Our History

David Mason Books was founded in 1967. After a period working in new bookstores, David Mason began a cataloging business dealing in Modern Firsts. At the same time, he apprenticed with Joseph Patrick books—then Canada’s most prominent dealer in Canadiana and Canadian Literature.

In 1969, David became completely independent, taking offices over the Village Book Store on Toronto's Gerrard Street. David opened a street-front bookstore, also on Gerrard Street, a year later. This allowed him to diversify from Modern Firsts into any area that took his interest, a move he never regretted.

Since those first years on Gerrard, David Mason Books moved to locations on Church Street from 1973-1984, and Queen Street from 1984-2005. In 2005 we finally settled at our current location on Adelaide Street West.