Osborne's Book Store 1897–1987

NOTICIAS

Quarterly Magazine Of The Santa Barbara Historical So CI ETY Vol. XXXiX, No. 1

Spring 1993

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Osborne’s Book Store

Stationery and Engraving

Books and Greeting Cards

OSBORNE’S BOOK STORE AND

LENDING LIBRARY

RATES: 25c Joining Fee 5c Per Day 10c Per Day For Books Over $5.00 We Charge For The Day Book Taken and Day Returned lOc Minimum Rental on All Books

Telephone 6-449.i 923 State Street

Santa Barbara California 93101

In these days ofburgeoning chain stores and retailfranchisir^ we take a look back in this issue ofNOTICIAS to one ofthe venerablefamily businesses ofSanta Barbara his tory — Osbornes Book Store. Charles Johnson traces the story ofthisfirm which was a fixture in downtown Santa Barbarafor ninety years. The envelope on thefront cover is from the collection ofDonald and Barbara OUis. The illustration above,from the OUis collection,is tahsnfrom ajacket ofone ofOsbornes lending library books. Photo ofWicklife Wines Osborne (opposite),founder ofone ofthe longest-running businesses in Santa Barbara history, courtesy Patricia Osborne Cook All photographs arefrom the collec tion ofthe Sania Barbara Historical Society, unless otherwise noted.

Michael Redmon, Editor Judy Sutcliffe, Designer ® 1993 The Santa Barbara Historical Society 136 East De la Guerra Street, Santa Barbara, California 93101 Single copies $5.00

Osborne’s Book Store 1897-1987 The Beginnings

A nephew, in the chroes of the Great De pression, later recalled:

WicKLiFFE Wines Osborne, founder

.. . when I have been discouraged and almost ready to give up, I remember the cir cumstances under which he went to Califor

and namesake of one of the longest con secutively operating bookstores in California.l arrived in the growing town of Santa Barbara in the fall of 1897. Like

nia — no money, sickness, middle aged, strange — and still he built a comfortable fortune out ofa business which isn I notedfor large profks. 3 All of this was true. Born in Lock-

many health seekers and hopefuls who arrived in Southern California during this period, he had journeyed west in search of new physical and financial beginnings.2

port, Indiana, in 1852,4 W W Osborne, or "Wick" as he was known by family

CHARLES JOHNSON Charles Johnson holds a

in Historyfrom the University ofCalifornia, Santa Barbara and a AfA.

in Library Sciencefrom the University ofCalifornia, Berkeley. From 1987 to if8<y, he was librarian of the Edward C. Kemble Collections ofWestern Printing and Publishing at the California Historical Society. He is presently research librarian at the Ventura County Museum ofHistory and Art and editor ofthe Ventura County Historical Society QyatLetly.

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NOTICIAS

Santa Barbara, much as it would have loohfid when W. W. Osborne stepped off the

OSBORNE’S BOOK STORE

at the depot at Victoria and Rancheria streets. The years previous to his arrival in Santa Barbara had been full of travail and financial reversal: He was driving steers northfrom Texas when the panic of'y2. left the outfit stranded in Wichita and he took. 14 head for pay and drove on to Qamet, where he started a newsstand. In afew years he moved on to Kansas City Book ^Stationery Company and by hard work saved enough to start there the book <2nd stationery business with the firm name ofOsborne Pitrat.^ Osborne remained in the stationery and wallpaper business in Kansas City with partner W A. Picrac for nearly six teen years until an upset coal oil lamp re duced the business to ashes. Suffering a stock loss of four thousand dollars, Os borne dissolved his financial relationship with his partner on July 31, 1897, and settled the remainder of his obligations on October 7 of that same year.6 By this time, Osborne had also suffered the death of his first wife, Mattie Rankin, and the death (at age two) of his first son, Paul.

:3 No direct mention is made to Osborne’s health in surviving family correspon dence, but it is reasonable to assume that the loss of family and the accompanying business setback had taken their toll. In his published announcement of a "Disso lution of Partnership,” Osborne declared his "retirement.” Only days after this announcement, W W Osborne was in vestigating commercial property in San ta Barbara.

Osborne was already familiar with the Santa Barbara area, having first vis ited here in 1886, when he took advan tage of a railroad promotion and trav elled to California for one dollar.

Apparently, he "was so impressed with this city and its future possibilities he de cided to make his future home here.”7 Osborne’s second wife, Maud Hart Osborne,8 whom he married in 1893; their three-year-old son, Robin^; and Os borne’s daughter, Mattie, from his first marriage, arrived in Santa Barbara on October 11, 1897, to join Osborne, who had arrived earlier. The family first

NOTICIAS

Photographs ofthe store before the 1925 earthquake are rare. This storefront ■would fall victim to the quake. Courtesy Donald and Barbara OlLis.

seccled at 1116 Garden Street, and began a new chapter in their lives.

On December 1, 1897, W W Os borne opened his new stationery, book, and wallpaper store at 931 State Street with $450.00 capital.

Sales, initially, and records indicate the were meager business was open virtually every day of che year. By 1906, che score was able co declare a posicive net worch of $2,875.00; by 1908. $4,210.00; and by 1914, $12,026.91.

In July 1906, Osborne expanded into the business space next door ac 929 State, which had been vacated by the jewelry concern of A. A. Poole, removing che partition between the two rooms.'12 Al though che street numbers changed in subsequent years co 923-925 State Street, che bookstore always remained at its original location.

In 1902, business was evidently good enough for Osborne to purchase propercy above che Old Mission ac 2135 Ridge

Lane and co build a cwo-scory house on the sice, as well as a horse barn on che lower end of the propercy bounded by Al ameda Padre Serra.13 A note in the back of a 1906 ledger, records five dollars in grazing fees—an inherent transportation cost, Later, tales of "Wick’s” rambunctious negotiation of che curves while driving down from che ridge in his 1930s Packard touring car became legend and were indicative of his vitality, for he was then in his seventies.

