Louis Yvert
Encyclopedia
Louis Yvert was the co-founder of French
philatelic
publisher Yvert et Tellier
with printer Théodule Tellier
, from the family-printing company established in the 1830s by his grandfather, legitimist
journalist Eugène Yvert.
Henry Yvert and Mademoiselle de Taisy, first singer at the Paris Opera. He was four years old when his parents moved to Amiens, where his father bought Eugène Yvert's company. Henry founded a new legitimist paper, L'Écho de la Somme. After his baccalauréat
s es-literature and es-sciences, he served voluntarily in the army. Then, he began his Law studies in Paris, where he lived like a dandy
.
His father died in 1885, but his mother decided that Louis must finished his studies before becoming the new director of the Yvert company. She associated her family to the chief-printer Théodule Tellier
. When Louis came back in Amiens in 1889, he wrote for L'Écho de la Somme. In 1891, the same year he married, he became the director of the paper. While he disliked the political, legimist and conservative way of thinking of the paper and its readers, L'Écho de la Somme remained the main beneficial source of the Yvert et Tellier printing company.
The discovery of stamp collecting
changed everything. Thank to Théodule Tellier, Louis Yvert became a collector, interested himself in L'Écho de la timbrologie
, a philatelic paper Tellier bought in 1890. He saw the interest of collectors for printed stamp album
s and exhaustive catalogs
.
1895, he ceased to write in L'Écho de la Somme and directed all his efforts to philatelic matters. Tellier and Yvert's main idea had been a catalog whose numeration would be permanent, unlike many catalogs of that time who changed their numeration and criteria each year. The first edition of the Catalogue prix-courant de timbres-poste par Yvert et Tellier was published in November 1896 for a price of two francs
. Eight thousands catalogs were printed, 576 pages long and listing five thousands postage stamp
s. Success was quick and the catalog became annual.
With the prosperity of the Yvert et Tellier company, Louis Yvert travelled in all Western Europe
while Tellier surveyed the firm's day-to-day operations. During a stay in Paris in 1900, he met Genevois
stamp dealer
Théodore Champion. This expert associated himself with Yvert and Tellier : until his death in 1954, Champion prepared the cotations published in the catalogue Yvert et Tellier - Champion.
1 April 1913, Tellier retired and sold his parts to Louis Yvert, but, the latter friendly maintained the name of the chief-printer in the catalog title.
With the first half of the 20th century, Yvert et Tellier became the philatelic reference in France. Progressively, during the interwar period
, Louis prepared his succession. He put his two sons and his son-in-law at key posts of the company :
Louis Yvert died in Amiens in 1950.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
philatelic
Philately
Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...
publisher Yvert et Tellier
Yvert et Tellier
Yvert et Tellier is a postage stamp dealer and a philatelic publishing company founded in 1895 in the northern French city of Amiens, where the head office is still located. The logo is a circle divided into a snowflake and a smiling sun...
with printer Théodule Tellier
Théodule Tellier
Théodule Tellier was a French printer and the co-founder with Louis Yvert of French philatelic publisher Yvert et Tellier. He participated in its publication from 1895 to 1913.- Biography :...
, from the family-printing company established in the 1830s by his grandfather, legitimist
Legitimists
Legitimists are royalists in France who adhere to the rights of dynastic succession of the descendants of the elder branch of the Bourbon dynasty, which was overthrown in the 1830 July Revolution. They reject the claim of the July Monarchy of 1830–1848, whose kings were members of the junior...
journalist Eugène Yvert.
Biography
Louis Yvert was the son of lawyerLawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
Henry Yvert and Mademoiselle de Taisy, first singer at the Paris Opera. He was four years old when his parents moved to Amiens, where his father bought Eugène Yvert's company. Henry founded a new legitimist paper, L'Écho de la Somme. After his baccalauréat
Baccalauréat
The baccalauréat , often known in France colloquially as le bac, is an academic qualification which French and international students take at the end of the lycée . It was introduced by Napoleon I in 1808. It is the main diploma required to pursue university studies...
s es-literature and es-sciences, he served voluntarily in the army. Then, he began his Law studies in Paris, where he lived like a dandy
Dandy
A dandy is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of Self...
