72 • The American Stamp Dealer & Collector • May 2017

The 

PHILATELIC

Library

PHILATELIC

— So Essential —

Our great necessity...

By Brace Burnside

The Great Philatelic Biblophiles

 

Dr. Jacques Amable Legrand 

(1820-1912) 
France

72 •The American Stamp Dealer & Collector • May 2017

D

r. Legrand was one of philately’s early giants. He led the 

advance of philatelic scholarship in France and influenced 

other early pioneer philatelists in Europe and the United States. 

His first writings (on watermarks) were in 1865 in 

Le Timbrophile, 

and he continued to write until near his death at age 91. Legrand 

has been called the “Father of French Philately” and the “Father 

of Scientific Philately,” both apt titles.  

In the 1860s and 1870s, philately was not looked upon as a se

-

rious pursuit for an educated person. Like others, Legrand chose 

to write under a pseudonym: “Dr. Magnus.” His early writings on 

watermarks on stamp papers, which appeared from April to July 

1865 in

 Le Timbrophile, were collected and published as Essai 

sur les Filigranes et les Papiers Employés à la Fabrication des 
Timbres-postes 

in April 1867. It was the first book about stamps 

(other than catalogs) ever published; 527 copies were printed.

From 1872 to 1874 he edited 

Gazette des Timbres, and wrote 

a column, “Petite Gazette,” directed to young collectors. In 1874, 

Legrand became editor of the new journal, Le Timbres-Fiscal, 
dedicated to the fast-growing hobby of collecting revenue stamps.

Legrand built outstanding stamp collections, possessing many 

of the great rarities. He sold most of his collections around 1897. 

He also built one of the largest philatelic libraries in Europe. He 
prepared a “Catalogue de Littérature Philatélique,” published seri-
ally in Le Circulaire Philatélique

 in 1907-1909, but was unable to 

complete it because of advancing age. He exhibited a portion of 
his library at the international philatelic exhibition held in Paris in 

1900, and conducted jury and guests to his home to see the rest. 

He was awarded a gold medal. 

Information courtesy American 

Philatelic Society Hall of Fame Committee.