Laurent - Les Prisons du Vieux Paris - 1900

THE MISSING PRISONS OF PARIS: THE BOOK THAT RECONSTRUCTS THE HISTORY OF THE JAILS FROM THE CONCIERGERIE TO THE BASTILLE
Fascinating illustrated volume devoted to the old prisons of Paris, written by the French historian Albert Laurent and awarded the recognition of the Académie Française. The work reconstructs the history of the capital’s main prisons—from the Conciergerie to the Bastille, from the Grand Châtelet to the Salpêtrière—intertwining narrative, political history, architecture, and the stories of the most famous prisoners of the monarchy and the French Revolution. Richly illustrated with 55 plates both in the text and on the plates, it represents one of the most successful examples of the prestigious Collection Picard – Bibliothèque d'Éducation Nationale, enhanced by a splendid Art Nouveau color-covered dust jacket.
MARKET VALUE
Work regularly present on the French antique market but much less common in excellent illustrated dust jackets. Complete copies, with the original colorful publisher’s binding and all plates, are generally offered between €80 and €160. The copy described here preserves the magnificent original dust jacket, a highly sought-after element among collectors of late 19th-century French illustrated publishing, though it shows some wear.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Publisher’s red parchment-like binder with a colorful Art Nouveau-style decoration on the boards and spine, title impressed within a central medallion. Blue flyleaves preserved. Ex-school prize with a label affixed to the front paste-down dated 24 juillet 1904. Internally some slight foxing. Signs of use and wear to the binding. Pp. (2); 2nn; 272; 4nn; (2).
FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Les Prisons du Vieux Paris.
Paris, Librairie d'Éducation Nationale, s.d. [avant le 24 juillet 1904]
Albert Laurent.
CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
Between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the rediscovery of medieval and revolutionary Paris sparked enormous interest among historians and readers. In this context, Albert Laurent composed one of the most successful popular volumes devoted to the capital’s ancient prisons. The work guides the reader through the symbolic places of French justice and repression: the Conciergerie, the Grand Châtelet, the Petit Châtelet, the Tour du Temple, the Tour du Louvre, the Bastille, Bicêtre, the Salpêtrière, Saint-Lazare, Sainte-Pélagie, and La Force. The numerous engravings depict now-vanished buildings, urban plans, portraits of famous detainees, and historical scenes related to the monarchy and the French Revolution, turning the volume into a precious iconographic testimony of Paris’s memory. The Académie Française’s recognition also attests to the historical and divulgative value attributed to the work since its first publication.
BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Albert Laurent was a French historian and popularizer active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He focused mainly on the history of Paris, privileging topics that combined documentary rigor with engaging narrative. His works, intended for a broad educated public, were published in the renowned Collection Picard, a series that helped disseminate French national history through elegantly illustrated volumes of high editorial quality. The success of numerous reprints bears testimony to the widespread popularity of his writings.
PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The work first appeared in 1895 with A. Picard et Kaan as part of the Collection Picard – Bibliothèque d'Éducation Nationale. Public favor quickly led to numerous reprints and new editions, including the second edition of 1895 and further editions up to at least the sixth, such as the copy described here. The various printings essentially preserved the text, differing mainly in typographic variants and in the different illustrated dust jackets, now particularly sought after by collectors of French illustrated publishing.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Bibliothèque nationale de France (Gallica), Les prisons du vieux Paris, 2e éd., 1895.
Collection Picard – Bibliothèque d'Éducation Nationale.
Patrimonial catalogs of the Libraries of Paris and Nice.
Antiquarian catalogs and commercial catalogues for the subsequent Picard et Kaan print runs.