(Photo: Lisa Marie)

(Photo: Lisa Marie)

Culture + Style

Librairie Yvon Lambert: Where ‘Print is Not Dead’ in Paris

Put simply, Librairie Yvon Lambert sells exceptional books.

Set in the heart of the old Marais, this gem of a bookstore is a place of pilgrimage for bibliophiles from all over the city. At first glance, the ramshackle shelves can seem overwhelming – but that’s only because each lovingly displayed book, magazine and catalogue is different from the next. Here, hard-to-find European design and architecture titles are flanked by creative cookbooks as rare, expensive fashion tomes nudge up against literature fanzines and art postcards.

(Photo: Lisa Marie)
(Photo: Lisa Marie)

Owner Yvon Lambert is something of an art hero in Paris. Probably best known for his unwavering support of American conceptual artists, his collection of over 550 masterpieces – deemed one of the most important art gifts to the French state in recent history – can be seen at his museum in Avignon.

(Photo: Lisa Marie)
(Photo: Lisa Marie)

But those who aren’t willing to travel can get a strong sense of his curatorial style at the bookstore: at Librairie Yvon Lambert, monochrome photographs by Andy Warhol sit next to large format work by artists Barbara Kruger and Nan Goldin. And all of these landmark visuals are available for purchase.

(Photo: Lisa Marie)
(Photo: Lisa Marie)

There is a genuine sense of wonder at this Parisian vault of countless publications and affordable artworks where, it might be said, a passionate “crier tout bas” – a quiet scream – emphatically states, “print is not dead.”

(Photo: Lisa Marie)
(Photo: Lisa Marie)

Marriott explored Paris’ Librairie Yvon Lambert as part of a collaboration with VSCO’s photographers to create city guides for Paris; Berlin; Cairo; Taipei; and Portland, Ore.

SEE ALSO: A Full Guide on How to Travel Brilliantly in Paris

Where to Find Librairie Yvon Lambert:

• Address: 108 rue Vieille du Temple, 75003 Paris
• Tel: +33 1 42 71 89 05
• Hours: Tue-Sat 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun 2-7 p.m.