In today’s transient digital age where Tumblr images and newsfeeds are consumed voraciously, the new (and young) has been fetishized, while old and rare publications provide a hidden library of reference that can’t be accessed through a simple Google search. Specialist bookstores like Claire de Rouen Books in London’s Soho are treasure chests of literary jewels, so cherished they are in fact that members of the creative circle, including fashion designers and photographers like Giles Deacon and Bruce Weber, are often in competition with each other for that “superbook” or in line for an appointment to peruse their extensive archive.
Lucy Kumara Moore who is trained as an artist at Chelsea College of Art and Design as well as the Royal College of Art, took over the directorship of the store after its founding owner Claire de Rouen passed away in 2012. In the past, Moore has curated the books and magazines selection at Opening Ceremony in London, and founded Room&Book: a three-day art book fair hosted by Institute of Contemporary Art in London. Here, she proudly picks out and photographs her most prized publications on her bookshelf with her trusty iPhone.