Bouquinistes, since the 15th century
The secondhand booksellers, or bouquinistes, are an iconic feature of the Seine riverbanks, particularly around Notre-Dame Cathedral.
They seem to have always been there, but in fact, their origins only date back to the mid-15th century.
Indeed, legend has it that it all began when a boat carrying books sank near the cathedral. The crew, determined to salvage what they could, swam to shore, their arms laden with books, and began selling them to passersby to compensate for their lost wages.
The venture proved remarkably lucrative, encouraging the crew to continue selling books along the Seine.
This humble beginning laid the foundation for a trade that has endured ever since, and the bouquinistes remain an undeniable part of Parisian culture to this day.
Second-hand books and political pamphlets
The emergence of this new trade demanded a fitting name!
Since the word “book” derives from the German “Buch,” and these self-proclaimed booksellers sold small, old, and damaged books, or “bouquins” in French, they logically called themselves bouquinistes!
Initially, high society at the time looked down on these humble merchants and their low-value books.
However, the trade quickly gained popularity, thanks in particular to a confluence of favourable circumstances: the invention of the printing press in 1450!
Over the following centuries, political and religious upheavals further fueled the rise of the bouquinistes.
They indeed seized the opportunity to discreetly sell pamphlets critical of the government and the Church, often without a fixed point of sale.
They used wheelbarrows to transport and sell their wares, allowing them to move quickly at the slightest warning from the authorities.
Despite the risks involved, the bouquinistes’ stalls became gathering places for ordinary people and students, offering them a platform to express their frustrations and disagreements.
Thus, the bouquinistes became symbols of resistance and defiance, subject to the constant surveillance of those in power!
A trade that thrived at the French Revolution!
The years preceding the French Revolution were marked by a sharp increase in the circulation of pamphlets, with booksellers playing a crucial role in their dissemination.
However, it was during the redistribution of nationalised property, particularly mansions and châteaux, that the secondhand book trade truly flourished. The vast libraries once housed in these estates flooded the market, providing bouquinistes with an abundance of books for sale. This surplus not only enriched the diversity of available literature but also made books more accessible and affordable to the people.
During the Second World War, bouquinistes once again proved their importance, this time by helping the French Resistance transmit coded messages hidden within the pages of books.
This clandestine activity baffled the German occupiers, who faced the arduous task of sifting through countless volumes in search of hidden information, a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Trade’s statute
In 1891, the bouquinistes obtained the right to permanently affix their iconic green metal boxes to the Seine parapets.
Today, the approximately 200 booksellers who set up shop along the quays enjoy a special status: they are indeed the only merchants authorised to sell on the sidewalk without paying taxes!
Holders of a license issued by the City of Paris, they must nevertheless comply with strict regulations. They must acquire and maintain four green metal boxes, each measuring 1.80 metres long by 90 centimetres wide, which they attach to the parapets.
The best locations are allocated based on seniority, and the bouquinistes pay a nominal rent, generally less than €100 per year, for their section of the parapet. In addition to maintaining their boxes and the required green paint, they are required to be open at least four days a week. Many of them specialise in a particular genre, offering a wide variety of books and documents covering fashion, history, cinema, foreign literature, and so on.
The trade’s uncertain future
The advent of television, followed by the widespread adoption of the internet, revolutionised the traditional bookselling trade.
A decline in interest in printed books, as well as the tactile pleasure of holding them, led to a drop in demand. Indeed, too many young people have never experienced the distinctive scent of old paper and, therefore, have never discovered the appeal of traditional bookstores.
To adapt to changing trends and ensure their livelihood, bouquinistes have had to diversify their offerings, acquiring books at reduced prices during sales, flea markets, and estate sales. In more difficult times, they have also been allowed to sell tourist souvenirs alongside their books, subject to strict regulations limiting the space available for this purpose to only one of their four stalls.
While some worry about the decline of this profession, the enduring popularity of bouquinistes is evidenced by the long waiting list, nearly eight years, to become a bookseller.
Directions: Along the Seine on both banks between Notre-Dame and Louvre
Metro: St-Michel, Cité, Châtelet, Pont-Neuf on Lines 1, 4, 7, 11
Photo via Wikimedia Commons: SecondhandBooksellerQuaiVoltaire1821 by Jean Henry Marlet after Adrien Victor Auger Public domain
