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
Les d'Houry. A Dynasty of Parisian Bookseller-Printers, Publishers of the Almanach royal and Medical Works (1649-1790)
Anne BOYER
Droz, 2021
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88 CHF
552 p.
ISBN : 978-2-600-05747-9
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Although the d'Houry family came from very modest beginnings, they built a name and a fortune in the Parisian book trade largely thanks to the Almanach royal (for which Laurent d'Houry secured the royal privilege in the late 17th century). However, they had begun specializing their output in scientific fields—particularly medicine—much earlier, aligning with the contemporary development of the French academic network and the "Republic of Sciences" between the Grand Siècle and the Enlightenment. This long-term study demonstrates the undeniable pioneering nature of the d'Houry publishing strategy, while also highlighting its long-term vulnerability due to a still-narrow professional niche and, above all, the growing competition from other Parisian publishing houses. Consequently, the enterprise relied heavily on essential supplements: the Almanach royal and the establishment of a printing shop that allowed for greater production autonomy while necessitating a broader catalog and entry into more reliable, bread-and-butter markets (factums, civic printing, and commissions for the House of Orléans and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta). Much like the Jomberts, it was the upheavals of the French Revolution that ultimately exposed the fragility of a business enterprise ultimately dependent on the collective and individual protections that sustained the Ancien Régime's Parisian publishing trade.
This detailed historical study examines the professional trajectory of the d'Houry family, tracing their rise from modest origins to established figures within the Parisian book trade under the Ancien Régime. Central to their success was the acquisition of the royal privilege for the prestigious Almanach royal in the late seventeenth century, which provided a stable financial foundation. Alongside this annual publication, the family strategically targeted the burgeoning scientific market, specializing in medical texts that aligned with the intellectual expansion of the Enlightenment and the evolving needs of the French academic community.
Beyond charting a single family enterprise, the volume sheds light on the structural realities of early modern publishing, including the constant pressures of commercial competition, production autonomy through internal printing facilities, and reliance on institutional commissions. Scholars of book history, economic history, and eighteenth-century France will find this work valuable for understanding how publishing dynasties navigated the regulatory frameworks and patronage networks of the period, right up to the disruptions brought by the French Revolution.