Paul d'Ivoi: Eccentric Voyages and publisher's bindings

Paul d'Ivoi in brief

Parisian journalist and playwright, Paul Deleutre adopted the pseudonym Paul d'Ivoi—already used by his family—to sign adventure novels. Les Cinq Sous de Lavarède, co-written with Henri Chabrillat, launched the Voyages excentriques series: a hero travels the world with five sous in his pocket. Nearly every year thereafter came Le Sergent Simplet, Cousin de Lavarède, Corsaire Triplex, Le Docteur Mystère, Le Capitaine Nilia, Cigale en Chine, Les Semeurs de glace, Jud Allan and L'Aéroplane fantôme. The formula blends exoticism, scientific inventions, espionage and patriotism, shaping generations of readers. D'Ivoi also wrote plays and patriotic novels.

What we offer

Our Paul d'Ivoi holdings consist mainly of Voyages excentriques in their original publisher's bindings, issued by Furne and later by Boivin, with period black-and-colour illustrations. Later reprints with simplified bindings, as well as a few paperbacks or privately bound copies, also appear. The grid above shows what is available today; entries are irregular and a sought-after title may remain only a few days.

Identifying a fine Paul d'Ivoi binding

The earliest bindings of the Voyages excentriques feature polychrome pictorial boards, a decorated spine and gilt edges. Their value hinges on the brightness of the colours and gilding, the condition of the corners and headcaps, the tightness of the joints and the soundness of the inner hinges—often fragile in these bulky volumes. The interior must be fresh, free of foxing or loose gatherings, and the colour frontispiece present. Successive editions changed the pictorial design; our records describe the boards as they are and photograph the title page to aid comparison.

Buying and care tips

A Paul d'Ivoi binding should be stored upright, snug between neighbours of similar height, away from sunlight that bleaches reds and blues in the percaline. Avoid opening it flat, as this cracks the joint. For a gift or a starter collection, a volume with slightly rubbed boards but complete contents is often the most sensible choice; very fresh copies command higher prices and are scarce. Our guide to 19th-century publisher's bindings explains the terminology used in our records.

Further reading

The Jules Verne page and the Hetzels Éditions page present the model from which the Voyages excentriques drew inspiration. Prize books, albums, and adventure novels are gathered in the Cartonnages and Children’s Books section, while travel narratives are found in the Travel and Regions section. To offer a cartonnage binding, see Offering an Antique Book.