The Paperback Revolution in France, 1850–1950

Abstract

The French term bibliotheque (in this context, the closest equivalent in English is ‘series’) evolved greatly in the nineteenth century. During the ancien regime — from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries — three types of bibliotheques were distinguished by Roger Chartier.1 First, a bibliotheque was a catalogue of titles, like a publisher’s catalogue, made to guide the ‘leamed scholar’ and the ‘bibliophile’ in the construction of his or her private book collection (essentially, two ‘Bibliotheques’ published in 1584 by Francois de La Croix du Maine and in 1585 by Antoine du Verdier). Second, a bibliotheque was a compilation of books in the same field or on the same subject, such as the ‘Bibliotheque universelle des romans’ (224 volumes, 1775–1789) or the ‘Bibliotheque universelle des dames’ (156 volumes, 1785–1797). These were not technically a series of complete works but, rather, extracts of an editor’s selection among the finest works in the field. Third, and finally, a bibliotheque was a classic bibliography of books published on different subjects.