A 1906 catalogue, with Osborne’s la bel displayed, offered titles in Spanish, evidence that he had expanded his offer ings co ocher languages. Like his earlier enterprise in Kansas City, Osborne sup plemented his book stock with station ery. wallpaper, postcards, pens, and other relaced lines, reminiscent of earlier "dry goods” stores throughout che West that carried a surprising diversity of Items. He would later include cameras and other photographic materials as pub-

OSBORNE’S BOOK STORE

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lie inceresc in chat technology grew in popularity.

bara in 1897. Miss Ollis enjoyed the tem perate climate of Santa Barbara and de

In 1910, another business opportunity became available to W W Osborne. The

cided to stay, taking a position as book keeper at Osborne’s Book Store.18 At the

book stock of M, C. Paulding’s business at 731 State Street became available

time of their marriage, W, W. Osborne was sixty-one and Louise Ollis was thir ty-four.19 By this time, Osborne's Book Store

through the Los Angeles Board of Trade and was purchased by the newly formed partnership of W W Osborne and his brother, Harry Levi Osborne, for $3489.56.1*^ Business at this address was conducted under the name Mission Book store, and was managed by H. L. Osborne from 1910 until approximately 1915.

The selection of goods at the Mission Book Store differed from that of Os borne’s. In addition to books and person ally engraved stationery, sporting goods, "Ladies Riding Togs,” and toys were of fered.16 Harry was not the only member of the family to follow W W Osborne’s trail to California. His sister, Ida Miranda Os borne, would briefly come to Santa Barba ra in 1927, and a brother, Worthington Hooker Osborne, went to Los Angeles.

A Third Marriage On January 11, 1913, Maud Hart Os

had developed a devoted clientele by pro viding personal service for both "walkin” customers and the "carriage trade,” making many deliveries to Montecito estates. A lending library, probably esta blished in the 1930s, occupied a back cor ner of the store and was consistently popular with customers, if not financial ly rewarding, W W Osborne’s commit ment to congenial customer service esta blished practices that resisted change.

When his son, Robin, later implemented more contemporary billing methods, he elicited the following tongue-in-cheek comment from the Santa Barbara NewsPress. "Well, what’s this town coming to? Osborne's Book Store has put in a triplicate charge system just like every other business in these parts.” Robin is quoted as saying, “When a customer bought a book from Dad and said, ’I’ll pay for it next month,’ Dad just made a note on a blank book and threw it in a

borne died of cancer, leaving W W Os borne with Mattie (or "Bay” as she was

drawer.”20 Still later, it was discovered

commonly known, age twenty-seven), Robin (nineteen) and Dorothy(born 1899 in Santa Barbara, fourteen). The follow ing year he married an assistant working at the bookstore named Marie Louise Ol

that the employees had always been paid in cash, placed discretely in new enve lopes. When they were confronted with payroll checks, their offended reaction was to leave, en masse, to "cash our

lis. Miss Ollis was, like Osborne, a na tive of Indiana vdio had resided in Kansas

checks,” leaving the bookstore unattend ed.21 Despite these quaint practices, Os borne’s Book Store continued to prosper and grow.

Around 1922, Robin Osborne returned to Santa Barbara to work at his father’s

City and travelled to Santa Barbara for her health. While in Santa Barbara, she visited her aunt, Mrs. Melville M. Moore, and Mr. Moore, an early rector of All Saints Episcopal Church.17 The Moores, like Osborne, had arrived in Santa Bar-

bookstore. Following his mother’s death in 1913, he had left home to attend the

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University of California, Berkeley, also working as a longshoreman on the docks in San Francisco and Oakland. In 1917, he enlisted in the army at Fort Lewis, Washington, but was soon discharged

around the world, accompanied by photo graphs of the devastation, particularly of State Street. Most of these reports, includ ing those from United Press, emanated from lines leading to an impromptu struc ture built in the lot behind Osborne's. W W Osborne wrote to his daughters, Bay and Dorothy, on June 30: ... The building is badly damaged...The large middle loindows and the south win dows are brokpi to smithereens. ... All the brick'^ork infrontfell out on the sidewalk and street, carrying one end of the k^y beam on which the brick rested out about^ft. over the sidewalkand then it hangs suspended ready to drop at any minute,just like the sword ofdawn— W W Osborne, in spite of the ca lamity, had not lost his sense of humor: Mr. Benoit, the traveling salesman for Dodd, Mead & Co., was at the Arlington,

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Downtown Santa Barbara was heavily dam aged in the 1925 earthquake

for minor medical reasons. He then worked as an office manager for West ern Telegraph in Oakland where he met, and soon married, a secretary named Genevieve Kaiser.(22) Having grown up in San Francisco, Genevieve Kaiser had experienced the earthquake and fire of April 1906. She was soon to experience another similar catastrophe.

The earthquake that struck Santa Barbara on June 29, 1925, was reported

arriving Sunday night, and when things began to happen at 6:45 A.M.,hefound himself standing straight up on his bed and he saw one ofthe walls ofhis roomfalling on his bed.

He hopped off and tried the door, but could not open it and then another wallfell in on top ofthat one andjust as the third one wasfall ing in, he managed tojump through the open ing into the next room and got out and man aged to get out into the back yard and after wandering around awhile in a dazed condi tion he met another man wearing a pair of trousers over his pajamas which he recog nized as his own;so he made him take them off and he put them on over his P.Jams and bor rowed a pair ofshoes and hired a taxi and drove up to our house as 1 was the only man in town he hj\ew.

