French Literature Reviews - 2026
A. Boyer, Les d'Houry. Une dynastie de libraires-imprimeurs parisiens, éditeurs de l'Almanach royal et d'ouvrages médicaux (1649-1790)
History, Politics and Society
Anne Boyer,
Les d'Houry. Une dynastie de libraires-imprimeurs parisiens,
éditeurs de l'Almanach royal et d'ouvrages médicaux (1649-1790),
Preface by Daniel Roche
Librairie Droz, collection "Histoire et civilisation du livre", 2021.
EAN13 : 9782600057479.
Although the d'Houry family came from very modest origins, they acquired fame and fortune within the Parisian book trade thanks to the Almanach royal (for which Laurent d'Houry secured the royal privilege at the end of the XVIIe century). However, they had begun much earlier to specialize their production in a scientific field—particularly medicine—in alignment with the ongoing establishment of the French academic network and a "Republic of Sciences" between the Grand Siècle and the Enlightenment. This long-term study demonstrates that while this pioneering editorial strategy by the d'Houry publishing house was undeniable, its long-term viability was never fully assured, hampered by a still-narrow professional niche and, above all, the growing competition from other Parisian houses. This necessitated essential supplements to their enterprise: the Almanach royal and the establishment of a printing press that allowed for greater production autonomy while also forcing them to broaden their catalog and secure other, more directly "bread-and-butter" markets (factums, administrative printing, and commissions for the House of Orléans and the Order of Malta). Much like the Jomberts, it was the upheavals of the Revolution that ultimately exposed the vulnerabilities of an enterprise heavily dependent, in the final analysis, on the collective and individual protections enjoyed by the Parisian book trade under the Old Regime.
Table of Contents
Preface, by Daniel Roche
Introduction
Chapter I. — Family Origins
The Farmers
Family Trajectory Through Matrimonial Alliances and Networks: From Small Tradesman to the Nobility of the Robe
Jean d'Houry (1611?–1678): Alliance and Descendants
After the Death of Jean d'Houry (1678): A Period of Transition
Succession of Claude Dubois (1695)
The d'Houry–Le Breton Alliance (1698)
The Jombert Marriages (1707): Michel and Marie-Jeanne
Placement Under Guardianship of André-François Le Breton, Left an Orphan (1721)
Death and Inventory of Laurent d'Houry (1725)
The Family's Material Universe Through Post-Mortem Inventories (1678 and 1725)
Integration into the Parisian Urban Landscape
Addresses, Signs, and Trademarks
Furniture, Linens, Tableware, Jewelry, Decorative Objects, Clothing
Chapter II. — The Production of Jean and Laurent d'Houry
A Sociocultural Context Favorable to the Sciences in the Second Half of the 17th Century
Alchemy and Chemistry
Pharmacy, Therapeutics, and Academicians
Medical Sciences
Obstetrics and Surgery
The Apprenticeship of Jean d'Houry
Reception of Jean and Milestones in His Career
Professional Post-Mortem Inventory of Jean d'Houry (1678)
The Chancellor's Wedding Gift: The Privilege of the Almanach royal
Reception and Guild Standing of Laurent d'Houry
Laurent's Apprentices and Labor Force
Editorial Production
The d'Hourys and Printing
Laurent d'Houry as Printer
Book Stock and Printing Equipment: Insights from the Post-Mortem Inventory of Laurent d'Houry (1725)
Authorship and the Status of d'Houry Editions
Privileges and Their Usage
Publisher's Catalogs and Periodical Publications: Witnesses to an Editorial Strategy
Chapter III. — From Charles-Maurice to Laurent-Charles
Alliances and Material Environment Through Notarial Documentation (Marriage Contracts and Inventories)
The Marriage of Charles-Maurice (1723)
The Marriage of André-François Le Breton (1741)
The Marriage of Laurent-Charles (1747)
Post-Mortem Inventories
Presentation and Comparisons
Inventory Details
Successions
Papers, Receivables, and Debts of Charles-Maurice: A Healthy Yet Modest Situation
Papers, Receivables, and Debts of Laurent-Charles: Considerably Increased Wealth
Chapter IV. — From Charles-Maurice to Laurent-Charles: The Book Trade Milieu
The Context of the Publishing World in the 18th Century
The Career of Charles-Maurice d'Houry
