Jean Masson

Description

Jean Masson (1856-1933) was born in Amiens (France). His father had founded a textile factory and for a time Jean took over the family business. Thanks to the relationship he established with some clients, he was able to gain access to the libraries of convents and wealthy families, which allowed him to buy rare books, manuscripts and incunabula. Initially Masson was interested in books related to Picardy, his native province, but over time he expanded his collection. Lack of liquidity forced him to sell part of his collection in the 1920s. In 1925 he also donated some of his manuscripts and rare books to the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts.