Jacques Charles Brunet

Jacques Charles Brunet (1780-1867), French bibliographer, was born in Paris 2 November 1780. He was the son of a bookseller, and in 1802 he printed a supplement to the "Dictionnaire bibliographique de livres rares" (1790) of Duclos and Cailleau. In 1810 there appeared the first edition of his "Manuel du libraire et de l'amateur des livres" (3 vols.). Brunet published successive editions of his great bibliographical dictionary, which rapidly came to be recognized as the first book of its class in European literature. He died 14 November 1867. Among his other works are "Nouvelles Recherches bibliographiques" (1834), "Recherches ... sur les éditions originales ... de Rabelais" (1852), and an edition of the French poems of J.G. Alione d'Asti, dating from the beginning of the 16th century (1836).

A plaque on Rue Git-le-Coeur in the 6th Arrondisment of Paris (next to Place St. Michel) marks the spot where Brunet composed his famous work.

See also a notice by Le Roux de Lincy, prefixed to the catalogue (1868) of his own valuable library. A supplement to the 5th edition (1860-1865) of the "Manuel du libraire" was published (1878-1880) by P. Deschamps and G. Brunet.

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