Baron Jérome-Frédéric Pichon (3 December 1812 – 26 August 1896) was a 19th-century French

bibliographer Bibliography (from and ), as a discipline, is traditionally the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology (from ). English author and bibliographer John Carter describes ''bibliograph ...

and

bibliophile A bookworm or bibliophile is an individual who loves and frequently reads or collects books. Bibliophilia or bibliophilism is the love of books. Bibliophiles may have large, specialized book collections. They may highly value old editions, aut ...

. He was one of the most important French art collectors of his time.

Biography

Jérôme Pichon was the second son of Alexandrine Émilie Brongniart (1780–1847), whose father was the architect

Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart (; 15 February 1739 – 6 June 1813) was a prominent French architect, born in Paris. Biography In 1767, Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart married Anne Louise Degrémont (1744–1829). The couple became friends ...

, and of Baron Louis-André Pichon. After a brief stay at the École de Saint-Cyr, he studied law and was then appointed an auditor at the Conseil d’État before withdrawing completely from public life in 1846. He was also Consul General to

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; , or ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, Turkey. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna ...

. He began his collection of old books in 1831 and soon became indebted to booksellers for 6,000 francs, a sum that his father reimbursed without difficulty: the young man's love of books had turned into a devouring passion, which was to remain with him. He also collected numerous antique objects of various natures (

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

numismatics Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals, and related objects. Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also inclu ...

, prints,

silversmith A silversmith is a metalworker who crafts objects from silver. The terms ''silversmith'' and ''goldsmith'' are not exact synonyms, as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are (or were, at least) largely the same but differed in that t ...

s, etc.), including a rare collection of horse bits from Galiot de Genouillac, the king's great equerry, donated by his daughter to his successor in 1546 Claude Goufffier, lord of Oiron (

Deux-Sèvres Deux-Sèvres (, Poitevin-Saintongese: ''Deùs Saevres'') is a French department. ''Deux-Sèvres'' literally means "two Sèvres": the Sèvre Nantaise and the Sèvre Niortaise are two rivers which have their sources in the department. It had a ...

) and artefacts belonging to him. For more than 50 years, Pichon acquired one of the rarest books and

manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has ...

s collections of his time, soon becoming president of the Société des bibliophiles français (SBF) in 1844, a society which he arbitrated efficiently, composing a number of

bibliographic Bibliography (from and ), as a discipline, is traditionally the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology (from ). English author and bibliographer John Carter describes ''bibliograph ...

records intended for reissues, catalogues or publications and to the ''Bulletin des Bibliophiles''. He used to reside 17 in the former hôtel de Charles Gruÿn des Bordes, better known as Hôtel de Lauzun which he restored from collector's period items; moreover, he rented certain rooms to creators such as

Baudelaire Charles Pierre Baudelaire (, ; ; 9 April 1821 – 31 August 1867) was a French poet, essayist, translator and art critic. His poems are described as exhibiting mastery of rhythm and rhyme, containing an exoticism inherited from the Romantics, an ...

and

Théophile Gautier Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier ( , ; 30 August 1811 – 23 October 1872) was a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic. While an ardent defender of Romanticism, Gautier's work is difficult to classify and rema ...

and it was there that the famous meetings of the Club des Hashischins took place. The SBF had its headquarters there. He maintained a long correspondence with Charles Nodier and Paul Lacroix. Among other things, he is responsible for the publication of the '' Ménagier de Paris'' in 1846. Married to Rosalie Clarmont, daughter of banker Jean-Charles Clarmont and Rosalie Favrin, he was the father of Étienne Pichon, who was sub-prefect of Vervins and who died in 1876. His rich library was the subject of two public auctions, one during his lifetime on 19 April 1869, and the other after his death in 1897.

Publications (selection)

*1844: ''La vénerie'' *1846: ''Le ménagier de Paris : Traité de morale et d'économie domestique composé vers 1393''. *1880: ''Vie de Charles-Henry, comte d'Hoym : ambassadeur de Saxe-Pologne en France et celebre amateur de, Livres 1694 à 1736''. on Gallica *1892: ''Le viandier de Guillaume Tirel dit Taillevent'' on Gallica *1895: ''Documents pour servir à l'histoire des libraires de Paris, 1486-1600''''Documents pour servir à l'histoire des libraires de Paris, 1486-1600''
/ref> on Archive.org

References

Bibliography

* *1897: Paul Chevallier, ''Collections de feu M. le baron Jérome Pichon : catalogue des objets antiques, du Moyen Âge, de la renaissance, etc. dont la vente aura lieu a Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 24 avril - 1er mai, 1897'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Pichon, Jerome French bibliophiles French bibliographers French art collectors French barons Members of the Conseil d'État (France) École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr alumni French diplomats 1812 births Writers from Paris 1896 deaths