Authenticity

To acquire a rare book, a manuscript or an autograph is, above all, to place one's trust. Such trust cannot be decreed: it is built through expertise, transparency and commitment. Each piece offered by the bookshop is studied, collated and described with the rigour we owe to our clients — and to the object itself.

The gallery is a member of the SLAM - the Syndicat national de la Librairie Ancienne et Moderne, which has brought together French dealers specialising in rare books since 1914 - and of the ILAB (International League of Antiquarian Booksellers), the international league federating national associations of antiquarian booksellers from more than thirty countries, of which the SLAM was one of the founding members in 1947.

These affiliations are not mere logos: membership is obtained by co-optation, following an examination of professional standing, and commits members to a strict code of ethics common to the entire international profession.

The SLAM today numbers 230 booksellers, autograph and print dealers, whose expertise is recognised by their peers. Its members take part in the world's most important antiquarian book fairs, from New York to London, Tokyo and even Abu Dhabi.

In practical terms, buying from a bookseller who is a member of the SLAM and the LILA guarantees you:

• Guaranteed authenticity of every piece: should a document prove not to match its description, it would be taken back and refunded.
• Rigorous and honest descriptions: condition, any defects, provenance and particularities are disclosed without complacency.
• Verifiable expertise: full collation of copies, bibliographical research, identification of editions and hands.
• A trade code of ethics: fair prices, confidentiality of transactions, respect for written heritage.

Every piece entering the catalogue follows the same path: a complete material examination (paper, binding, inks), leaf-by-leaf collation, provenance research, and comparison against reference bibliographies. The published description gives the exact dimensions, the precise condition according to our five-level scale, and any information useful to the collector.

A doubt, a question about a piece? Every catalogue entry allows you to contact us directly — we reply personally, with supporting documentation.