Harold Tall's Architectural Books

Merch & Gifts

Objects produced by the store and sold in the store. Harold was reluctant to sell objects that were not books. He came around. He will not say why.

On the Matter of Merchandise

The items on this page were developed over several years in response to requests Harold received from customers who wanted something to remember the store by that was not a book. Harold's position was that a book was already something to remember the store by. The customers' position was that they wanted a tote bag.

A tote bag was produced. It led, inevitably, to the rest of this.

Wearables

Black / One Size (Approximately)

The Harold Tall's Tote Bag

Black canvas. The store name on one side. Nothing on the other side, which Harold considers the more honest side. Holds approximately twelve books or one very large book plus feelings.

Structure
is not
opinion

Natural / S–XXL

Tote: "Structure Is Not Opinion"

Natural canvas. A phrase Harold used once in a conversation that was not going well. Someone asked if they could put it on a tote bag. Harold said he would think about it. He thought about it for eleven months.

Slate / XS–XXL

T-Shirt: "I Was in the Corridor"

Slate grey. Screen printed. Refers, Harold confirms, to a specific corridor in a specific building in a specific city that he will describe to you in person if you ask him directly. He has been asked forty-seven times. He has answered forty-seven times.

Black / Adjustable

Black. No logo. No text. Nothing. Harold was asked what the concept was. He said: "a hat." This is the best-selling item in the store after books. Harold does not know what to make of this. He has been thinking about it.

Objects for the Desk or the Floor

Solid oak. Measures what it says it measures. "Honest" was added to the name after a customer returned a previous ruler claiming it was 2mm short. It was not. The word "honest" has not prevented further complaints but has made them easier to address.

Notebook: "Structural Notes"

Blank inside. A5. Cream paper, 90gsm. The cover says "Structural Notes" in the store's typeface. What constitutes a structural note is left to the purchaser. Harold suggests: things you are fairly sure of.

Pen (No Further Description)

A pen. Matte black. Writes in black ink. The cap clicks. Harold was asked to write product copy for this item and submitted the sentence you are reading. The sentence was used without revision.

Concrete / Approx. 180g

Paperweight: Cast Concrete

Cast concrete. Rectangular. Holds papers down. Also holds down books left open to a page of interest, which Harold considers its primary function. Each one is slightly different due to the casting process. Harold considers this a feature. It is not marketed as a feature.

For the Person Who Has Everything Except an Opinion About Buildings

Harold
Tall's
Gift
Certificate

Gift Certificate

Available in any amount. Redeemable in store. Harold will not tell the recipient what to buy. He will, however, make suggestions. The suggestions are considered part of the gift.

The Harold Tall's Selection Box

Harold selects three books for someone he has never met based on a single sentence you write about them. The sentence should be honest. He has been doing this for six years. His accuracy rate is not tracked but is described by recipients as "unsettling."

$160.00 + books

Calendar: Buildings That Are Still Standing

Twelve buildings, one per month. All are still standing as of press time. The December building is a shed in Belgium that Harold photographed himself in 1998. He has not said why he included it. He has been asked.

Architectural Flash Cards: Terms That Are Contested

Forty cards. Each names a term and provides Harold's definition on the back, followed in smaller text by the definition that is technically correct. The difference between the two is, in Harold's view, the education.