Reading recommendations

Navigating the world of rare book or autograph collecting requires some reading to get your adventure off to a good start!

Here you will find a selection of books to focus on to learn the basics in the desired collection area. Other articles will come later on specific subjects.

 

Selection of books to start a book collection

LAMORT Anne, OUVRARD Hugues. Tout ce que vous avez toujours voulu savoir sur La Bibliophilie… et encore plus

I mentioned this book in my little survival guide for beginner bibliophiles, so I couldn't leave it out of these reading recommendations! A book that aims to be simple and general, this one will guide you perfectly in your first steps. Reading a notice, understanding book formats, knowing the main types of bindings will no longer hold any secrets for you after reading this book. A must for the young bibliophile.

 

DEVAUX Yves. The Universe of Bibliophilia

It is through the lines of this book that you will be able to begin to grasp the full extent of the field of knowledge necessary for a bibliophile. You will then understand that you will need years ahead of you to understand everything about this fascinating world. But do not despair, it is an adventure rich in knowledge and encounters!

You will find a certain amount of information that is particularly useful for learning to recognize the rarity of your works as well as the different editions of the latter since Yves Devaux provides a bibliographic list that is largely sufficient for beginning bibliophiles.

 

DEVAUX Yves. Ten Centuries of Bookbinding

Yves Devaux, as you may have noticed, is a prolific author on bibliophily. For those who love bookbinding and want to collect it, this book is an excellent appetizer since it will cover the major fields of bookbinding: main styles and coats of arms, techniques of bookbinding, gilding, etc. All with numerous images and many irons!

 

MELOT Michel, ZALI Anne. The Art of the Book

With this very recent book (released in 2023), you will learn more about the book through its history and its continents. The authors guide you through this adventure and present the major milestones of the book, through superb images that will delight more than one.

 

SORDET Yann. History of books and publishing: Production and circulation, forms and mutations

For the last book in our selection - a book that I particularly like since it takes you into the twists and turns of the History of the Book. The research is vast and will allow anyone to find exciting and useful information on what the book was - from its first volumes to today, in our digitalized society.

 

Selection of books to start an autograph collection

NICOLAS Alain. The Autographs

Alain Nicolas, a great expert on autographs and former president of SLAM and ILAB , allows us to develop real knowledge in autograph recognition in a practical way. If there is a book to buy to learn the basics in this field, it would be this one.

 

CASTAING Frédéric. Signatures: Isographs of the Men and Women who made our History

If there is a general dictionary that allows you to find the signatures of our great authors and famous individuals who have marked the great History of humanity, it is this book. A must-have.