.
His father died in 1885, but his mother decided that Louis must finished his studies before becoming the new director of the Yvert company. She associated her family to the chief-printer Théodule Tellier
Théodule Tellier
Théodule Tellier was a French printer and the co-founder with Louis Yvert of French philatelic publisher Yvert et Tellier. He participated in its publication from 1895 to 1913.- Biography :...
. When Louis came back in Amiens in 1889, he wrote for L'Écho de la Somme. In 1891, the same year he married, he became the director of the paper. While he disliked the political, legimist and conservative way of thinking of the paper and its readers, L'Écho de la Somme remained the main beneficial source of the Yvert et Tellier printing company.
The discovery of stamp collecting
Stamp collecting
Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is one of the world's most popular hobbies, with the number of collectors in the United States alone estimated to be over 20 million.- Collecting :...
changed everything. Thank to Théodule Tellier, Louis Yvert became a collector, interested himself in L'Écho de la timbrologie
L'Écho de la timbrologie
L'Écho de la timbrologie is a French monthly magazine about philately and stamp collecting. First published in 1887, it is the French oldest surviving philatelic publication. Its subtitle is "La tribune des philatélistes" ....
, a philatelic paper Tellier bought in 1890. He saw the interest of collectors for printed stamp album
Stamp album
A stamp album is a book, often loose-leafed , in which a collection of postage stamps may be stored and displayed.- Overview :...
s and exhaustive catalogs
Stamp catalog
A stamp catalog is a catalog of postage stamp types with descriptions and prices.The stamp catalog is an essential tool of philately and stamp collecting...
.
1895, he ceased to write in L'Écho de la Somme and directed all his efforts to philatelic matters. Tellier and Yvert's main idea had been a catalog whose numeration would be permanent, unlike many catalogs of that time who changed their numeration and criteria each year. The first edition of the Catalogue prix-courant de timbres-poste par Yvert et Tellier was published in November 1896 for a price of two francs
French franc
The franc was a currency of France. Along with the Spanish peseta, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra . Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money...
. Eight thousands catalogs were printed, 576 pages long and listing five thousands postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s. Success was quick and the catalog became annual.
With the prosperity of the Yvert et Tellier company, Louis Yvert travelled in all Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
while Tellier surveyed the firm's day-to-day operations. During a stay in Paris in 1900, he met Genevois
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
stamp dealer
Stamp dealer
A stamp dealer is a company or an individual who deals in postage stamps and philatelic products. It also includes individuals who sell postage stamps for day to day use or official stamps for use on court documents.-Stamps on Approval Basis:...
Théodore Champion. This expert associated himself with Yvert and Tellier : until his death in 1954, Champion prepared the cotations published in the catalogue Yvert et Tellier - Champion.
1 April 1913, Tellier retired and sold his parts to Louis Yvert, but, the latter friendly maintained the name of the chief-printer in the catalog title.
With the first half of the 20th century, Yvert et Tellier became the philatelic reference in France. Progressively, during the interwar period
Interwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
, Louis prepared his succession. He put his two sons and his son-in-law at key posts of the company :
- elder Henri Yvert quietly run the printer plant,
- younger Pierre YvertPierre YvertPierre Yvert was a French philatelic editor. Son of Louis Yvert, one of Yvert et Tellier's founders, he was manager of magazine L'Écho de la timbrologie and of many philatelic associations.- Biography :...
lively directed L'Écho de la timbrologie and travelled like his father for philatelic relationships, - and Jean Gervais abandoned a doctor career to marry Louis' daughter, Jeanne. In exchange, the father made him responsible of the publishing house (books, albums, catalogs).
Louis Yvert died in Amiens in 1950.