Life on Ridge Lane was not much better; We cook can out in the drive way, near the kitchen door. It’s lots offun. Ifyou drop the scissors on the floor every body jumps and runs out doors.23

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NOTICIAS

An article in the August 1925 issue of Publisher’s Weekly foretold the future of Santa Barbara architecture; ...[the restored Osborne’s)building is to have a distinctivefront ofthe Spanish type in keeping with the new architecture, which will replace the old style, worn out, structures, many ofwhich are as old as the city itself^'^ Telling A Dollar from a Dime In 1929, the bookstore was expanded, as noted in a letter written by Osborne and at least nominally intended for his three-day-old granddaughter. Marilyn Jean Williams: ... 7 have decided to quit paying rent. In fact I have kicked my landlord out in the Cold World &in order to do it, I had to buy his old store at 923-925 State St. It cost only a matter ofabout $yy,ooo,and as 1 had about Sgooo in the bank, I had to borrow the bal ance...! musn’t bother your dear little brain

any more for 1 know you can’t tell a dollar 25 from a dime until you get your eyes open...

In 1933, Louise Osborne's brother, William Ollis, and his wife Lelah, also from Kansas City, arrived in Santa Bar bara. With them they brought their chil dren, William Jr., Donald, Nancy, and Marilyn. William Sr., previously an in surance agent for the Hartford Insurance Company insuring prize livestock, faced diminishing returns as the national de pression continued its downward spiral.

The offer of a Job brought Mr. Ollis and his family west.

About 1933, and apparently upon the recommendation of legal counsel, W W and Louise Osborne set about the business of incorporating Osborne’s Book Store.26 A financial statement and supplement to the incorporation papers, dated October 15, 1934, listing officers, directors, and shares, contains the seeds of a division and an eventual shift in control that

The earthquake greatly accelerated the trend towards Spanish-Colonial architecture in the city. Osborne s was no different.

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be activated upon the death of the owner/founder.

Wickliffe Wines Osborne died on October 5, 1935, at the considerable age of eighty-two, and was buried next to his second wife, Maud, in the Santa Barbara Cemetery. In his eventful life, W W Osborne outlived two wives, married a third, and fathered four children. He suf fered the early death of one child and watched three reach maturity. He en dured a serious mid-life financial setback, moved halfway across the United States to begin anew, and had achieved hardearned financial success. He had built a home overlooking the ocean and was ap plauded, at the time of his death, for be-

Marie Louise Ollis Osborne, The provisions ofher will initiated the shift in controlling interest ofthe storefrom the Osbornes to the Ollisfamily.

Courtesy Donald and Barbara Ollis.

ing "perhaps the oldest man in point of age and years of service actively in charge of his own business.”29 To this list can be added the fact that his busi ness outlived him, such was the momen tum that he gave it.

The death of W W Osborne set the previously mentioned mandates and terms into motion. Louise Ollis Osborne,

would prove to be a watershed in the his tory of Osborne's Book Store, and would forever color the relations between mem bers of the Osborne and Ollis families. In this statement, W W Osborne, presi dent. was issued 2,999 shares; Louise Os borne, vice-president, 2,000 shares; Robin Osborne, secretary, 1 share (one assumes, for voting privileges). The stock was capitalized at $50,000.27 In his will, dated April 17, 1922, Wickliffe W Osborne had bequeathed all of his estate “in equal parts, share and share alike” to his wife, Marie Louise Os borne; his daughters, Mattie R. Hails and Dorothy Osborne; and son, Robin H. Osborne.28 Taken together, the will and the incorporation papers represented a change in controlling interest that would

with approximately 55 percent of the corporation’s stock, became president; long-time employee Alice Schmidt (the only employee to ever own any shares in the bookstore) became vice-president; and Robin Osborne, secretary. The structure of this hierarchy was to change little in the next thirty-five years. In her will, dated July 1, 1937, Louise Ollis Osborne left all of the capital stock of Osborne’s Book Store to her brother, William H. Ollis and sister, Julia Ollis Skaggs of New York; ... to be held intact and the income there from is to be divided, share and share alihc between my said brother and my sister...for the remainder of her lifetime, and upon her death, her said share ofsaid income to revert to my said brother.... It is my intention that

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my said brother luive and maintainfor his en tire lifetime, the controlling voice in the man agement ofOsborne's bookstore as represent' ed by said share ofstock ^hat said shares ofstock, together with all rights and privileg es appertaining thereto be not alienated or transferred to other persons prior to the death ofmy said brother This document, although contested by Mrs. Skaggs who felt the will was poorly written and who insisted that William purchase her shares of Osborne’s stock, eventually secured the chain of control ling interest through the Ollis family to the next generation, and effectively dashed any hopes that Robin Osborne might have had of ever owning and man aging his father’s business. Because of the matter of. at most, a half-dozen words in W. W. Osborne's 1922 will, Robin would never be allowed to advance be yond the semblance of proprietorship.

Evolution of the Building Changes in the physical appearance of Osborne’s Book Store occurred slowly, almost imperceptibly. In the 1940s, the

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dark wooden shelves were lightened to give a more modem appearance and store lighting evolved from individual hanging bulbs to the more familiar long lines of fluorescent tubing. The store's one sky light was covered over by a new acousti cal ceiling and a new loading dock at the structure’s rear was added in the 1950s.

Carpeting was not introduced into any part of the store until the 1960s, and then only in the front display windows.

The flooring changed from wood to "battleship linoleum” and then to tile squares. A large National cash register, with drawers for each employee, was a fixture in the store for many decades, as was the huge free-standing safe in the back of the office - a relic in itself. Two roll-top desks, one brought by W. W. Osborne from Kansas City (and later sold to a collector in the 1970s), added considerable charm. One notable "fixThe staff celebrates Fiesta, 1949- William Ollis, president of the corporation, is second from the left. Ppbin Osborne, son ofthe store’s founder, is fourth from the left. Courtesy Donald and Barbara Ollis.

