Albertine Books
| Company type | Bookstore |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (Books) |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | Antonin Baudry |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | French-language literature and English translations of French works |
| Website | albertine |
Albertine Books is a Manhattan-based bookstore situated in New York City. Established in 2014, it boasts the most extensive selection of French-language literature and English translations of French works available anywhere in the United States.[1][2] It occupies space within the Payne Whitney House at 972 Fifth Avenue, positioned between 78th and 79th Streets.
Besides functioning as a bookstore and reading lounge, Albertine Books regularly organizes public gatherings and facilitates French Book Corners across a network of independent bookstores throughout the U.S.
Payne Whitney House
Albertine Books is housed within the historic Payne Whitney House, which also accommodates the Cultural Services of the Embassy of France, Washington, D.C. This distinguished Italian Renaissance structure was crafted by architect Stanford White. The building was acquired by the French government in 1952, thanks to the initiative of renowned structural anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss.
History
Launched in September 2014, Albertine Books opened its doors offering more than 14,000 titles representing literature from 30 French-speaking nations. The concept was developed by Antonin Baudry,[3] who formerly served as French Cultural Counsellor. The bookstore was designed to serve as a cultural bridge for Franco-American intellectual dialogue and takes its name from a character created by Marcel Proust.
The interior design was entrusted to French designer Jacques Garcia, noted for his work on Normandy’s Château du Champ de Bataille and New York City’s The NoMad Hotel. Baudry described the space as “not merely a retail outlet but rather a grand private library, featuring only items one would desire at home.”[4]
Albertine’s brand identity was created by Pentagram and partner Abbott Miller, who drew inspiration from Parisian Art Deco aesthetics to symbolize the relationship between books, enlightenment, and knowledge.[5]
Since the closure of the Librairie de France in 2009—a landmark French bookstore that had operated for over seven decades at Rockefeller Center—Albertine remains New York’s sole dedicated French bookstore and reading room.[6]
Activities
Beyond its bookstore and reading space, Albertine Book coordinates an active lineup of cultural programming. One of its signature events, the annual Night of Philosophy, features numerous philosophers and intellectuals delivering concise 20-minute talks throughout an entire night.
To advance the reach of French literature across the United States, Albertine Books has introduced the French Corner initiative. This program partners with a selection of bookstores nationwide, providing them with specially curated French and Francophone book collections. The participating stores include Brookline Booksmith in Boston, Community Bookstore in Brooklyn, New York, The Book Cellar and Seminary Co-op in Chicago, Alliance Française and Book Soup in Los Angeles, Alliance Française in Minneapolis, Green Apple Books on the Park in San Francisco, Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle, Washington, and Politics and Prose in Washington, D.C.
In 2018, Albertine Books inaugurated the Albertine Prize to honor the most beloved French-language fiction among American readers, specifically recognizing works translated into English.
References
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