< Back

"The best of the eighteenth-century rare book bibliographies"

BURE, Guillaume-François de (DEBURE).
Bibliographie instructive: ou traité de la connoissance des livres rares et singuliers.





Paris, 1763-1769 (vols. 5-9: printer: Didot). 9 vols. 8vo. Uniformly bound in contemporary mottled calf, spines gilt in compartments, each with red, green and brown morocco title labels lettered in gold (the 2 last (supplement) vols. with 2 labels), red painted edges, marbled end-papers (except for the suppl. vols.). Vol. 1: (2), iv, iii-lxxvi, 603, 17, 80; vol. 2: xxviii, 772; vol. 3: xvi, 734; vol. 4: 544; vol. 5: xxiii, 631; vol. 6: 685; vol.7: 687; vol. 8: xl, 621; vol. 9: 491, (1) pp.

Original edition of "the best of the eighteenth-century rare book bibliographies, important for the new classification scheme employed and for the extensive bibliographical data and notes. It is here that the Gutenberg Bible is identified and first described. De Bure was the first in a long tradition of French scholar-booksellers" (Bibliography, Grolier Club).
The long search for a rational order and the demand for a specific professional competence, found expression in the 'Preliminary discourse with which Guillaume-François De Bure (1732-1782) introduced his Bibliographie. This Parisian book seller did not offer any new interpretation, but this provide a comprehensive theoretical system for the 'knowledge about books'. Taking note of the different viewpoints of academics researchers and booksellers, he defined the respective environments and duties of each, comparing the 'science des gens des lettres' and the 'science d'un libraire', which had as its focus the typopgraphical characteristics of the book and its commercial value, in order to meet the needs of the 'amateur' and the 'curieux' and to determine the prices of books (Balsamo).
The 9 vols. are:
- Vol. 1: Volume de théologie (1763), preceded by De Bure's 'Système complet de bibliographie choisie: oun ordre des facultés et divisions d'un catalogue' (pp. xv-lxxvi), and followed by his 'Appel aux savans et aux gens de lettres au sujet de la bibliographie instructive (pp. 1-17), and his 'Lettre à M. *** servant de response à une critique de la bibliographie instructive, inserrée dans le premier volume du mois Juillet 1763, du Jouirnal de Trévoux, p. 1617', dated Paris, 25 Oct. 1763 (pp. 1-80)
- Vol. 2: Volume de la Jurisprudence et des sciences et arts (1764).
- Vols. 3-4:  Belles Lettres (2 vols.; 1765).
- Vols. 5-7:Histoire (3 vols.; 1768.
- Vols. 8-9: Supplement à la bibliographie instructive ou Catalogue des livres du cabinet de feu M. Louis Jean Gaignat, ecuyer, conseiller-Sécretaire du Roi honoraire, & receveur générale des consignations des reuetes du palais (2 vols.; 1769): In fact an auction catalogue.
(A 10th vol. with tables appeared in 1782).

Very good set.
Bibliography, its history and development (Grolier club (1984), nr. 107; Balsamo, Bibliography, pp. 128-34

Related Subjects: Bibliography 

Add to Shopping cart
€ 1.950,00

Prices in EUROS (€), shipping and BTW/VAT extra.

< Back

Terms of sale

All items are offered subject to prior sale. Prices are nett and in (€) EURO. VAT/BTW, postage, and insurance are not included. 

Free shipping for orders over € 2,500.  EU customers: if applicable, please quote your VAT number when placing orders.

Preferred mode of payment: by credit card through our secure online payment service, which is facilitated by Ogone. If you wish to make other arrangements, please contact us. Terms of sale

E-mail this to a friend







This is a captcha-picture. It is used to prevent mass-access by robots. (see: www.captcha.net)

Type the characters that you see in the box (5 characters). The code can include characters 0..9 and A..F.*

  


Antiquariaat FORUM B.V.
Tuurdijk 16
3997 MS t Goy-Houten,
The Netherlands
Phone: (+31) (0)30 601 1955
Fax: (+31) (0)30 601 1813
E-mail: info@forumrarebooks.com
Web: http://www.forumrarebooks.com