Yvert et Tellier
Encyclopedia
Yvert et Tellier is a postage stamp
dealer and a philatelic
publishing company founded in 1895 in the northern French
city of Amiens
, where the head office is still located. The logo is a circle divided into a snowflake
and a smiling sun. It is a pun on the name of the company: hiver, été liés ("winter, summer together") sounds a lot like the French pronunciation of Yvert et Tellier.
The family company was founded by Eugène Yvert in 1831 as a printing works for a legitimist
newspaper. The switch to philately was decided 1895 by Eugène's grandson Louis Yvert
and his chief printer Théodule Tellier
. Nowadays the company is still run by the Yvert family.
which is a reference for stamps and countries that are most collected by French philatelists: France, Andorra
, Monaco
, and the former French colonies and their philatelic history as independent states. In France, it is one of the most important philatelic publishing companies, along with Cérès and Dallay
.
Continuing the old association between Louis Yvert
and Théodore Champion, the Ancienne Maison Théodore Champion edits monthly and yearly a colour catalog of newly issued stamps from all over the world. Usually, Yvert catalogs for non-European countries were printed in black and white, but in 2008 they started with full color prints.
It is one of the international references as well, with Michel
, Scott and Stanley Gibbons. The Yvert catalogs list stamps issued by all countries in the world, but for non-European countries, the volumes are organized in alphabetic order whereas the German company Michel uses a geographical classification.
, grandson of the founder, and his chief printer Théodule Tellier
; Tellier kept the company running after the premature death of Louis' father. Louis did not like being in charge of the legimist paper founded by his father, L'Écho de la Somme. He discovered stamp collecting
thanks to Tellier, a philatelist, who had already added a small philatelic newspaper, L'Écho de la timbrologie
, to the papers printed by the company.
In 1895, Yvert and Tellier started getting involved in philatelic books. In November 1896 they published a worldwide catalog of stamps and a stamp album
. The success was immediate because of their logical and permanent numbering, in contrast to most of their contemporaries, who changed the numbers in their catalogues upon discovering forgotten stamps.
In 1900, Yvert et Tellier associated with Paris stamp dealer Théodore Champion, who sold unused stamps from all over the world. He fixed the prices of the stamps sold by the company. After Champion's death in 1955, Pierre Yvert and the brothers Ladislas and Alexandre Varga bought Champion's company and the new firm continued to fix Yvert et Tellier's prices.
In April 1913, Tellier sold his share of the company to Louis Yvert because of the loss of his young grandson. Due to their friendship, Yvert decided that the catalog would continue to be named Yvert et Tellier.
During the 1920s and 1930s, Yvert prepared his two sons and his son-in-law to run the firm. Henri ran the printing works, his brother Pierre
directed L'Écho de la timbrologie, and Jean Gervais took care of the publishing.
Pierre Yvert's and Jean Gervais' two grandsons have run the company since the 1990s.
catalog has had a major effect on the French philatelist public by providing larger pictures of stamps and information not found in the Yvert et Tellier catalogs, such as the name of the artiste and/or engraver, first date of issue, use, etc. Yvert has been fighting on two fronts: it has successfully defended the rights to its numbering system, and it distributes a free CD-ROM with its French stamp catalog.
Nevertheless, in March 2005, by urging of the French Conseil de la concurrence, Yvert agreed to sell the use of the Yvert stamp numbers to other publishers.
In June 2006 Yvert et Tellier published a new catalog of French stamps, a cheaper pocketbook version containing just pictures and prices, as did Cérès, the second main philatelic publishing company in France.
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
dealer and a philatelic
Philately
Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...
publishing company founded in 1895 in the northern French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
city of Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
, where the head office is still located. The logo is a circle divided into a snowflake
Snowflake
Snowflakes are conglomerations of frozen ice crystals which fall through the Earth's atmosphere. They begin as snow crystals which develop when microscopic supercooled cloud droplets freeze. Snowflakes come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Complex shapes emerge as the flake moves through...
and a smiling sun. It is a pun on the name of the company: hiver, été liés ("winter, summer together") sounds a lot like the French pronunciation of Yvert et Tellier.
The family company was founded by Eugène Yvert in 1831 as a printing works for a legitimist
Legitimists
Legitimists are royalists in France who adhere to the rights of dynastic succession of the descendants of the elder branch of the Bourbon dynasty, which was overthrown in the 1830 July Revolution. They reject the claim of the July Monarchy of 1830–1848, whose kings were members of the junior...
newspaper. The switch to philately was decided 1895 by Eugène's grandson Louis Yvert
Louis Yvert
Louis Yvert was the co-founder of French philatelic publisher Yvert et Tellier with printer Théodule Tellier, from the family-printing company established in the 1830s by his grandfather, legitimist journalist Eugène Yvert.- Biography :Louis Yvert was the son of lawyer Henry Yvert and Mademoiselle...
and his chief printer Théodule Tellier
Théodule Tellier
Théodule Tellier was a French printer and the co-founder with Louis Yvert of French philatelic publisher Yvert et Tellier. He participated in its publication from 1895 to 1913.- Biography :...
. Nowadays the company is still run by the Yvert family.