OSBORNE'S BOOK STORE

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'Die interior of the store changed slowly over the years. T^ote the globe lighting and dark_ shelv ing in the photograph above. The photograph below dates from. ig68. Fluorescent lighting has been installed and shelving is lighter in color, but Louise’s beloved posters stdl ring the store and the lending library is still in place, to the right rear. Courtesy Donald and Barbara OUis.

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cure" of the score’s interior was the parade of oversize posters chat encircled the shop. These were a particular ’‘pec’’ of Louise Osborne’s, who refused to discuss their removal or any alternative dis play.31 In March 1945, while visiting friends in Ventura, Louise Ollis Osborne suffered a stroke. She was rushed back to Santa Barbara by ambulance where she died shortly thereafter on March 27.32 Consis tent with his sister’s wishes, William as sumed controlling interest in the corpora tion-33 Although William Ollis cook the helm of Osborne's as president, Robin Osborne remained the most highly visible member of the staff, greeting and chat ting with long-time customers as well as arranging book promotions, highlighting popular authors, and designing fashiona-

ble window displays. Working long hours and even weekends, his dedication CO the business mirrored that of his fa ther. Such was his manner chat many customers thought he was the owner.

Nothing was done by the staff or the management to contradict this appear ance and, given his years of experience with the score and familiarity with the day-to-day requirements of the retail op eration, Robin Osborne was the de facto manager of the bookstore during the peri od after Louise’s death, although his title always remained secretary. The fact was, he did know more about the business than anyone else concerned with Os borne's.

It can be conjectured, with a good deal of certainty, chat following Louise’s death, Robin Osborne enjoyed a greater degree of freedom in decision-making

Ffibin Osborne sits at one ofthe two roU'top desks that werefixtures in the store until the igyos.

OSBORNE’S BOOK STORE

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Despite the long hours he put in at the bookstore, lipbin Osborne also participated in a number ofcommunity activities. He is seen here (thirdfrom right)performing at theLohero Theatre. Courtesy Patricia Osborne Cook-

thin any time before. For many custom ers Robin Osborne was Osborne’s Book Score. According to one account, Robin’s wife, Genevieve, encouraged him to break away from the score and open his own business. He was concerned, and perhaps rightly so, chat the identity of the score was too strong and chat he would be un able to bring enough of the old customers over CO his new bookstore.

Robin Osborne was also active in och er aspects of community life, A frequent "player on the boards” at the Lobero Theatre, he was also a member of several civic organizations including the Lions Club, Friends of the Library, American Legion, and a charter member of the Jun ior Chamber of Commerce.34 On October 26, 1962, and after a lengthy illness, Genevieve Osborne died of cancer. The not unexpected result was chat Robin Osborne’s fervor for business matters greatly diminished.

William Ollis died on February 1, 1965. During his time as president of the

corporation, he had kept a decidedly low profile. Ollis's share of the controlling interest in Osborne’s Inc. was divided equally among his son, photographer Donald G. Ollis (Santa Barbara), and daughters Nancy Ollis Starks (Santa Barbara) and Marilyn Ollis Rose (San Diego).

Although he was nominally president from the time of his father’s death, Don ald Ollis did not take an active part in the management of Osborne’s until over four years later; he already had a chosen profession, A free-lance photographer by trade and a graduate of Brooks Institute of Photography, Donald Ollis had per fected his craft while serving in the navy on various projects and eventually, under the leadership of Commander Edward Steichen, contributed to the movie. The Fighting Lady.^^ He then worked as a photojournalist contributing photo graphs to publications as disparate as Womens Home Companion, Country Qentlanan, Fire Prevention Week,Scientific

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Osborne s was slow to catch onto certain fundamental elements of the retail trade. This sale, ca. 1970, was the store sfirst "in living memory.” Courtesy Donald and Barbara OUis.

American, and clients as varied as the Douglas Oil Company and the Loma Linda School of Tropical and Preventive Medicine.36 Ollis retired from professional photog raphy, which most recently had included underwater photographic assignments, in 1965. The increasing popularity of televi sion was challenging the position of the popular magazine, and a general decline in the industry threatened the budgets of these publications which were also Ollis’ main source of income. Already president of a downtown Santa Barbara business, Ollis made a "deliberate decision to change careers and to focus on the pro prietorship and management of Osborne's Book Store. Other factors also influenced his decision to assume a more active role in the business.

Tough Times It had become painfully evident to the shareholders of Osborne’s that the busi ness had been in decline since the late 1950s and a decade later net profits had dropped by nearly 80 percent.37 A com ment made by Hollywood bookseller Louis Epstein, owner of the Pickwick Book Shop and a person long held in great esteem by Ollis, during a 1967 visit summarized the situation, "Don’t you know you are going broke?’’ Epstein then touched on the particulars: the lending li brary had to go, despite its immense pop ularity with customers, it had never car ried itself financially in its thirty-plusyear history; old and shelf-worn stock should be pulled off the shelves and put

OSBORNE’S BOOK STORE

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on sale cables (apparently score tradition,

chat this closure marked "the end of a

if not stated policy, ignored reduced pric es of stock and instead relied upon pro motions and displays to increase sales figures); sidelines such as pens, maps, leather goods, globes, cards, etc., had to be drastically reduced. "The best service

Santa Barbara tradition started in 1872,” a reference to Sara Plummer’s Santa Bar

you can provide your customer,” Epstein concluded, "is to have the book.”38 Soon after, Osborne's offered its first book sale in memory and boldly advertised this fact with a window display.

