Michel Lévy (1821–1875) was the founder of the
Michel Lévy Frères publishing house.
Biography
Born in
Phalsbourg
Phalsbourg (; ; Lorraine Franconian: ''Phalsburch'') is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France, with a population of about 5,000.
It lies high on the west slopes of the Vosges, northwest of Strasbourg by rail. ...
, he was the son of a ''
colporteur'' (a peddler of printed publications).
In 1836, aged fifteen, he opened a reading cabinet and a "theatrical library" in Paris, rue Marie-Stuart, under the name ''Michel Lévy frères'', but at first acting alone. In 1842 he moved the business to
Passage du Grand-Cerf.
In 1845, he did involve his brothers, Calmann and Nathan. Nathan would retire from the business in 1850.
He edited various dramatic works, including collections such as ''la bibliothèque dramatique'', ''le théâtre contemporain illustré'', and most notably the successful collection ''Michel Lévy'' in 1856. Financial success allowed him to open a grand book-store at rue Auber.
The Lévy brothers published most of the important French authors of the second half of the 19th century, including
Dumas,
Balzac,
Hugo
Hugo or HUGO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese
* Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback
* Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on ...
,
Sand
Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class o ...
,
Flaubert
Gustave Flaubert ( , , ; 12 December 1821 – 8 May 1880) was a French novelist. Highly influential, he has been considered the leading exponent of literary realism in his country. According to the literary theorist Kornelije Kvas, "in Flauber ...
, Baudelaire, Stendhal, and Nerval.
The brothers also entered the flourishing periodical market, publishing magazines such as ''
L'Entracte,
L'Univers illustré,
Le Journal du jeudi'' and ''
Le Journal du dimanche
''Le Journal du dimanche'' (English: ''Sunday's newspaper'') is a French weekly newspaper published on Sundays in France.
History and profile
''Le Journal du Dimanche'' was created by Pierre Lazareff in 1948. He was managing editor of '' Fran ...
''. Lévy was decorated with the
légion d'Honneur
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
in 1873, and he died unexpectedly on 4 May 1875.
George Sand
Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil (; 1 July 1804 – 8 June 1876), best known by her pen name George Sand (), was a French novelist, memoirist and journalist. One of the most popular writers in Europe in her lifetime, bein ...
wrote his obituary in the 15 May edition of ''L'Univers illustré''.
The business was continued by his brother Calmann, as ''
Calmann-Lévy''.
References
*Jacques Suffel (ed.), ''Lettres inédites de Gustave Flaubert à son éditeur Michel Lévy'', Calmann-Lévy, 1965.
*Jean-Pierre Bacot, ''La presse illustrée au XIXe siècle: une histoire oubliée'', Presses Univ. Limoges, 2005.
*Yvan Leclerc and
Jean-Yves Mollier, ''
Gustave Flaubert
Gustave Flaubert ( , , ; 12 December 1821 – 8 May 1880) was a French novelist. Highly influential, he has been considered the leading exponent of literary realism in his country. According to the literary theorist Kornelije Kvas, "in Flauber ...
et Michel Lévy, un couple explosif'', Calmann-Lévy, 2021.
External links
*
georgesand.culture.fr
{{DEFAULTSORT:Levy, Michel
1821 births
1874 deaths
French publishers (people)
19th-century French businesspeople