Meet the Bouquinists

You can’t miss them, the bouquinists.
Along the Seine, nine hundred of their bottle-green boxes with 400,000 second-hand books figure as one of the symbols of Paris.
They hark back to the medieval times when manuscript sellers chose the riverbank near the university to trade their goods.
In 1859, after many tribulations with the law, the bouquinists finally obtained the authorization to exercise their profession.
Only second-hand books, antique art prints, and old magazines can be sold in these stands, although–if you take a closer look– you’ll see plenty of kitschy recent pictures of Paris.

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Life in 19th Century Paris