Bouquinistes- Memorable Treasures in the Bookstalls Along the Seine
Bouquinistes along the Seine offer everything from used books to tourist trinkets. One thing is certain is that they provide a memorable way to while away a Sunday morning!
Some vendors have treasures that interest tourists looking for a souvenir: Eiffel Tower posters, drink coasters with iconic images, etc. However, most specialize in books. I saw everything from tattered paperbacks costing a mere pittance to cellophane wrapped treasures with a price that exceeded my budget!
Bouquinistes – a bit of History
Sunday morning along the Seine
During the War of Religions the bouquinistes sold Protestant religious tracts so they were routinely imprisoned. In 1606 the booksellers were restricted to selling only during daylight hours in the vicinity of Pont Neuf. During the French Revolution, many of the collections of French aristocracy ended up here with the bouquinistes. The bouquinistes found along the quay are often following the family business and may have had a “shop” here for as many as four generations.
The Bouquiniste Experience
I found one bookseller with vintage books containing amazing photographic prints that were frame worthy. In fact, one very posh-looking Parisienne lady of a certain age was haggling this particular morning with a bouquiniste over a book of the lovely floral prints. The book was massive in dimension. All she wanted was just 5 select pages to frame for her apartment, not the whole book. I don’t know the conclusion to the debate, but if she frames the images, they will be stunning no matter which 5 she chose!
According to the Paris Info website, there are some 900 of these green boxes for bouquinistes along the Seine, which predominantly sell used books. Most books are French language but there are stalls with books in other languages. Also noted on the Paris Info site is that there are some 226 sellers.
Bouquinistes and their Specialties
These “green-box” bookstores often times specialize in a particular genre of books. I found a dealer with just books about Algeria. Yet another had just children’s books. These had amazing illustrations!
I couldn’t resist! The color illustrations in “Et donne-moi ton Sou” were delightful. After 30 years in the classroom, I just could not pass up the arithmetic and grammar books.
The booksellers keep their own hours so on any given stretch of the Seine you may find some closed to business while others are open. In general, they are open dawn to dusk. In 1993 Paris began to regulate the minimum number of days the booksellers must be open each week and the maximum number of consecutive days off per year (ie vacation time?) they are allowed.
The bouquinistes’ open air bookstores have been here since the 17th century and at the moment are seeking UNESCO status.
References
Downie, David; Paris ,Paris: Journey into the City of Light (2011), Broadway Books (affiliate link)
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