Products
Yvert et Tellier's major product is a stamp catalogStamp catalog
A stamp catalog is a catalog of postage stamp types with descriptions and prices.The stamp catalog is an essential tool of philately and stamp collecting...
which is a reference for stamps and countries that are most collected by French philatelists: France, Andorra
Andorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
, Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
, and the former French colonies and their philatelic history as independent states. In France, it is one of the most important philatelic publishing companies, along with Cérès and Dallay
Dallay
Dallay is a French philatelic editor established in Paris. Dallay has published stamp catalogs since 2001.The catalogs list postage stamps issued by France and other francophone areas: metropolitan France, French overseas territories, French post in Andorra and Monaco...
.
Continuing the old association between Louis Yvert
Louis Yvert
Louis Yvert was the co-founder of French philatelic publisher Yvert et Tellier with printer Théodule Tellier, from the family-printing company established in the 1830s by his grandfather, legitimist journalist Eugène Yvert.- Biography :Louis Yvert was the son of lawyer Henry Yvert and Mademoiselle...
and Théodore Champion, the Ancienne Maison Théodore Champion edits monthly and yearly a colour catalog of newly issued stamps from all over the world. Usually, Yvert catalogs for non-European countries were printed in black and white, but in 2008 they started with full color prints.
It is one of the international references as well, with Michel
Michel catalog
The Michel catalog is the largest and best-known stamp catalog in the German-speaking world. First published in 1910, it has become an important reference work for philately, with information not available in the English-language Scott catalog.The catalog started out as a price list for the dealer...
, Scott and Stanley Gibbons. The Yvert catalogs list stamps issued by all countries in the world, but for non-European countries, the volumes are organized in alphabetic order whereas the German company Michel uses a geographical classification.
Genesis and management successions
During the 1890s in Amiens, the Yvert family's printing works is the property of Louis YvertLouis Yvert
Louis Yvert was the co-founder of French philatelic publisher Yvert et Tellier with printer Théodule Tellier, from the family-printing company established in the 1830s by his grandfather, legitimist journalist Eugène Yvert.- Biography :Louis Yvert was the son of lawyer Henry Yvert and Mademoiselle...
, grandson of the founder, and his chief printer Théodule Tellier
Théodule Tellier
Théodule Tellier was a French printer and the co-founder with Louis Yvert of French philatelic publisher Yvert et Tellier. He participated in its publication from 1895 to 1913.- Biography :...
; Tellier kept the company running after the premature death of Louis' father. Louis did not like being in charge of the legimist paper founded by his father, L'Écho de la Somme. He discovered stamp collecting
Stamp collecting
Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is one of the world's most popular hobbies, with the number of collectors in the United States alone estimated to be over 20 million.- Collecting :...
thanks to Tellier, a philatelist, who had already added a small philatelic newspaper, L'Écho de la timbrologie
L'Écho de la timbrologie
L'Écho de la timbrologie is a French monthly magazine about philately and stamp collecting. First published in 1887, it is the French oldest surviving philatelic publication. Its subtitle is "La tribune des philatélistes" ....
, to the papers printed by the company.
In 1895, Yvert and Tellier started getting involved in philatelic books. In November 1896 they published a worldwide catalog of stamps and a stamp album
Stamp album
A stamp album is a book, often loose-leafed , in which a collection of postage stamps may be stored and displayed.- Overview :...
. The success was immediate because of their logical and permanent numbering, in contrast to most of their contemporaries, who changed the numbers in their catalogues upon discovering forgotten stamps.
In 1900, Yvert et Tellier associated with Paris stamp dealer Théodore Champion, who sold unused stamps from all over the world. He fixed the prices of the stamps sold by the company. After Champion's death in 1955, Pierre Yvert and the brothers Ladislas and Alexandre Varga bought Champion's company and the new firm continued to fix Yvert et Tellier's prices.
In April 1913, Tellier sold his share of the company to Louis Yvert because of the loss of his young grandson. Due to their friendship, Yvert decided that the catalog would continue to be named Yvert et Tellier.
During the 1920s and 1930s, Yvert prepared his two sons and his son-in-law to run the firm. Henri ran the printing works, his brother Pierre
Pierre Yvert
Pierre Yvert was a French philatelic editor. Son of Louis Yvert, one of Yvert et Tellier's founders, he was manager of magazine L'Écho de la timbrologie and of many philatelic associations.- Biography :...
directed L'Écho de la timbrologie, and Jean Gervais took care of the publishing.
Pierre Yvert's and Jean Gervais' two grandsons have run the company since the 1990s.
Recent commercial history
Since 2001 the apparition of the DallayDallay
Dallay is a French philatelic editor established in Paris. Dallay has published stamp catalogs since 2001.The catalogs list postage stamps issued by France and other francophone areas: metropolitan France, French overseas territories, French post in Andorra and Monaco...
catalog has had a major effect on the French philatelist public by providing larger pictures of stamps and information not found in the Yvert et Tellier catalogs, such as the name of the artiste and/or engraver, first date of issue, use, etc. Yvert has been fighting on two fronts: it has successfully defended the rights to its numbering system, and it distributes a free CD-ROM with its French stamp catalog.
Nevertheless, in March 2005, by urging of the French Conseil de la concurrence, Yvert agreed to sell the use of the Yvert stamp numbers to other publishers.
In June 2006 Yvert et Tellier published a new catalog of French stamps, a cheaper pocketbook version containing just pictures and prices, as did Cérès, the second main philatelic publishing company in France.