Manuscript Catalogue of a Young Parisian Bookseller (1805-1809)

Lefevre, Jean-Jacques

[ANTIQUARIAN BIBLIOGRAPHY]. "Catalogue de mes livres" (Manuscript Inventory)

Paris: The Author, 1805-1809. MANUSCRIPT on paper: folio (308 x 225 mm). [6] pp. written in brown ink on 3 ff., composed of a single leaf and a bifolium attached together by a pin (likely original). Watermark with a cross within a floral ornament with below "BELLANDO" and countermark "GB." Some foxing on first page, central folds, some wear and toning consistent with age. Very good. Item #4564

AN EXTRAORDINARY RELIC OF THE PARISIAN ANTIQUARIAN BOOKTRADE. THIS IS LITERALLY A "CATALOGUE DE MES LIVRES" WRITTEN BY A YOUNG BOOKSELLER AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF HIS CAREER. THIS MANUSCRIPT INVENTORY OF JUST 99 TITLES WOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY BECOME OBSOLETE, AND WE ARE UNABLE TO EXPLAIN WHY IT HAS BEEN SAVED FOR WELL OVER 200 YEARS.

At the age of eight Jean-Jacques Lefevre (1779-1858) began his apprenticeship into the world of books at the side of his printer-typographer father, who worked at the great Parisian firm of Henri Didot. By 1803, Lefevre had become a clerk at the bookshop of Jean-Francois-Pierre Deterville. In January, 1805 he is recorded at 29, rue Hautefeuille, but in February he seems to have moved a few doors down to No. 16 (where our manuscript was written), remaining there until 1809. These facts allow us to date the MS with confidence to "1805-1809." Lefevre received his commercial license as a bookseller on October 1, 1812 (renewed on March 30, 1820). He continued in business until 1850, after which time he become impoverished and died in relative obscurity.

THE CATALOGUE: there are brief author and/or title entries, the number of volumes, and format. To the right, in the same hand but in darker, heavier ink: the price, whether or not it is sold, and in a few instances an amusing disillusioned comment, such as: "on le vendra ce qu’on pourra." We also find interesting increases and decreases in pricing. Naturally we find French literary classics, but there are - unusually - a number of works in Italian, and law is well represented. Our young bookseller had "6 volumes de Ciceron dont 1 en francais, l'autre en Italien. Cinq sont des Aldes" at the price of 15 FF. The most expensive title in the inventory was the Diderot / Raynal set of the Histoire philosophique et politique in 10 8vo vols. + 1 Atlas vol. (4to). While undated, this would have been the 1780 edition published in Geneva by J-L Pellet. Lefevre's initial price was 60 FF; evidently unsold, he then reduced it to 50 FF. Such is the life a bookseller, Parisian or otherwise!

Price: $1,800.00