Art Book Center is housed in an old building which was earlier the residence of its founder, Manharbhai. He had worked in a bookshop and later held a full-time job. Books were a passion for him and his experience in the bookshop which specialized in out-of-print and rare books helped him to branch on his own. Initially, the collection was very modest and Manharbhai mailed lists to booklovers and libraries to solicit business.

Soon, Manharbhai set up this bookshop in his residence in 1970. This was open only on weekends owing to his commitments elsewhere. Slowly, the collection of books grew as did the business. Word of mouth publicity ensured that the steady flow of visitors became a torrent. The bookshop is now open all days. 123123