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Bouquinistes along the Seine (Paris/FR)

These green box stalls are amazing to see when strolling down the riverbanks of the Seine river at the Quai de Conti. The only type of shops I know who are closed during bad weather.

 

Photo: Bouquinistes along the Seine - by © Richard Poppelaars #About_Pixels #Photography (Nikon D7200) / #stall #Bouquinistes - #urban #shopping #books / #UrbanPhotography at #BouquinistesdeParis in #Paris, #ledeFrance - #France

 

 

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Paris: Urban Photography

Bouquinistes de Paris - iconic booksellers who operate along large sections of the Seine River embankments. Their characteristic green boxes, filled with a diverse array of secondhand and antiquarian books, prints, postcards, and other ephemera, have been a fixture of the Parisian landscape for centuries since the 16th century with itinerant peddlers.

 

In essence, the "right to sell here" for the Bouquinistes wasn't a one-time purchase of land. Instead, it evolved over centuries from informal peddling to a regulated system of permits granted by the city, based on historical presence and tradition.** This system acknowledges their cultural significance and their long-standing role in the intellectual and artistic life of Paris.

 

The Bouquinistes are now recognized as an integral part of Paris's identity and have even been designated a **UNESCO World Heritage site** as part of the "Banks of the Seine." This recognition underscores the historical and cultural value of their unique trade and their enduring presence along the river..

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Published at - Flickr

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Uploaded on April 25, 2025
Taken on October 24, 2018