Édouard Charton
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Édouard Charton | |
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Claude Henri de Rouvroy, comte de Saint-Simon Louis Claude de Saint-Martin | |
Academic work | |
Notable works | L'Illustration |
Édouard Charton (11 May 1807 – 27 February 1890) was a French literary figure who founded the magazine
Biography
Édouard Charton was born in
In his mid-forties, Charton entered politics and served in the
He reaffirmed the
In 1833 he put into effect his ideals of "fighting ignorance" by starting a new publication
Applying the same rigor and consistency, he chose the best collaborators to propagate practical knowledge while stimulating curiosity and forming artistic tastes. L'Illustration, a renowned pictorial review, created in 1843 on his initiative, lasted a century (to 1944). In 1860, he embarked upon a working partnership with Louis Hachette and his successors, which would continue for the remaining thirty years of his life. It gave him the opportunity to reach new readers with the travel and exploration review Le Tour du Monde (World Tour) and the scientific publication Bibliothèque des merveilles (Library of Wonders).
Based on his belief that man could improve and progress through the acquisition of knowledge, Charton applied his considerable efforts disseminating "practical knowledge" to the greatest number, using his great writing talent only to inform and provide moral guidance. After the French Revolution of 1848, his friend Hippolyte Carnot, who was appointed the Minister of Public Instruction and Religion, recruited Charton as Secretary General of the Ministry. It was the beginning of his political career.
Although an opponent of Napoleon III's 1852 Second Empire, Charton adapted to the circumstances, without ever denying his Republican convictions. He promoted public reading with the creation of popular libraries, participated in the creation of the Paris Museum of Anthropology and showed throughout his life a consistency of behavior as testified by his friends and two generations of colleagues.
He was described as a man of action able to overcome his anxiety-ridden personal nature. Faithful in friendship, he maintained relations with those who shared his belief in the moral progress of man, whereby the progress of each individual led to the progress of humanity as a whole. In the National Assembly, he remained in the background despite his talents as a speaker. When he did take the floor, it was to raise crucial points speak concerning questions of education, fine arts and the press, as well as to express his opposition to the death penalty.
Encouraging his colleagues to reach a consensus, he could also remain firm and intransigent on points of principle. During the Second Empire, he turned down the post of director of the
Édouard Charton died in
References
- Lagarde-Fouquet, A. and Lagarde, C. (2006). Édouard Charton et le combat contre l'ignorance [Édouard Charton and the Battle Against Ignorance], 248p. Rennes: Collection Carnot, Presses Universitaires de Rennes.
External links
- Works by Édouard Charton at Project Gutenberg
- Works by or about Édouard Charton at Internet Archive
- Edouard Charton by Annie Lagarde-Fouquet in French
- Magasin pittoresque in French
- Le Tour du Monde in French
- Le Tour du Monde a été fondé par Édouard Charton en 1860
- la Bibliothèque des Merveilles in French