The Hamptons’ favorite indie bookstore has found a savior—and it’s not Oprah, but the art world’s most powerful art dealer.
Larry Gagosian has quietly purchased BookHampton, the beloved East Hampton shop that’s served readers and summer people for decades. Owner Carolyn Brody, who bought the store in 2016, announced last fall she planned to sell. Locals braced for another luxury boutique. Instead, they got Gagosian.
“There was concern in the community about the fate of the store—and the potential for another luxury retail shop to take its place,” a source told Page Six.
Gagosian, 80, a longtime Amagansett resident and bookstore regular, stepped in. “BookHampton is an important part of the community, and I felt it was crucial that it was preserved,” he told Page Six.
He’s already taken over operations and plans to keep it a general interest bookstore, with a slight lean toward art and design. His gallery has long published artist monographs—including recent books by Richard Prince and Tom Wesselmann—so the pivot is well within his wheelhouse.
Over the years, the store has hosted a steady rotation of marquee names, including Hillary Clinton and Ali Wentworth. Now, with Gagosian at the helm, BookHampton enters a new chapter, one with a serious shelf life.