French Revolution: Old Books, Memoirs and Documents

The theme in brief

The Revolution was first recorded by those who lived through it: newspapers, pamphlets, printed speeches, almanacs, and decrees dated to the years of the Republic. These were followed by the memoirs of survivors, published during the Restoration and the July Monarchy, and then by major syntheses: Thiers and Mignet, Michelet, Lamartine with his Histoire des Girondins, Louis Blanc, Tocqueville, Taine with Les Origines de la France contemporaine, Jaurès, and Aulard. The late 19th and 20th centuries saw a proliferation of biographies of Robespierre, Danton, Louis XVI, and Marie-Antoinette, accounts of the Terror, and local monographs. The novel took up the subject with Balzac, Hugo, Dumas, and Anatole France.

What we offer

Our collection includes several dozen works on the Revolution: multi-volume contemporary histories in period bindings, memoirs and correspondence, studies on the Wars of the Vendée and the Chouannerie, books on the royal family and the Temple, histories of departments and cities during the period, revolutionary printed materials (laws, addresses, almanacs), and historical novels. The grid above lists titles containing keywords from the period: Revolution, Chouans, Vendée, Terror, Bastille, Directory, the names of Robespierre, Danton, Marie-Antoinette, and Louis XVI, and the dates 1789 and 1793.

Identifying a fine copy

For a period printed work, revolutionary dating (Year II, Year III) and the printer’s name authenticate the piece; the condition of the margins and the absence of excessive trimming are key. For 19th-century histories, check that all volumes are present, that the binding is uniform, and that any advertised maps and portraits are included; foxing is common on these papers and is noted. Illustrated editions with engravings, historical atlases, and portrait collections are more sought-after than text-only editions. Memoirs are valued for their edition and for the scholarly editor’s notes.

Buying and conservation advice

A reader discovering the period would do well to start with a general history in good condition, pleasant to handle, then specialise: the Vendée, the Terror, a department, a figure. Period bindings in sheepskin dry out and spines split; a temperate environment and gentle handling preserve them. Printed pieces should be stored flat in neutral sleeves. Our records indicate the number of volumes, the binding condition and any missing parts; additional photographs are available upon request.

To explore further

The History section covers the Ancien Régime and the 19th century, framing the period; the Napoleon and militaria section extends the narrative from the Consulate to the Empire. Writers who witnessed or inherited the Revolution have their own page: Chateaubriand, Victor Hugo, Balzac, Alexandre Dumas, and earlier Rousseau and Voltaire. Almanacs and old journals contain period pieces; the Autograph manuscripts and photographs section features letters and documents.