Robin Osborne was equally discour aged about the financial state of the score and, in lace 1967 and early 1968, had spoken repeatedly about the possible sale of the business. On July 6, 1968, an ad vertisement appeared in the classified section of the News-Press offering a State Street "100% location, large store” for $175,000, and was the first movement cowards the sale of the store.39 Robin Os borne called a meeting of the shareholders on July 10 to inform them that he had a buyer for the score at the stated price and wanted to act as the primary agent in the negotiation of the sale. Donald Ollis replied chat nothing was to be decided un til an offer was submitted in writing. No such offer was ever forthcoming.“^0 In the absence of a solid offer to pur chase the business, Donald Ollis began caking an ever-increasing interest in the day-to-day operation of Osborne’s and, following the advice of Louis Epstein, as well as his accountant, sent a letter to members of Osborne’s lending library on January 29, 1969, announcing its closure.

Given Osborne's many long-held tradi tions, this was news. A News-Press pho tograph appeared on February 1, 1969 with the caption, "Last Lending Library to Close,” stating chat the last lending li brarian, Mrs. Augusta Richards, had served in this position since 1951 and

bara Library and Stationary Depot, argu ably the city’s first bookstore.

In November 1969, Donald Ollis, af ter consulting with his sisters and ob taining consent to represent their com bined share (and controlling interest) of the corporation, formally assumed active management of the bookstore. For the first time in over twenty years, Robin Osborne was confronted with changes about the way in which Osborne’s con ducted its business, including the physi cal arrangement of the store. Robin, un derstandably, did not take these changes lightly and the unavoidable friction be tween the store's tradition of laborintensive customer service and a new eye on the bottom line must have reawak ened (if in fact they were ever dormant)

Osborne’s Book Store

STATIONI-’.RY ENGRAVING PERIODICALS rOUN I AIN PENS and PENC ILS

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Among the changes initiated by Ollis was the installation of new floor-to-ceilir^ shelving, which greatly increased booh,stock capacity. Courtesy Donald and Barbara OlUs.

his feelings of resentment towards Marie Louise Ollis and, by extension, her kin. It was not something that was going to go away.

In a 1970 Neivs-Press article entitled "Don Ollis Takes Over At Osborne’s,”

option to purchase Robin Osborne's share of the corporation, and Robin stopped going to the store entirely.

In the last years of his life, Robin Os borne turned his attention to the Tubercu losis and Health Association, where he

the public was informed that, "Robin Osborne, who has been active in the store

served as office manager from 1969 to 1972. On May 6, 1973, Robin Hart Os borne, son of the bookstore’s founder and

for 40 years, continues to serve as a con sultant and member of the board of directors, What this meant, in practical terms, was that Robin’s hours at the

an employee for over half of the book store’s eventual lifetime, died of congestive heart failure at the age of seventy-nine.

store were significantly reduced and his interaction with other staff members and

Changes

influence on store operation was mini mized. As a consultant he was kept on

Donald Ollis next, in a series of lessthan-popular moves deemed necessary to the financial health of the business by a

the payroll, but it was obvious that Rob in Osborne was being maneuvered away from the center of things, a position he had enjoyed, and exerted considerable in fluence from, for several decades. On Au

consulting accountant, replaced the time-honored National cash register, which lacked a sales tape mechanism,

gust 25, 1969, Donald Ollis exercised an

with a register that did. Then came the

OSBORNE’S BOOK STORE

previously-mentioned introduction of payroll checks, which was wildly unpop ular with the bookstore staff and elicited the infamous check-cashing exodus and even a resignation or two. Louise Ollis Osborne's beloved posters were removed from the encircling rim of the store and replaced by new to-the-ceiling shelving.

Shelf-worn and otherwise dusty and dat ed goods were placed on sale tables - some items may have been in the store for a decade or more. In line with bookseller Epstein’s recommendations. Osborne’s began a new commitment to be more of a bookstore and to "have the book,” for by

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the late 1960s, according to one report, no more than 30 percent of the stock was books.

Other innovations included a rede signed charge system. In the past, some "carriage trade” customers had only paid annually. Another Santa Barbara book seller, Roger Boutell (at the time owner of the Tecolote Book Shop) remarked upon the difficulties that sometimes ac companied serving the very well-to-do; Once a stranger,a very important looking lady of indeterminate age entered, made a purchase and directed that it be charged.

When ask^d for her name and address, she announced the name with an air of haughty sur prise at her questioner’s ignorance and added, "1 am much too important to have an address, just TAontecito.

The rear entryway to the store was up graded, assisted by ar chitect Robert Garland and interior decorator Fred Rubik, and offered a redwood deck, natural brick facing, planters, louvered shutters, and awnings in grey and charcoal. The outward

In ip6p, Donald Ollis Lookover active management of Osborne's. He made a number ofchanges at the store in an attempt to reverse the store's financial direction.

Courtesy Donald and Barbara OlUs.

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OSBORNE'S BOOK STORE

appearance of the store was indicative of changes within the walls. The combined effect of these sometimes difficult inter nal and external changes increased book sales and store profits, placed the corpo ration on a firmer financial footing, and subsequently made Osborne's more at tractive to prospective buyers.

By far Donald Ollis’s greatest innova tion was a method of ordering single titles from publishers that would eventu ally effect the entire bookselling industry, reaching far beyond 923-25 State Street.

Although the combined orders of inde pendent booksellers in the United States represented the lion's share of the market, independent booksellers were routinely of fered reduced or "short" discounts because, the publishers argued, the cost of process ing these smaller orders was relatively higher. The cost of ordering a single title often represented a loss to the seller. In the early 1970s, Ollis determined that special orders for a customer, usually a single title, cost $1.19 per order. Even though this type of order was essentially a "good will" gesture, by the time the or der arrived and the additional cost added, everyone was unhappy.

