Who has not come to Paris and stop by the book stalls along the Seine river near the Notre Dame Cathedral? This is essential Paris and we have been here since 1990, in fact I still have book and frame portraits of what we purchase from them! It is one of the wonderful walks and knowledge trip you can make in Paris and oh talk to them , they love it and will tell you many stories. I was often by here and many memorable family moments now that my parents and wife are gone (RIP), This is one of those walk that touch me hard, I have found me pictures in my cd rom vault and combine with older posts condense into this one for you and me, Therefore, here is my take on the Bouquinistes of Paris !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The bouquinistes of Paris are booksellers of old and used books, present on a large part of the banks of the Seine; on the right bank, from the Pont de Marie to the quai du Louvre; on the left bank, from the quai de la Tournelle to the Quai Voltaire. More than 200 booksellers manage nearly 900 boxes on the banks of the Seine !!! The term “bouquinistes” appears in the Dictionary of the French Academy in the 1762 edition with the following definition and graphic: “The one who sells or buys old books” The tradition of Parisian booksellers begins around the 16C with small peddlers. Under pressure from the booksellers’ corporation, a by-law of 1649 forbade portable shops and the display of books on the Pont Neuf. The power at the time was keen to limit parallel markets not subject to censorship. Traveling booksellers are therefore, depending on the period, hunted and then reinstated under approval.
Today, 3 kms of ancient or contemporary books, engravings, stamps and other journals that can be surveyed. All installed on the parapets of the high quays of the two banks of the Seine enclosing the Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis: You have them in the right bank from Pont Marie to Pont des Arts , that is from the Quai de l’Hôtel de Ville to quai du Louvre, And on the left bank from the pont Sully to pont Royal or from the quai de la Tournelle to quai Voltaire, By walking near the bouquinistes or booksellers, one can also contemplate the Louvre, the Institut de France, the Hôtel de la Monnaie, the Saint-Michel fountain, the Pont des Arts, the Île de la Cité, the Cathedral Notre-Dame , the city hall, the Conciergerie, etc.
At the origin of Bouquinistes or booksellers, there is the word bouquin, a familiar form of book. Printed for the first time in 1459, it was then called “boucquain” and became “bouquin” towards the end of the 16C. It comes from the Flemish word “boeckin” meaning small book (in the sense of a book of little value or little esteem, itself derived from the medieval Middle Dutch “boek”: book. The first appearance of the term “bouquiniste” is noted in the Trévoux Dictionary in 1752, with this definition: « Which is said of the sellers of old books, of books ».The term “bouquinistes” appears in the Dictionary of the French Academy in the 1762 edition. The current boxes were made official in 1891, when a municipal decree authorized booksellers to leave their merchandise overnight at the place of sale granted to them. Until then, books were offered in small, easy-to-handle wooden boxes. Around 1900, it was required that the boxes should all be the same color called “wagon green”, like the first Metro, the Wallace fountains and the Morris columns. In addition, the raised cover should not exceed 2.10 meters above the ground, so as not to block the view. During the Universal Exhibition of 1900, there were already 200 booksellers on the banks of the Seine. Today, there are 3 km of old or contemporary books, engravings, stamps and other magazines that can be surveyed. All installed on the parapets of the high quays of the two banks of the Seine enclosing the Île de la Cité and Saint-Louis On the rive droite or right bank, they are from the Pont de Marie bridge to the Pont des Arts, which is from the quay of the Hôtel de Ville to the quay of the Louvre : On the rive gauche or left bank ,they are from Pont Sully to Pont Royal which is from Quai de la Tournelle to Quai Voltaire, A wonderful sight of my Paris !
The tradition of Parisian booksellers begins around the 16C with small peddlers. Under pressure from the booksellers’ corporation, a by-law of 1649 forbade portable shops and the display of books on the Pont Neuf. The power at the time was keen to limit parallel markets not subject to censorship. Traveling booksellers are therefore, depending on the period, hunted and then reinstated under approval. During the French revolution, from 1789 to 1795, in spite of a sharp decline in editorial production, only revolutionary newspapers and pamphlets were printed, and second-hand booksellers prospered and enriched themselves with the requisitions and plunderings of libraries of the aristocracy and the clergy. Under Emperor Napoleon I, the quays are embellished and the booksellers spread from the quai Voltaire to the Pont Saint-Michel bridge. They are then finally recognized by the public authorities and they obtain the same status as the public traders of the city of Paris. In 1859, concessions were put in place by the city of Paris and booksellers could establish themselves at fixed points. Everyone is then entitled to 10 meters of parapet for an annual license fee. Openings are from sunrise to sunset. Finally, it is in 1930 that the dimensions of the boxes are fixed. However, if the sale of books remains the official name, these boxes have always traditionally offered other items: prints, stamps, coins and small flea markets, or even souvenirs.
In 2014, second-hand booksellers launch their first festival. Fifty booksellers came together to present their best selections of old and second-hand books. And they won again, tradition triumphs yeah !!! The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games, which will take place in the Seine on July 26, 2024, implies that the booksellers release the docks of the Seine for organizational and security reasons. In order to support these historic traders, the city of Paris undertakes to take charge of the removal, the restoration and the renovation of the green boxes. The controversy has been swelling for months. And finally, the bouquinistes of Paris will not be forced to dismantle their boxes during the Olympic Games. The measure, which had been justified for security reasons by police prefect Laurent Nunez, has just been invalidated by Emmanuel Macron himself. Now this is a good decision Mr President !
The Paris tourist office on the Bouquinistes: https://parisjetaime.com/eng/shopping/les-bouquinistes-de-paris-p3737
The official Bouquinistes of Paris for ordering : https://bouquinistesdeparis.com/
The official Bouquinistes of Paris on its history : https://bouquinistes.info/
There you go folks, a beauty of a walk always and now they will be there even during the Olympics !! A walk along the Seine river and the wonderful bouquinistes is a must. Again, hope you enjoy the post on the bouquinistes of Paris !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 