Those who have been to Paris probably have come across the Bouquinistes, these typical book sellers who don't really have a bookshop but a "box" along the Seine embankment. There are currently 217 of them along the Seine, running no less than 900 boxes - that makes a total of roughly 300 000 old and new books, postcards, photos... The first ones appeared during the 16th century and they managed to survive until now, even though there has been several attempts to eradicated them (either for political reasons or economical ones). I took this photo in one of these boxes thinking it would be perfect for our theme day. On a different note, may I also wish a scary Halloween to all my American visitors!
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants to the theme day.
One of the things I loved most about Paris was the Bouquinistes! What fond memories you brought back, Eric. Strolling on the Seine with my favorite boy!
ReplyDeleteLovely black and white!
Thanks!
Mammie
Why only Americans, Eric? :) sulk. It's halloween in the UK too. Not with you in Paris? I want to be scared by you too. lol.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering how you would display books, knowing that somehow you would be different and there we have it, in black & white and of a little box. I'd love to see these boxes.
Lovely, lovely b&w shot—very evocative.
ReplyDeleteI'm taking a few moments away from watching the NYC Halloween parade from my ex's apartment in the Village, and I'd just like to say . . . BOO! And Happy Halloween (especially to you, Lynn!)
Boo!! and all that ghoul.
ReplyDeletehee thanks Eric:) Although I didn't do nothing too exciting for Halloween. On another note,
I <3 this photo!! Beautiful black and white.
I remember seeing these and wondering what in the world they were.Only did I find out after arriving back in the USA.I found out what they were.aww I really wish I could have gotten a book from one of these ''Bouguinsites".
I agree with all 3 previous comments: black and white is an excellent choice. I also wish that I was strolling along the Seine, browsing among the wares, and selecting books, postcards and pictures to take home with me. Great selection for Paris on this theme day.
ReplyDeleteThis is just a gorgeous photo, Eric. You have a wonderful feel for giving different subject matter different treatments. We are so lucky to be your beneficiaries. I just can't say thank you too often! :)
ReplyDeleteDelving into any used bookstore or digging into these bouquinistes always leaves me anticipating what jewel I might unearth. I absolutely love the search and I love what you did with the B&W too. Merci Eric.
ReplyDeleteThanks Eric! Happy Halloween everyone!!!
ReplyDeleteAlexa - you might have seen me marching though, I was just down there in my Spider Costume.
I agreed with Mammie, what a lovely photo that brought back alot of fond memories.
Can't remember the password as I had quite a few drinks, so I am anonyme for tonight. ;o{
Jessie
J'aime les bouquinistes! I bought many books, post cards and souvenirs along the Seine. Thanks for the memory, Eric. We had a fun Halloween night, too, handing out candy to the neighborhood kids.
ReplyDeleteAlexa, you had a parade! What fun.
Lovely photo. Black and white was a great choice. Have a good day.
ReplyDeleteBOO! Balzac talkes about these Bouquinistes several times throughout the book "Lost Illustions" and explains their business tactics. They certainly occupy a part of the publishing business which is necessary both to writers and publishers.
ReplyDeleteForgot to mention that the YSL retrospective exhibition opened tonight at the DeYoung art museum. I was really surprised to find out that when Dior died, YSL was just 21 and he was named chief designer for the House of Dior. At the time, that was the largest couture house in Paris. It is a warm and balmy night here in San Francisco. A lot of people are out and on the streets. Have a fanciful and imaginative Halloween (or All Hallows Eve).
ReplyDeleteBTW, love the B&W photo.
J'aime les bouquinistes aussi. In 2005, there were four friends from Minnesota in Paris. One had an important birthday. In addition to the gifts the others had brought from home (what great friends, n'est-ce pas?), one of them bought some cards from les bouquinistes. I treasure all these gifts still.
ReplyDelete(English Lynn: you are mere hours from Paris. Just go!)
Eric, it's funny, but I considered posting a photo of book sellers along the Seine for today's theme day as well. Then I reconsidered and decided to do one from closer to home. Happy Halloween :)
ReplyDeleteI can see several here I want to reach out and thumb through. Lovely.
ReplyDeleteI remember visiting them when I was in Paris!
ReplyDeleteTwo weeks ago in Malaga, Spain, I noticed something similar too!
Using thumbnails for the theme photo is a great idea. Maybe you can create a mosaic.
ReplyDeleteI wish we had that many book sellers around here. But we do not have even one. I like the Strand book store in New York City. They have 18 miles of books for sale there.
