Henri-Jean Martin

Who was Henri-Jean Martin?

Henri-Jean Martin was a leading authority on the history of the book in Europe, and an expert on the history of writing and printing. He was a leader in efforts to promote libraries in France, and the history of libraries and printing.

Born in Paris, Henri-Jean Martin's initial professional position was that of conservateur in the réserve des imprimés of the Bibliothèque nationale, a position he held from 1947 to 1958. In 1958 he published his famous work, L'Apparition du Livre, which he co-authored with the French historian Lucien Febvre. In 1962 he was named conservateur en chef of the Bibliothèque municipale de Lyon. With master printer Marius Audin he helped create Lyon's Musée de l’Imprimerie. In 1970 he left Lyon for Paris, and a chair of bibliography the history of the book at the École Nationale des Chartes, where he taught until 1993.

Henri-Jean Martin also taught at the École Nationale Supérieure des Bibliothèques, and at the École pratique des hautes études where he served thirty years as a directeur des études in the IV° section.