18 cent Female Education Book Set, Bibliotheque Universelle Dames - Histoire" 30 volume - 1785

Bibliotheque Universelle Dames Histoire" 30 Volumes. (Vols. 1--30).-1st Edition, Publication dates 1785-1788- in French- Published in Paris with approval of the King, rue d'Anjou. Leather Binding, Hardcover binding of tawny-brown leather. Covers with gold frames, spine decorated with gilt motif and and black moroco labels with gilt titles . Book edges decorated with gold lines. Flyleaves are four-colour marbled paper. All pages gilt edges . full leather bindings with gilt and black labels on spines, gilt trimmed boards. Some minor flaws in some volumes, All bindings remain intact with secured boards. Inside, contents are consistent of a single edition, the pages are clean and text unmarked. Overall in very good condition and attractive.

"Bibliotheque Universelle Dames Histoire" The Universal Women's Library, was produced to provide an audience of upper class women general knowledge. It should be noted that the set was published in France in the years leading up to the French Revolution. Originally, thsee volumes were published over a 3 year period "under the aprouval of the King". Later the collection included other subjects during the the French revolution. The slow process of education reform to include women began in the 1840s after it was acknowledged that if women were the first educators of children, then they needed a solid education. This set dating form 1785 predate that time by half a century and as such is a valuable early attempt that goes beyond most simple women education books. As with other books of the period, the volumes were provided unbound to subscribers of the series who would have been responsible for their own bindings.