Louis Hachette facts for kids
Louis Hachette (born May 5, 1800 – died July 31, 1864) was a French publisher. He started a publishing company in Paris. His goal was to create books and materials to make school learning better.
At first, his company focused on classic books. Later, it grew to include all kinds of books and magazines. Today, his company is part of a very large, worldwide publishing group called Hachette.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Louis Hachette was born in a town called Rethel in the Ardennes area of France. He studied for three years at a famous school in Paris called the École Normale Supérieure. He planned to become a teacher.
However, in 1822, he was asked to leave the school. This happened because of his political beliefs at the time. After this, he briefly studied law.
Starting His Business
In 1826, Louis Hachette opened his own bookshop in Paris. It was located near a big university called the Sorbonne. His main idea for the business was to create books that would help improve school education. He also wanted to share general knowledge with everyone.
He published many useful books. These included dictionaries for modern and old languages. He also made educational magazines. He printed classic French, Latin, and Greek books. These books often had notes from important experts to help students understand them.
Key Achievements
Louis Hachette made many important steps in publishing. His work helped change how people learned in France.
School Books for Everyone
In 1833, a new law was passed in France. It was called the Guizot Schools Law. This law said that every town had to open a primary school.
Louis Hachette had been working on a basic alphabet book since 1829. Because of his hard work, his company was the only one ready. They could print the one million textbooks needed for all the new schools.
Growing the Company
In 1846, Louis Hachette officially started his company, L. Hachette & Company. That same year, a famous writer named Emile Littré signed a contract with the company. He agreed to publish a new dictionary. The first parts of this dictionary came out in 1863.
Books at Train Stations
In 1852, Hachette made a deal with seven different railway companies. This allowed him to open small bookstalls at train stations. These shops sold travel guides for people on trains. They also sold novels by popular authors like Charles Dickens and George Sand.
The bookstalls also sold books from a special children's series called Bibliothèque Rose. This series included popular stories by authors like La Comtesse de Ségur.
Popular Magazines
In 1855, Hachette started a magazine called Le Journal pour tous. This magazine became very popular. About 150,000 copies were sold every week.
In January 1860, Hachette also began printing Le Tour du Monde. This was a weekly magazine all about travel and adventures around the world.
Helping Others
Louis Hachette cared a lot about helping working people. He was interested in creating groups where people could help each other. He also supported charities and other ways to improve the lives of the poor. He even wrote several short books about these topics.
He also used his influence to help solve problems about international literary copyright. This meant making sure writers were paid fairly for their books, even when they were published in different countries.
See also
- Hachette
