Martin Bossange
Martin Bossange | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Bordeaux, France |
| Died | October 30, 1865 (aged 100) Paris, France |
| Occupation(s) | Bookseller, Publisher |
| Years active | 1787–1837 |
Martin Bossange (born 2 February 1765, died 30 October 1865) was a bookseller originating from Bordeaux who moved to Paris and created a publishing enterprise with an international reach.
Life
At the age of twenty, Bossange relocated to Paris and commenced his career as a bookseller in 1787. One of his initial achievements was the sale of 50,000 copies of the 1789 play Charles IX by Joseph Chénier. In 1792, he joined forces with Lyon bookseller Joseph-René Masson, and by 1798 they established the firm Bossange, Masson et Besson.
Bossange concentrated on expanding book sales internationally, opening branches abroad: in Santo Domingo (1801), London (1814, despite ongoing trade restrictions during wartime), Montreal and Mexico City (1815), followed by locations in Madrid, Naples, and Rome (1820), and later around 1830 in Leipzig. The London office on Great Marlborough Street served as the central hub for this network, where Bossange collaborated with partners Barthès and Lowell. While he resided in London from 1814 to 1820, his son Adolphe oversaw operations in Paris. In 1826, Bossange sold his stake in the London branch to Barthès and Lowell.
Around 1818–1819, Bossange dissolved his partnership with Masson and divested the printing establishment responsible for producing the Journal de la librairie. Subsequently, he concentrated on issuing new editions, managing sales of older editions, and cultivating international commerce. By 1825, his business at "60 Rue de Richelieu" operated under the name "galerie de Bossange père" to differentiate it from "Bossange frères" located at "12 rue de Seine," which was managed by his sons Hector and Adolphe. The Parisian "salon" hosted at his establishment became a notable literary gathering place; during Bossange’s absences, the Bavarian author Moritz Gottlieb Saphir conducted literary salons there.
Following financial difficulties, Bossange declared bankruptcy in late 1830 but maintained publishing activities in Leipzig through a collaboration with Johann Jacob Weber. Together they launched Das Pfennig-Magazin, one of the earliest magazines aimed at families, which was issued weekly from 1833 until 1847.
Bossange retired in 1837 after selling his German business interests to Heinrich Brockhaus. His sons Hector and Adolphe founded their own international book trading firm, which was later continued by Hector's sons Gustave and Edmond throughout much of the nineteenth century. Martin Bossange passed away in Paris in 1865.