Éditions du Masque
The Éditions du Masque is a French book publisher founded in 1925[1] by Albert Pigasse under the name of «Librairie des Champs-Élysées», a name that lasted until the mid-1990s. Specializing in crime fiction, this publisher owes its fame mainly to the collection "Le Masque" created in 1927. It is now a department of the Éditions Jean-Claude Lattès.
| Founded | 1925 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Albert Pigasse |
| Country of origin | France |
| Headquarters location | Paris |
| Publication types | Books |
| Official website | www |
History
In 1919, Albert Pigasse, a young doctor of law, met Bernard Grasset, who asked him to become a literary adviser. He tries to create for Grasset a collection of adventure novels but Grasset refuses it. In June 1925, he left for Gallimard to be director of the collection "Cinario", where he published writings on cinema. In December 1925, Pigasse rented the Librairie des Champs-Élysées at 23 rue Marbeuf.[2] In August 1927, he launched the collection "Le Masque", specialized in detective novels and espionage, and concluded a distribution agreement with Hachette.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie is the first title launched in the "Le Masque" collection.
During the German Occupation, the house did not publish any books.
In March 1971, Hachette, through the Librairie générale française, took control of the Librairie des Champs-Élysées. Albert Pigasse died on 21 October 1985.
To date, the catalogue has nearly 4,000 titles.[3]