Monaco 1953 - Gancourt Journal

Ever wondered if it were possible to work side by side with your sibling every day of your life? Not really your speed? Well, this arrangement seemed to work for the French brothers, Edmond de Goncourt (1822–96) and Jules de Goncourt (1830–70). The Goncourt brothers not only worked together as writers, they were inseparable in their regular lives.

"Not only did they write all their books together, they did not spend more than a day apart in their adult lives, until they were finally parted by Jules's death in 1870." (Kirsch, 2006)

The brothers began their writing career after a "sketching holiday", about which they later wrote. Books detailing French and Japanese society and art followed soon after. Among several novels and a series of history books, they kept a journal which provides the reader with an intimate glimpse into the world of French literary society of the late 1800's.

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On 29 June 1953 Monaco issued a stamp to commemorate the publication of the Journal des Goncourt, 1851-1896 written by the brothers Edmond de Goncourt and Jules de Goncourt. This truly gorgeous stamp was engraved by Pierre Gandon, And he did a sterling job on this one.

The image on the stamp is based on a book-plate for the journal, which was designed by Paul Gavarni. The etching for the book-plate was done by Jules Gancourt (I'd like to thank Natalie for providing me with information on the book-plate).

The image on the stamp - and book-plate - depicts a hand, presumably belonging to one of the brothers, caressing the manuscript of the journal. There are two fingers on the manuscript, one for each brother. And each finger is pointing to the initial of one of the brothers. Two quills standing poised to be picked up and used to scribble a few insightful words and a row of books in the background add a creative feel to the image. All in all, a fantastic composition.

Interestingly, during the design stage of this stamp Gandon only drew one quill in his proof. He sent this proof to Prince Rainier who liked what he saw but jokingly commented that with only one quill there would be fights over which brother got to use it. Gandon promptly added a second quill.

Until next time...

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References:

Kirsch, A (2006), Masters of indiscretion, The New York Sun (Aug 29).

France 1953 - Publishing & Bookbinding

On 6 May 1954 France issued a set of five stamps to celebrate French artistic industry. One of the stamps really captures my imagination. It is the 30f value stamp, which pays homage to publishing and bookbinding. This stamp was designed and engraved by Pierre Gandon. And it is fabulous.

There are two focal points to this stamp. Standing in the shadows in the background is the Institute de France, which was established on 25 October 1795 by the French Government. In the foreground we see a pile of nicely bound books. One book is open, revealing a lovely illumination within. Below is a close-up of the open book.

The combination of the dark, enigmatic building brooding in the background and the stack of books packed with mysteries of their own, sitting and waiting to be read, to reveal their secrets, makes this stamp both charming and loaded with intrigue. This is a definite favourite in my burgeoning collection of books and printing on stamps.

Until next time...