Facsimiles of Bound Works

Whether permanently displayed or too fragile to be handled or consulted, certain books can benefit from the creation of facsimiles. A facsimile offers a compelling alternative to the original. The degree of fidelity is determined in consultation with the project lead: selected pages for display, essential excerpts, or full reproduction.
Once printed, the sheets are assembled in the workshop into various forms of bindings and cases.

Facsimile of Le Temple de Cupido by Clément Marot, early 16th century

Cité internationale de la langue française, Château de Villers-Cotterêts – Centre des monuments nationaux, Villers-Cotterêts (2023)

Miniature illustrating Le Temple de Cupidon, a French-language poem by Clément Marot. Commissioned by Nicolas de Neufville, Lord of Villeroy, and presented to François I in 1515.

Reproduction of the manuscript held by the BnF.

Full leather binding, reproduction of the double-page miniature (f2v and f3r).

Facsimile of the Ordonnance de Villers-Cotterêts, 1539

Cité internationale de la langue française, Château de Villers-Cotterêts – Centre des monuments nationaux, Villers-Cotterêts (2023)

Articles 110 and 111 mandated the use of French in all legal and administrative acts of the kingdom, overtaking Latin, deemed less accessible.

Reproduction of the original ordinance held at the French National Archives.

Full parchment binding, reproduction of the double-page of Article 111.

Facsimile of Cahier d’un retour au pays natal by Aimé Césaire, with screen printing and design by Daniel Buren, Les Éd. du Solstice, 2004

Cité internationale de la langue française, Château de Villers-Cotterêts – Centre des monuments nationaux, Villers-Cotterêts (2023)

Combining his signature stripes, color blocks, and geometric cut-outs, Daniel Buren transforms this book into a true sculptural object.

Reproduction of the copy held by the Kandinsky Library, Centre Pompidou.

Full printed cloth binding, colored edges, reproduction of folio XXII. Facsimile created at 90% scale.

Facsimile of Register BB1, Musée de la Préfecture de Police

Musée de la préfecture de Police, Paris (2024)

This register served as a powerful surveillance tool over Paris’s political, financial, and social elite.

The brigade mondaine profiled semi-worldly women suspected of clandestine prostitution during the 1860s–1870s. 

Each page includes a photographic portrait and a written report describing the woman’s physical appearance, personal history, social ties, and movements.

Permanently displayed, the original has been reproduced to preserve its condition. Five double-page spreads were reproduced and bound into a blank volume. Full leather binding with brass clasps replicated identically.

Facsimile of the Register of Secret Loans 1866 à 1918

Crédit municipal de Paris, Paris (2023)

Sarah Bernhardt, the Countess of Castiglione, and many celebrities of the time used pawn loans.

The original registers are housed at the Paris Archives.

Frequently presented during European Heritage Days, the Crédit Municipal chose to reproduce one of its most iconic registers.

Full paper binding

Facsimile of the Constitution of the Fifth Republic, October 4, 1958

French National Archives, Paris (2022)

On October 4, 1958, the Constitution of the Fifth Republic was enacted by René Coty.

Original copies are held by the Senate and the National Archives of France.

Facsimile created for the Archives. Full burgundy morocco binding with gold tooling on the turn-ins. Textblock printed on paper. Gilding by Patrick Prouteau.

Facsimile of a Carita Guest Book (complete reproduction)

Carita Heritage Collection, Paris (2023)

Maria and Rosy Carita, the first women hairdressers to rise to fame in Paris, opened their first salon on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in 1945. Alongside renowned hairdresser Alexandre, they styled many stars of the era.

To allow this guest book to travel between boutiques, Carita commissioned a full facsimile.

Red leather binding with gilded edges.

Facsimile of the Napoleonic Concordat on the Restoration of the Catholic Faith in France, 1801

Collectivité européenne d’Alsace, Colmar (2023)

In 1801, Pope Pius VII ratified the Concordat.
The document was exhibited in its original form at “Le Rouge et le Noir: State, Religions, and Society in Alsace from the Concordat to the Present Day”, at the Archives d’Alsace in Strasbourg, from June 1 to December 10, 2023, before being replaced by its facsimile.

Printed on parchment with full red velvet binding.