Bryars & Bryars

Bryars & Bryars is an antiquarian dealer on Cecil Court, the West End lane long associated with the rare book and print trade. Run by Tim and Pinda Bryars, the shop describes its stock simply as interesting and beautiful things for everybody, spanning several centuries of printed material and aimed at browsers as well as committed collectors.

The specialism is antiquarian maps, with holdings covering London and its transport, the regions of the British Isles, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas and the Middle East, as well as railway, world and celestial maps. Alongside these sit antiquarian books on history, the arts, science, philosophy, travel and atlases, plus topographical prints and works by artists including David Roberts and R B Kitaj.

Antique maps and rare books on Cecil Court

For anyone looking for antique maps in London, the shop pairs its physical premises with an online catalogue and a blog on maps and antiquarian collecting. That blog reflects a dealer's interest in the history behind the objects rather than only their sale, which gives visitors context as well as stock to buy. The range moves from decorative prints suitable for framing through to serious cartographic and bibliographic material.

What to expect on a visit

The premises occupy one of Cecil Court's period shopfronts and open Monday to Saturday, 11am to 6pm; the shop asks anyone making a special trip to call ahead. Cecil Court runs between Charing Cross Road and St Martin's Lane, close to Leicester Square, and Bryars & Bryars suits collectors of maps and prints as much as anyone drawn to browsing original historical material. It makes a natural stop among the other dealers on the lane, including Sotheran's a few doors along, and our list of bookshops in Covent Garden covers the rest of the street.