Journals and periodicals: Journal des voyages, L'Illustration, Magasin pittoresque

The subject in brief

Illustrated periodicals began with Édouard Charton’s Magasin pittoresque and flourished with L’Illustration, a large-format weekly whose Christmas issues and engraved—later photographic—reports were read worldwide. Le Charivari disseminated Daumier’s and Gavarni’s lithographs; Le Tour du monde published major travel narratives; the Journal des voyages blended adventure and geography for a broad audience; La Nature popularised the sciences. Literary reviews, from the Revue des Deux Mondes to the Mercure de France and the Nouvelle Revue française, first published many texts; avant-garde reviews, including those of surrealism, have become collectables in their own right.

What we have in stock

Our stock comprises several dozen volumes and individual issues: bound years or half-years in half-morocco or publisher’s cloth, single issues, runs of parts, bulletins of learned societies, gazettes and almanac-journals. 19th-century illustrated magazines sit alongside 20th-century literary and artistic reviews. The grid above lists titles containing the words Journal, Revue, Gazette, Bulletin, L’Illustration, Magasin pittoresque, Charivari or “year complete”; personal diaries, which belong to literature, are excluded.

Judging condition

For a bound volume, check that all issues and the contents table are present, inspect the condition of plates outside the text (engravings, chromolithographs, folding maps) and test the binding’s sturdiness under the book’s weight. Single issues are valued for their subject (an event, a report, a famous cover), their wrappers and their freshness. 20th-century papers, more acidic, yellow and become brittle: a supple, clean copy is preferable. Supplements, premiums and colour plates—often removed by print dealers—can make the difference between two outwardly identical volumes.

Buying and conservation advice

The large folios should be stored flat or slightly inclined, never upright on a fragile spine; individual issues should be placed in neutral folders, protected from light. To begin with, a year of Le Magasin pittoresque or Le Journal des voyages offers hundreds of engravings at a modest price; collectors of a specific title should look for early years and special issues. Our records indicate the year, number of issues, binding, and any gaps; we photograph plates upon request.

To go further

Periodicals are classified in the Insolites and Miscellaneous section; exploration narratives in the Travel and Regions section, illustrated works in the Fine Books, Art and Bindings section. Surrealist journals are in the Surrealism section and on the André Breton page. The Albert Robida page features the founder of La Caricature, while the Hetzel editions page highlights the publisher of Magasin d’éducation et de récréation. Almanacs and directories complete this category.