Reception and Production of Charles-Maurice
The Production of Charles-Maurice
The Office of Printer to the Duke of Orléans and a Notable Guild Standing
Reception and Guild Cursus of Laurent-Charles
Evolution of the Family's Fiscal Situation
The Production of Laurent-Charles
Workshops and Typographical Labor Force
Workshops, Presses, and Printing Personnel in the 18th Century
Censors, Inspector d'Hémery, and Inspections by the Booksellers' Guild
The Sociocultural Context
Scholarly Medical Authorship as the Breeding Ground for Specialized Production
The d'Hourys' Competitors in Medical Books
The Central Stake of the Almanach royal
Editorial Chronology and Successive Titles of the Almanach royal
Genesis, Form, and Content
The Almanach royal: Conflicts and Stakes
Laurent-Charles d'Houry at the Head of the Almanach royal
The Distribution of the Almanach royal
A Remunerative Production? Factums and Administrative Works
The House of Orléans
The Order of Malta
Diversification of Production
Opportunities Linked to Partnerships and Tacit Permissions
The Dictionnaire de Trévoux
Laurent-Charles d'Houry and the Panckouckes
Prospectuses and Subscriptions
Acquisitions of Stock
Response to the Growth of Royal Agricultural Societies and Scientific Academies: A Temporary Shift Toward Agronomic Works
Requests for Privileges Under Charles-Maurice and Laurent-Charles
Shared Editions and Privileges
Share of New Editions and Reprints
Catalogs as Tools of Distribution
The Price of New Books
Titles of d'Houry Editions Advertised by the Journal de la librairie Between 1763 and 1778
The Price of Second-Hand Books
Toward a Study of the Distribution of d'Houry Editions
The Printing Houses and Bookshops of the d'Hourys: Evidence from Post-Mortem Inventories and Sales
Professional Post-Mortem Inventory of Charles-Maurice (1755)
The Sale of the Printing House and Bookshop of Élisabeth Laisné to Nicolas-Léger Moutard (1776)
Professional Post-Mortem Inventory of Laurent-Charles (1786)
Chapter V. — The End of the Publishing House
The Marriage of Anne-Charlotte d'Houry (1749–1828) and François-Jean-Noël Debure (1743–1802)
Descendants and Disputes: The Succession of Laurent-Charles and the Merlin Affair
The Debure-d'Houry Partnership and Its Early Vicissitudes
A Banker: François-Jean-Noël Debure
Books and Finance During the Revolution
An Exemplary Bankruptcy (1790)
Creditor of the Debure-d'Hourys and Forger: The Bookseller Guillot
The Extent of the Bankruptcy and the Accounts of the Debure-d'Houry Family
Professional Debtors of the Debure-d'Hourys
Liquidation and Divorce (1791–1793)
The Catalog of the Sale of the Debure-d'Houry Bookshop
After the French Revolution: Remarriage and New Misfortunes of Anne-Charlotte d'Houry
Death and Succession of Anne-Charlotte d'Houry: The Extinction of a Dynasty?
Movable Assets of the Estate
Real Estate of the Estate
Descendants
As an Epilogue
Conclusion
Sources and Bibliography
Chronological Catalog of Works Published by the d'Hourys
Appendices
Index of Names
This detailed historical study traces the trajectory of the d'Houry dynasty from modest origins to considerable prominence within the Parisian book trade of the Old Regime. By examining notarial archives, post-mortem inventories, and professional catalogs, the author illuminates the intricate mechanisms of familial alliances, guild regulations, and royal privileges that sustained early modern publishing. The work sheds light on the commercial strategies required to navigate a competitive marketplace, highlighting how printers balanced specialized scientific outputs with lucrative administrative and institutional commissions.
Researchers in book history, economic history, and the sociology of literature will find this volume particularly valuable for understanding the intersection of commerce, culture, and royal patronage in early modern France. It offers a comprehensive look at the editorial networks that supported the dissemination of medical texts and official directories during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Scholars exploring the material culture of the Enlightenment and the vulnerabilities of hereditary printing enterprises leading up to the French Revolution will discover rich contextual insights.