From the archive
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An original subscription form for the Jules Verne series published by Lebègue (around 1891)
Mr. Jan van Griethuijsen of The Hague kindly donated an original Belgian subscription form for the “Popular edition of the Illustrated Wondrous Travels of Jules Verne in royal octavo”.
In addition to his name and address, the applicant had to underline which subscription form he preferred. These are not specified on the form, but no doubt included the serial publication, the complete book and the luxury red cloth edition. After completion of the form, two flaps were to be cut off, so that it could be folded with the address on top. A stamp of one centime was required (within Belgium).
This Lebègue edition was the Belgian equivalent of the two-column Elsevier edition from which it only differed in the title page (if at all present) and the more luxurious binding. They were published in 1891-1892 and this form no doubt originates from this period. The term “popular edition” was used to distinguish it from the luxury blue cover Elsevier edition, which was published in Belgium by Vuylsteke. Note that Elsevier used the term “popular edition” in a different way, meaning two columns of closely printed text, without illustrations.
