André le Breton

André François Le Breton ( * August 1708 in Paris, † October 5, 1779 Paris) was a French publisher, imprimeur ordinaire du Roy. In addition, he was next to Gottfried Sellius and John Mills one of the three initiators of an encyclopedia project, which was later under the direction of Diderot to Encyclopédie.

Life and work

His maternal grandfather was Laurent d' Houry (1683-1725), the bookseller, printer and publisher of the famous Almanach royal, was a book published annually, authorized by the king reference in folio format. His father was André Le Breton his mother Elisabeth d' Houry. Her brother Charles -Maurice d' Houry (1688-1755) took over from his grandfather Laurent d' Houry after his death in the print shop.

Le Breton seized in April 1745 the opportunity and applied for a privilege, a multi-volume book to be able to print the Encyclopédie, which was granted to him on 21 January 1746. But first was on a pure translation of the 1728 published and edited by Ephraim Chambers Cyclopaedia British, or Universal Dictionary of the Arts and Sciences thought. To this end, he teamed up with three other publishers, Antoine- Claude Briasson, Michel -Antoine David, Laurent Durand. With the organizational leadership of Jean-Paul de Gua de Malves was commissioned. In 1747, but that was his participation in this project and Denis Diderot took over its function, from the initial project was the Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers.

At the suggestion of Diderot, however, were added with additional texts. What was originally intended to generate a prestige object for the glory of the king, was a box office hit: in 1754 more than 4000 pieces of the Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers had already been printed instead of the planned 1625 copies. The involvement of Denis Diderot and d' Alembert the mathematician as well as other Encyclopaedists moved in the Cyclopaedia applied to the King Science theology center in their direction, was well received at the reader. Europe were the volumes - even illegal in some cases - reprinted. Overall, the total number of copies sold are estimated at about 25,000.

The original texts were changed by Le Breton and at its discretion and to the annoyance of Denis Diderot, probably out of fear of the publisher, that they would not pass the censorship. Le Breton found herein also support in his foreman, Contremaître Louis -Claude Brullé. Because of this internal censorship the two often got into an argument, once even to blows, who came to court, but the benefit of the appearance of the Encyclopédie oriented with an acquittal endeten.Le Breton and the other publishers were not little as verlegerischem project, but took quite the labor force of about Louis de Jaucourt, but also by Denis Diderot in a very calculating way, with sometimes inadequate pay, to complete.

Le Breton was General Counsel of the Parisian booksellers ' guild, the communauté Libraires.

Works (selection)

  • Encyclopedie OU DICTIONNAIRE raisonné OF SCIENCES, DES ARTS ET des Métiers ENCRE à écrire ( Page 5:632 ). Article written by A. Le Breton in French
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