The new president of Osborne’s an swered this problem by designing a "Blank Check Order," or "B.C.O.," that allowed the publisher to receive payment without billing and provided a mailing label so chat the book was sent directly to the customer. By reducing paperwork for the publisher, increasing the bookseller's profit margin, and speeding the delivery of the book to the customer, this system was beneficial to all concerned. The Blank Check Order system is still used widely by independent booksellers to this day.'*^ His level of involvement with the mechanics of the book trade and notoriety

as spokesman for the independent book seller was such chat Don Ollis also served several terms as director of the Southern California Bookseller's Association.

In 1973 Donald’s son, Richard assumed management of the shop. By now Osborne’s boasted the largest number of book titles in downtown Santa Barbara.

Only the Pickwick Book Shop in La Cumbre Plaza, sold by Epstein in the 1970s CO the chain-developing Dayton Hudson Corporation, had more titles. In a 1975 interview, "Rich" noted chat he wanted to uncover the ceiling skylights, add plants, and make the score more "old time.

Richard had inherited his fa ther's love of underwater photography and would be called back to chat profes sion in 1976.

An Unexpected Sale While having lunch with a local real tor, Donald Ollis, reacting to the ques tion, "Would you ever consider selling the store?” remarked off-handedly that, "If some rich fellow made me an offer I couldn't refuse, sure." Soon after, Donald and his wife, Barbara, left for a vacation in Hawaii. Upon their return, they were contacted by the same realtor with the excited greeting, "Remember chat rich fellow you mentioned? Well, I found him.” This "fellow” was successful engi neer and investor Edmond Atelian, who indeed made the Ollis family an offer they couldn’t refuse.

Arriving in Santa Barbara in 1976, Mr. Atelian began buying businesses, one for each of his children. Osborne’s was slated for one of his young daughters.

Since the 1970s, the Santa Barbara book selling community had harbored great fears about chain bookstores opening in downtown Santa Barbara. Rumors of

20

potentially devastating effects circulated with regular frequency. These rumors must have made Mr. Atelian’s offer all the more agreeable. In September 1982, Don Ollis sold the building, business, and stock to Edmond Atelian. New owner Atelian’s feelings toward the business were straightforward, "It’s strictly busi ness. If the store makes sense, I'll pursue it. If it doesn’t, I won’t.” He is also quoted as saying, "If we can bring the costs down, we’ll continue.

Bob Reueter and Margaret Adorno, at the time of the sale bookstore manager and assistant manager respectively, bridged the transition between owners.

By 1984, however, the bookstore staff contained all new faces.

Although not readily apparent “on the books,” because of a series of large quantities of books returned to publishers for credit, Osborne’s Book Shop experi enced a steady decline in sales after this change of owners. This was at least par tially in reaction to the oft-dreaded open ing of a downtown chain bookstore, Crown Books, which offered substantial discounts on best-selling titles.“^6 The next, and as it was to be, the last manager of Osborne’s was Ellen Paster nack, who is pictured holding the store’s just-removed wooden sign in an Zndependent article entitled "Osborne Building Sold, Bookstore Moves.

The first half of the article’s title was already a reality, the second half never happened. Al though the owner did, ostensibly, investi gate several alternative locations, includ ing the vacant Bank of America building at the northeast corner of State and Cota streets, no new home was found for this Santa Barbara landmark.

NOTICIAS

The building was purchased around March 1987 by the owner of a Hong Kong insurance company. Cm Woo, a Canadian resident who planned to " . . . occasionally visit Santa Barbara.”'^® Mr. Woo, unlike many local businesses, was excited about the possibilities offered by the planned opening of a new downtown mall. For the remainder of the month, all of Osborne’s book stock was sold at cost under the banner of a "moving sale.”49 On April 30, the building’s lease expired and Osborne’s Book Store closed its doors for the last time. By November of that same year, the store’s sign was removed from the building’s facade. Surviving several subsequent phases of remodeling, including the re-introduction of a divid ing partition first removed in 1906. the building at 923-25 State Street has changed surprisingly little since its 1925 face-lift, at least superficially. The build ing is now shared by a coffee shop and a T-shirt shop; neither business interior gives the slightest hint of what went be fore.

Publisher's Weekly editor Frederic Melcher concluded his 1927 article on Osborne’s Book Store with the hope that . . . the generation of booksellers born to easier, times may see of what fi ber are the older generation of American book sellers,” and he referred to Wickliffe Wines Osborne as a "pioneer in the business.” Some family members recall that in his Ridge Lane home overlooking the growing city of Santa Barbara, "Wick” had a saddle prominently dis played. No doubt it was a reminder of the dusty rough-and-tumble days that eventually led this spirited and deter mined man to State Street in 1897.

OSBORNE’S BOOK STORE

21

OSBORNE^S BOOK STORE BOOKS, STATIONERY AND ENGRAVING 923-925 STATE STREET SANTA BARBARA, CALIF.

CONTENTS

MERCHANDISE FOURTH CLASS

POSTMASTER

Thu Ptrcit May Bt Opnad (or PeiUt inipaeilon If ncconary

NOTES 1. Fowler Brothers of Los Angeles was established in 1888, The Holmes Book Company of Oakland in 1894; both firms are still in business.

2. See John E. Baur, Health Seekers of Southern California, iSyo-igoo(San Marino; The Huntington Library, 1959), 65-71, for a description of the development and promotion of Santa Barbara as a resort community.

3. Walter M. Osborne to Osborne fami ly, 8 October 1935. Walter, of Gar nett, Kansas, was writing to the fam ily after receiving word of W W. Osborne’s death. Collection of Patri cia Osborne Cook, Placerville, Cali fornia.

