Albertine at the French Embassy New York City

The new Albertine Book Store in the French Embassy New York City was Designed by Jacques Garcia. 

Tucked inside the historic Payne Whitney mansion, Albertine is the only reading room and bookshop in New York devoted solely to books in French and English with more than 14,000 contemporary and classic titles from 30 French-speaking countries.

A project of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, the Albertine bookshop brings to life French-American intellectual exchange. The space reflects its belief in the power of literature and the humanities to increase understanding and friendship across borders, and in the power of books as a common good for a better world. In this spirit, Albertine hosts free debats and discussions exploring popular and classical culture through a modern and global lens.

History & Design 

Albertine is housed in the official landmark Payne Whitney mansion in Manhattan. In 1902, former Standard Oil Company treasurer Oliver Hazard Payne commissioned the Italian Renaissance mansion as a wedding gift to his nephew Payne Whitney. Between 1902 and 1906, Stanford White, the famed architect of the Washington Square Arch, designed and oversaw construction of the mansion. Since 1952, the mansion has housed the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. The bookshop within the mansion was born in 2014, and its interiors were created by celebrated French designer Jacques Garcia (Chateau du Champ de Bataille in Normandy, France and The NoMad Hotel in New York City). Albertine’s ceiling is painted with a mural of constellations and planets inspired by the ceilings of Lorenzo de Medici created in the 1500s that capture “the knowledge of the world.” View photos of the ceiling painting in progress here. Busts of great figures from French and French-American culture including Voltaire, Benjamin Franklin, Tocqueville and Descartes will be on display. The centerpiece of the entrance of the building is a replica of Michelangelo’s Young Archer. The original had been in the lobby of the mansion for decades until it was discovered to be a Michelangelo in 2009. To our knowledge, it is the only Michelangelo statue on American soil. It is currently on loan at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Special Thanks ALBERTINE IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH A LEADERSHIP GIFT FROM MAJOR SUPPORT IS PROVIDED BY Beatrice Stern Michel David-Weill Thanks to the generosity of the Total Corporate Foundation, the Fondation du patrimoine supported the restoration of Albertine at 972 Fifth Avenue. GENEROUS SUPPORT IS PROVIDED BY Sylvie and Matthieu Bucaille Veronica Bulgari and Stephan Haimo Robert de Rothschild Odile de Schiétère-Longchampt Clémence and William von Mueffling ALBERTINE FESTIVAL MEDIA SPONSOR : VISIT ALBERTINE 972 FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK, NY 10075 Albertine is accessible by subway (4, 5, 6 trains at 86th Street and 6 train at 77th Street) and by bus (M79, M1, M2, M3, M4). GET DIRECTIONS HOURS MON–THU, SAT 11 AM – 7 PM FRI 11 AM – 10 PM SUN 11 AM – 6 PM

Visit the website to view all upcoming events http://albertine.com