of the display, in the company of images of Homer, Dante, Shakespeare, Melville, Dickens, Proust, and many others. Books are open to reveal wise sayings about the value of reading and a typewriter stands close by. A quick perusal of the store did not reveal any book counters so the window did not seem to be advertising Bergdorf’s goods. Was there some tie-in with Barnes and Noble? Or some public service for the New York Public Library? Or could it be that Bergdorf thinks literature an enticement in itself and an aspect of the good life in general? As I studied the display, passersby stopped and crowded around the window, taking pictures and trying to identify the images. Thanks to BG for making GB chic.
Images: Ricky Zehavi
