Librairie de l'Escurial

Searching for inspiration in our neighbourhood, we were captivated by the small window that allowed a glimpse of some books and a warm light. This is how we entered Librairie L’Escurial at 29, rue Alphonse Karr – 06000 Nice. As we entered, the owner, Rodolphe, was already closing the store, but he took off his jacket again, let us look around, and welcomed us very kindly. This is how we discovered that a few years ago, he took over with his companion this independent bookstore from the previous owner and decided to continue its legacy.

We felt that the vintage bookshop and its owner were perfectly in harmony, somehow telling the same story and evoking the same sense of calm. Rodolphe has been passionate about books since his youth. From the very beginning, he kept his books—even though they were livres de poche with no economic value—because of his deep affection for them and the value that he and his reading gave to them.

This also explains why he believes that this collection of rare books is not only a way to connect us with the past, to understand how these authors lived, to learn a little more about their personal lives, and to discover new writings that perhaps never came to light, but also why the book itself holds value as an object—if it can even be called like this.

He shared with us as well his affection for correspondance that remain in letters and notes that were never published, but is a way to preserve literary history and helps us understand how they lived at that time.

Rodolphe runs this hidden gem bookstore with his companion, whom we didn’t have the chance to meet, but we would be more than pleased to someday. Special thanks to Rodolphe for his warm welcome and for taking the time to share his passion and knowledge with us.

Photography credits: Repose Studio.

Repose Archive is a creative direction journal documenting processes and projects across art, design, architecture, and hospitality.