ReplyDeleteI forgot it was theme day. Duh. So I found a few of the books I wrote and posted pictures of them. A kind of collage of my stuff.
Abraham Wesley Lincoln
Figure imposée pour Paris, les bouquinistes le long de la Seine !
ReplyDeletemerci.
On ne sait plus où donner de l'écran, j'ai raté ce thème, je suis impardonnable.
We also do not celebrate Halloween in Hungary. But I wish a great Halloween to all the American and British visitors:)
ReplyDeleteThose are very impressive statistics!
ReplyDelete. Sydney Daily Photo
Beautiful athmospheric B&W
ReplyDeleteHi Eric. Is Halloween celebrated in France at all these days? It didn't used to be in the UK, but the American traditions of trick or treating and wearing costumes have caught on now.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, that sounds both wonderful and awful! I have not encountered anything like it in Metro Manila and I'm kind of glad. My husband and I are voracious readers and if we had anything like this, there'd go our paychecks! ;)
ReplyDeleteBoxes of books! Hope that tradition continues.
ReplyDeleteI love this photo in black and white! Very nice!
ReplyDeleteWe had a fun Halloween, busy but fun. Started off with a trip to the high school festival but my littlest ones thought the haunted house the kids put up was too scary, then trick or treating, then the high school football game. Then my husband and myself dropped the kids at home and spent a couple of hours at a Halloween party...time to rest up now!
Is it my imagination or are there a lot fewer of these in business these days? Every time I go back to Paris I have the feeling there are fewer boxes open. And many of those open ones seel tourist junk rather than books. Oh, well. A few years ago, I found a biography of Piaf written by the son of Marcel Cerdan in one of these boxes. I left it, not wanting to carry it all day with me on my backpack, thinking I would go back for it later. I didn't make it back, of course, and I never found it again. Oh, well...
ReplyDeleteTomate...the Piaf book you mentioned is the type of jewel I refer. I am only familiar with the 1985 Margaret Crosland biography of la mome. Your find, written by Cerdan's son you say, would offer another unique perspective. I recently found on ebay (my jewel of a find) an autographed 1st edition copy by Mel Torme of the biography of Buddy Rich (drummer).
ReplyDeleteAs I enlarged this photo, I see...
ReplyDeleteMarilyn
Marilyn
Marilyn
Bravo!
Ohhhh, in only 15 days i will be standing right here searching for a treasure! Like the BW on this one Eric.
ReplyDeleteWhen enlarged a lot of detail jobs out from your photo. I especially found it interesting that the post cards appear to be from 50's.
ReplyDeleteI thought that too Denton. The whole 'window' seems to be old. In a good way.
ReplyDeleteHello Eric,
ReplyDeleteI have been a long time follower of your blog. Often your pictures bring back many fond memories of my visit to your wonderful city. And this one is no exception - one day while walking along the Seine, admiring to book stalls, I bought three lovely botanical print. Once I arrived home and had them framed they were no longer the bargain I bought in Paris. Now they are a reminder of a great week in Paris every time I look at them.
How could you have posted anything else, Eric! Wonderful! I adore the booksellers along the Seine but had NO IDEA there were so many. Thanks for the memories...
ReplyDeleteLovely photo. Will the Bouquinistes be there in December? I am arriving in Paris on the 15 and staying until January 5th.. I am a book lover so will try to find them while I'm there.
ReplyDeleteThis photo blows up wonderfully. Great photo on a day of great theme.
ReplyDeleteIt is a dark, gray, rainy evening here, perfect for picking out one of those lovely art and design books in your photo and wandering through it. My family knows to steer me clear of books if they don't want an interruption to our schedule. :-) Yesterday night's Halloween festivities were very tame here, very polite adults in costume in nearly deserted streets seemed the norm, and we only had six children come to the door. . .that's a first. So we went out photowalking in a couple neighborhoods, then took in a late showing of "The Changeling," which we liked and thought was a well-made film. Today is All Hallows Day or All Saints Day, and I wish everyone celebrating it fond remembrances of their loved ones.
ReplyDelete-Kim
Seattle Daily Photo
Vive les bouquinistes! I love books, and I love the bouquinistes! Ah ... again ... more like "still" ... I miss Paris.
ReplyDeleteas a book lover, all shelves stacked with books are an uplifting sight!
ReplyDeleteperfect book image for Paris. I wonder if Shakespeare's still in business.
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ReplyDeleteHELLO
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