341 - After Gustave BRION (1824-1877), draughtsman, GILMER, photographer and A. FAUCHEUR and C. DANELLE, photographic editors,

After Gustave BRION (1824-1877), draughtsman, GILMER, photographer and A. FAUCHEUR and C. DANELLE, photographic editors, Photographic album "Les Misérables" by Victor HUGO, including 25 albumen prints illustrating the book. Sold by the François Ier boutique in Algier, supplier to H.M. the Emperor. Bound in metal clasps, in-8. Minor foxing and wear. Missing title page. Victor Hugo wanted the first edition of his works to be unillustrated. So, in 1862, given the success of Les Misérables, Gustave Brion had the idea of producing an independent illustration. Between April and July, he produced twenty-five drawings, which he had reproduced in photographs, in partnership with Faucheur and Danelle. Sold individually or in albums, they were printed and mounted on cardboard, in three different formats, the two smallest of which corresponded to those of the Belgian and French editions - as with this plate - enabling enthusiasts to have them bound in their volumes. With thousands of copies sold, their success aroused the envy of the novel's publisher, who obtained an interest in the business under threat of having it banned. For his part, Victor Hugo praised the quality and accuracy of Brion's drawings (with the exception of the portraits of Fantine and Javert). This first illustration truly created the visual types of the characters, which were often and enduringly used thereafter. A similar copy is kept at Victor Hugo's house at Hauteville House.