4. W.W.Osborne was one of seven children born to Levi Lewis Osborne and Mary Wood Hooker; Worthing ton Hooker, Harry Levi, John Orvando(b. 1841), William George, Minerva Eleanor (d. 1863, age 20), and Ida Mi randa Osborne (later Price). See Patri cia Osborne Cook, "Wickliffe Wines Osborne; Osborne’s Book Store"(Un published manuscript, n.d.), 1.

5. Frederic G. Melcher, "The Corner Office Afield,” Publishers’ Weekly, 19 March 1927, 1258-9. Melcher was the editor of Publishers’Weekly and occa sionally left his desk to visit notable bookshops, hence the article’s title.

6. Articles of Copartnership filed by W. W. Osborne and W. A. Pitrat on September 1, 1881. The ruinous fire occurred sometime in 1895-96. Notice of Dissolution of Partnership pub lished July 31, 1897. Settlement terms cost Osborne $2500; Pitrat then con tinued the business under his own name. These particulars are noted on a receipt dated October 7, 1897. Os borne, W. W. Papers. Santa Barbara Historical Society (hereafter cited as SBHS), 7. Obituary for W. W.Osborne, Santa BarbaraNews-Press,6 October 1935, 5.

See Cook, “Wickliffe Wines Os borne,” 2. W. W.Osborne and Maud Hart were married on October 3, 1893, in Wilmington, Illinois. Their first home was at 529 Park Avenue,

NOTICIAS

22

Coast Publishing Co., 1913), adver tisement section.

Kansas City, Missouri.

9. Patricia Osborne Cook, “Robin Hart Osborne” (Unpublished manuscript, n.d.)[l]. Robin Hart Osborne was born on July 25, 1894, in Kansas City, Missouri.

10. Notes, signed “W W",2 August 1915. Osborne Papers, SBHS. 11. Business ledgers and journals record ing cash receipts and disbursements for Nov. 1898-Nov. 1899; Dec. 1932April 1934; June 1940-April 1942; Feb. 1953-Nov. 1954. Osborne Papers.

SBHS. 12. "75 Years Ago,” SantaBarbaraT^ews' Press, 10 July 1981, A-20. Arthur A. Poole moved his business to 913 State Street. Santa Barbara City Directory (hereafter cited as SBCD) 1913-14.

13. Patricia Osborne Cook, telephone conversation with author, 15 Decem

17. See David Myrick, Montccito and Santa Barbara. Volume i, From Farms to Estates(Glendale; Trans-Anglo Books, 1988), 130-133.

18. Obituary for Louise Ollis Osborne, Santa Barbara T^cws-Press, 28 March 1945, A-2.

19. Ibid. Louise Ollis was born in Bloom ington, Indiana, on January 20, 1879.

20. “COMOSEVA?,”SaritaBarbara NcwS'Press,16 August 1952, B-1. It was claimed that this ledger was the last of its kind west of the Mississippi.

21. Donald and Barbara Ollis, interview with author, Santa Barbara, 15 De cember 1992. This event occurred in the late 1960s.

22. Robin Osborne and Genevieve Kaiser were married on June 7, 1919, in San Rafael, California, three days after the bride’s graduation from UC Berkeley. The couple moved to an apartment near Lake Merritt in Oak land. It is interesting to note that Santa Barbara's first bookseller

ber 1992. This property was divided in 1922, and a house built on the low er portion at 2206 Alameda Padre Serra; it was first rented and later sold.

14. SBCD 1910. That same year one Dwight D. Paulding, living at the same address as M C. Paulding, opened a shop selling Kodak cameras at 729 State Street, next door to the Mission Book Store.

15. “Notes.” Osborne Papers. SBHS. 731 State Street was host to an unbroken series of bookstores beginning with H. A, C. McPhail in 1902(and possibly as early as 1886). This business part nership was, by mutual consent, dis solved on June 1, 1912.

16. Leila Weeks Wilson, Santa Barbara, California (Santa Barbara: Pacific

(1871), Sarah Allen Plummer, was also living in Oakland at this time.

23. Letter in the collection of Patricia Osborne Cook.

24. “And Now Business As Usual,” PubUsher’s Weekly, 1 August 1925, 447.

25. Letter. 8 July 1929. Marilyn Jean Williams was the daughter of Doro thy Osborne Williams and was born on July 5, 1929. Letter in the collec tion of Patricia Osborne Cook.

26. “Memorandum in Re. Incorporation of Business Now Being Carried on by

©jsbnrn^’js ^aak §>tav2 BOOKS STATIONERY ENGRAVING : PERIODICALS

OSBORNE’S BOOK STORE

23

W. W. Osborne,"(n.d.), 1-6. Collec tion of Donald and Barbara Ollis, Santa Barbara.

27. Financial Statement, 24 May 1939.

Collection of Donald and Barbara Ol lis. This statement, containing book store history, was submitted to Pub lishers’Weekly by Robin H. Osborne, secretary. These statements were re quested by the publisher. Weekly sal aries were also listed: Louise O. Os borne, $77.00; Alice K. Schmidt, $44.00; Robin H. Osborne, $63.00; Bookkeeper, $20.00; Clerk [perhaps William Ollis), $20,00; Boy (part time), $12.00. This last employee was, in all probability, Donald Ollis, later president of the corporation.

28. Will filed October 17. 1935. Copy in SBHS. 29. Obituary for W. W.Osborne, Morning Press(Santa Barbara), 6 Oc tober 1935, 5.

