The store Shakespeare and Company has become an establishment in Paris over the last 100 years. Originally opened in 1919 by Sylvia Beach, this store of English books in the middle of the French capital was located in the 6th Arrondissement of Paris, and brought great joy to its Anglophone customers, and had many famous patrons, such as Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, and other Anglophones living and writing in Paris. However, in World War II the store closed its gates for good.
Really, you ask? So what is this photo showing?
Well, this is the reincarnation of Shakespeare and Company, opened by George Whitman in 37 rue de la Bûcherie, in the 5th Arronsiddement, where it is located to this day. The store was opened in 1951 under the name Le Mistral, but in 1964, on William Shakespeare's 400th birthday, and as a tribute to the old French store, it was renamed Shakespeare and Company, as it has been known since.
This wonderful store is a treasure trove for book lovers, and even those who are not avid readers will find that it is a charming little place where everyone speaks English and they have amazing pieces and atmosphere (including the second floor of the store, which is undoubtedly amazing, and even has a typewriter, a piano, and the store's resident cat!).
Adjacent to the store are Shakespeare and Company's antique books store, as well as a cafe that was opened in recent years and serves all kinds of things for hungry book lovers (although if you're already there, just walk a few more minutes and get to A La Croix Patisserie, they have the better stuff there, take my word).
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