Jules and Jules : Verne and Hetzel

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Jules Hetzel was an editor of children's books, which was a rare specialization at his time. Jules Verne wrote didactic novels, where the adventures of the characters were a pretext to teach geography and history with fancy, and imagine the future. Their meeting was inevitable, and generated one of the greatest achievements of the popular literature of the nineteenth century. The hors texte illustration, abundant, closely followed the adventures and strengthened their naive and passionate qualities.

Under the generic title "les Voyages Extraordinaires", the first Verne-Hetzel title, "Cinq Semaines en Ballon" was published in 1863. Hetzel thereafter provided an infinite number of patterns, images and colors for the cardboard covers of the "Voyages extraordinaires".

Today these books are subject to special sales, especially in Paris. Some collectors formed libraries dedicated to that single topic. Here, it is not the uncommon text which is sought, but the original binding.

Year after year, the prices go up for the most exceptional lots. In March 2005, Artcurial sold 19 K € before fees an edition of "l'Ile Mystérieuse", with a tan cover. In October 2006, "le Chancellor" reached 29 K € excluding costs, also at Artcurial, through a test cardboard considered as unique.

It is now expected 20 K € for another copy of "l'Ile Mystérieuse", this time in a green cardboard. It will be sold by Robert et Baille in Paris, salle Drouot, on April 4. This one also is an original edition (1875).

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Never books of Jules Verne had reached such prices.

Auctioned by Robert et Baille, the copy of L'Ile Mystérieuse has reached 82 K € fees included. Another high price, 46 K € including fees, was brought in a copy of Le Docteur Ox in a binder with fleurs de lys.

Two days later, also in Paris, ArtAuction (Pierre Cardin Remy Le Fur) sold 80 K € before fees another copy of the first edition of L'Ile Mystérieuse, in a very well illustrated test binding.