Waldenbooks 40oz Insulated Travel Mug Stainless Tumbler
Take a substantial piece of bookstore history along for the ride with this Waldenbooks travel mug. The brand traces its roots to a 1933 rental library in Bridgeport, where books were rented for three cents a day during the Depression. It later became a major bookstore presence, expanded through acquisitions and new formats, and eventually disappeared after the 2011 Borders Group liquidation. A thoughtful choice for readers and retail-history collectors.
Walden Book Company began on March 4, 1933, when Lawrence Hoyt, a former Simon & Schuster sales manager, and Melvin T. Kafka opened a rental library inside a department store in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Named after Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, the business rented books for three cents per day during the Great Depression. By 1948, it had 250 rental locations. Lawrence Hoyt opened the first Walden bookstore in Pittsburgh in 1962, as affordable paperbacks helped shift the company from rentals to retail selling. Broadway Hale Stores acquired the company in 1969 and later became Carter Hawley Hale. During the 1970s, Walden Books gradually became Waldenbooks. Kmart acquired Waldenbooks in 1984. The company expanded into software, educational toys, larger book formats, and related brands, acquired U.S. Coles Book Stores locations in 1987, and operated Basset Book Shop stores before they became Borders locations. In 1994, Kmart combined Waldenbooks, Brentano’s, and Borders into the Borders-Walden Group. Many stores became Borders Express locations beginning in 2004. Borders Group entered liquidation in 2011, closing the remaining Waldenbooks stores.
| 40oz | |
| Height, in | 9.84 |
| Width with handle, in | 5.79 |
| Diameter, in | 4.02 |
Product features
- Leak-proof push-on lid with easy latch
- Double-wall stainless steel insulation for long temperature retention
- Large 40oz capacity with included straw and ergonomic handle
- Durable powder-coated finish with UV-DTF printed design
- BPA-free materials; hand wash recommended
Care instructions
- Clean in dishwasher (put the product on top rack), or wash by hand with warm water and dish soap
EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY
Product information: Polar Camel, 2 year warranty in EU and Northern Ireland as per Directive 1999/44/EC
Care instructions: Clean in dishwasher (put the product on top rack), or wash by hand with warm water and dish soap