30. Copy in SBHS. 31. Cook, "W^ickliffe W'ines Osborne,” 1.

32. Obituary for Louise Ollis Osborne, Santxi Barbara News-Press, 28 March 1945, A-2.

33. Ibid.

34. Cook, "Robin Hart Osborne," 2.

35, "Donald Ollis Helps 'Shoot’ War Movie Coming Here Soon,” Santa Barbara News-Press, 18 February 1945, D-1. Edward Steichen, who di rected U.S. naval photography in World War II, was later head of the photography department of the Mu seum of Modem Art, New York, and organized the Family of Man exhibit in 1955.

36. Abbot Mills, "Photo-Journalist Finds Work Difficult, Exciting And Re lates Experiences to Prove Both Claims," Santa Barbara News-Press, 2 November 1952, A-6.

37. A twelve-year analysis of the income of Osborne’s Book Store for the years 1958-69 was conducted by an inde pendent Santa Barbara accounting firm. The results of this study re vealed that the net income of the store had declined steadily from a high of approximately $15,000 in 1959 to approximately $3,000 in 1969. Collection of Donald and Bar bara Ollis.

38. Donald Ollis, telephone conversation with author, 10 January 1993.

39. The listing was offered through the offices of James H. Thompson.

40. From notes written at the time of this meeting, Donald Ollis recalls William Watling, then owner of three Tecolote Book Shop locations in Santa Barbara, being mentioned as the possible interested party. In a tel ephone conversation with the author on January 10, 1993, Mr. Watling could not remember any such offer, but felt it also very possible that he may have been interested in the store at that time, but "might have been scared off by the parking situation in the back." Mr. Watling did remem ber that he never submitted a written offer. There is some speculation that Robin Osborne may have also been, as a copartner, one of the "interested parties." No documentation exists to refute or deny this possibility.

BOOKS STATIONERY ENGRAVING : PERIODICALS

NOTICIAS

24 ii. Santa Barbara News'Press,i February 1969, A-2.

Since 1989, he has caught film classes at the University of Southern Cali fornia.

42. Roger Boutell, "Bookselling in Santa Barbara,” Quarterly NewS'Letter ofthe Book Club of California 13 (Spring 1948): 38.

43. See Donald Ollis, "Ordering with Blank Checks Is the Key to Profits," Publishers WecHy> 4 June 1973, 65-66; Chet Holcombe, "Osborne’s Owner

45. Nick Welsh, "Osborne Building Sold, Bookstore Moves,” TTieIndepen dent(Santa Barbara), 18 March 1987, 13.

46. Ellen Pasternack, telephone conver sation with author. 10 January 1993.

She indicated chat this downward trend in sales was somewhat reversed when the number of titles offered at

Speeds Up Orders,” Santa Barbara NewS'Press, 15 June 1973, A-12;"An other Aftermath; Blank Check Or ders A Year Later,” Publisher’s Weekly, 29 July 1974, 37.

44. Karen Stabiner and Kathy Sullivan, "Rags CO Riches: Bookstores Have It All." SantaBarbaraNews&P^view, 23 May 1975, 19-20. Richard Ollis left Osborne’s to, like his father, at tend Brooks Institute of Photography.

Osborne’s was again increased.

47. Welsh, "Osborne Building Sold.” 13.

48. Ibid. The purchase was negotiated by Mr. Woo’s sister, Jen Long, a long time Santa Barbara resident.

49. "Osborne’s Books May Be Closing,” Santa Barbara NewS'Press, 15 April 1987, C-6. The owner, apparently, did not return repeated phone calls.

In Account with

W. W. OSBORNE, Bookseller and Stationer Wall Paper

Both Telephones 495.

929 and 931 State Street.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to express his most sincere appreciation to Patricia Osborne Cook of Placerville and Donald and Barbara Ollis of Santa Barbara for generously giving of their time and personal collections. Special thanks must also be given to Gary Ink. li brarian at Publisher’s Weekly. New York, for his extensive help (via FAX no less) in unearthing information available nowhere else. Singular thanks must also be accorded CO David Hill of Ventura for faithfully capturing most of the illustrative material in cluded. Completion of this article would not have been possible without the knowledge able assistance of Clifton Smith. William Watling. and Ellen Pasternack, all of Santa Barbara, and Craig Held of Santa Paula. This short history is lovingly dedicated to my daughter. Perry Berne Johnson.

SANTA BARBARA HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES Mr. Dg.yid Gledhill . . .

Mr. Roger Phillips . . .

Dr. C. Seybert Kinsell

Presidenc .. First Vice Presidenc Second Vice President

Mrs. Susan B. Simpson Mr. Dale Lauderdale . . ,

Secretary Treasurer

Mrs. Nan Djordjevic Mr. Richard Glenn

Mr. Remi Nadeau

Mrs. Jean Goodrich Mr.'Fhad MacMillan Mr. Warren Miller Mrs. Delfina Mott

Mrs. MaryThorson Mrs. Tamara Usher

Mr.John Pitman

Mrs. Jo Beth Van Gelderen

Mr. Phillips S. Wilcox Mr. John C. Woodward Mr. Charles L. Turner, Interim Executive Director LIFE MEMBERS

Mr. Stephen A. Acronico Mr. and Mrs. William B. A^bell Mr. and Mrs. J.W, Beaver Mr. and Mrs. Danily Bell Mr. Marvin J. Branch Dr. and Mrs. Ashleigh Brilliant Mr. H. R. de la Cuesca Burkhart Mrs. Virginia Cascagnola-Hunter Mr. and Mrs. Pierre P. Claeyssens Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cleek

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Mr. and Mrs. J. Terry Schwartz

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Mr. and Mrs. Burke H. Simpson Mr. Ivano Paolo Vit

Mrs. David Shoudy Mr. Walter G. Silva

Mr. and Mrs. John C. Woodward

BENEFACTORS; Santa Cruz Island Foundation.

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CONTENTS Pg. i; Osborne's Book Store