Les Bouquinistes de Paris
September with a hint of autumn in the air. I love strolling along the Seine stopping every now and again to see if I can find a rare gem among the used books being sold by those ever present booksellers in Paris called les bouquinistes.
After hundreds of years of controversy, they finally became a permanent fixture as we know them today in 1891 on the Quai Voltaire and have grown to nearly 250 on both the Right Bank and Left Bank, selling old and used books, posters, post-cards, stamps, music albums, art prints, and more. What’s even nicer is having lively conversations with them about their goods. Wonderful moments that make up life in this beautiful city.
Photo Credit: Reya
11 Comments
Lynn
Love those bouquinistes. They have some books and engravings over 100 years old. People see Notre Dame and pass them by without discovering this treasure.
That is so true, Urv, and they themselves are a treasure of information!
salut,
je commande les ouvrages suivants ,dans un bon état,et a un prix abordable:
1- le dictionnaire de la peinture par M. Laclotte, J.-P. Cuzin & avec la collaboration d’A. Pierre), Paris,
Larousse, 1999.
2- La Pléiade › “Histoire de l’art”
Histoire de l’Art, tome 1 : Le Monde non-chrétien
Histoire de l’Art, tome III : Renaissance – Baroque – Romantisme
Histoire de l’Art, tome II : L’Europe médiévale
Histoire de l’Art, tome IV : Du Réalisme à nos jours
3- Dictionnaire de la mythologie grecque et romaine de Pierre Grimal
4- Dictionnaire des mythologies et des religions des sociétés traditionnelles et du monde antique par Yves Bonnefoy
en cas de disponibilité, veuillez m’envoyer la procédure pour régler par virement bancaire.
Mes remerciement
Merci Hamid, mais pour mes lecteurs qui aimeraient trouver votre stand, où êtes-vous situé précisément?
(Thanks Hamid, but for my readers who would like to find your stand, where are you exactly located?)
A fond memory of Paris is strolling the bouquinistes near Norte Dame. I fould a great vintage poster that’s still hanging in my home.
Jon, I’ve found some great things as well. Sometimes you have to dig through a lot of stuff, but the results can be very rewarding!
Lynn,
Are you sure they are such a recent addition to Paris? I’ve been researching the history of retail in Paris and I found an article that says otherwise:
http://www.sitebits.com/2007/paris-bouquinistes.html
It kinda makes more sense since they’ve been regulated since the Revolution (which means the 1790’s, no?)
In fact, some sites (in French) say they appeared in 16th century (initially only on Ile de la Cité).
Lynn,
Are you sure they are such a recent addition to Paris? I’ve been researching the history of retail in Paris and I found an article that says otherwise:
http://www.sitebits.com/2007/paris-bouquinistes.html
It kinda makes more sense since they’ve been regulated since the Revolution (which means the 1790’s, no?)
In fact, some sites (in French) say they appeared in 16th century (initially only on Ile de la Cité).
Thanks for your input Jérôme. Actually merchants began selling almanacs, pamphlets and such in the 16th century in 1559. Around this time certain regulations where establishments in how, and who could sell what and where, because of more traditional booksellers opposing them, but by 1620 there were 24 sellers on the Pont Neuf, but they were banned in 1628. Once again they were allowed on the bridge in 1640 but once more in 1649 they could no longer sell their goods.
The term bouquiniste is first found in “le dictionnaire de l’Académie Française in 1789. A few years later, in 1791 a new law by the name of “la loi d’Allarde” allowed any citizen to engage in any legal profession that they deemed fit. Under Napoléon the quays were installed and the bouquinistes were found once again from the Quai Voltaire to the Pont Saint-Michel.
Yet it wasn’t until 1859 that the bouquinistes were given the authorization to set up individual stands, and not until 1891 that they were authorized to leave their stands in a fixed place, as we know them today. That’s my understanding, but if anyone else out there knows more or if I’m wrong, please don’t hesitate to enlighten us!
Perhaps I was being too “technically correct” when I dated the bouquinistes as of 1891, but I was thinking more of how we know them today!
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