A celebration of the French tradition of craftsmanship and a masterpiece of the bookmaker’s craft in its own right

The Grands Ateliers de France is an elite association devoted to promoting excellence in craftsmanship. Founded in 1993, it represents sixty-eight artisans and ateliers in more than ninety different craft disciplines. Its members share a passion for the arts, a supreme attention to detail, and a desire to preserve France’s cultural heritage for future generations.

Members of the Grands Ateliers are acknowledged masters in their fields, producing one-of-a-kind works or limited editions of the highest quality. Conservation and restoration are mainstays of their careers, but so are creation and innovation. This book introduces their array of talents and captures them at work in their studios and workshops.

Engravers and printmakers, cabinetmakers and upholsterers, weavers and jewelers are just some of the people whose working lives are showcased here, from bookbinder Jacky Vignon to harpsichord-maker Reinhard von Nagel, from the elegant lacquerwork of Catherine Nicolas to the couture umbrellas and parasols of Michel Heurtault.