| Charlotte Guillard | |
|---|---|
| Born | circa 1480s likely Paris, France or province of Maine |
| Died | 1557 |
| Resting place | Paris, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | printer |
| Known for | first known woman printer |
| Spouse | 1st husband, Berthold Rembolt 1502 2nd husband, Claude Chevallon 1520 |
| Parents | Jacques Guillard Guillemyne Saney |
Charlotte Guillard (died 1557) was the first woman printer of importance.[1] Guillard worked at the famous Soleil d’Or printing house from 1502 until her death.[2] Annie Parent described her as a "notability of the Rue Saint-Jacques", the street where the shop was located in Paris, France. She became one of the most important printers of the Latin Quarter area in the city of Paris.[3]
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Guillard was very likely born in the late 1480s in Paris, France. Her name is sometime spelled Guillart and in Latin books as Carola Guillard.[4] Her parents were Jacques Guillard and Guillemyne Saney. The professions of her parents are unknown, nor is recorded their social status.[1] The family’s exact place of residence is not known. They had many connections with the province of Maine in France. She could very well have been born there instead of Paris. Guillard had at least three and possibly four sisters and one brother.[1]
Guillard showed interest in the printing business as early as 1500 when she was still a teenager. Guillard first married Berthold Rembolt in 1502.[3] Her first husband worked with the earliest French printer Ulrich Gering.[3] Their printing business went so well that they eventually took over a small hotel that housed their family and employees. Rembolt died in 1519. Paris businesses and crafts in the sixteenth century were regulated by the guild system. Normally women were not allowed to have a business, however they were allowed by these guilds to take over the business of their husband after their death.[1] Guillard took over management of her husband's print shop after his death because it was allowed by the Parisian printer guild. She took on the duties of proofreading the Latin publications. She was accurate and her works were recognized for their beauty. In fact she built up such a good reputation of accuracy that she was commissioned by the Bishop of Verona to publish his works. She was often associated with Guillaume des Boys, her brother-in-law.[5]
In 1520, Guillard married Claude Chevallon, a bookseller who also printed theological books. From this time forward Guillard was known as "Madame Chevallon". Chevallon died in 1537. Thereafter, Guillard ran his printing business on her own.[3] She probably died in 1556.[2]
More than 400 different libraries worldwide have books printed by Guillard. There are over 200 different publications by Guillard available worldwide.[3]