This weekly illustrated journal was established by the artist, journalist, and photographer ETIENNE CARJAT. Editors were AUBERT and DELAUNAY, while CARJAT operated as editor-in-chief. The first issue appeared on January 5, 1862 (a first so-called specimen edition, separate from the total of 76 issues, appeared on December 1, 1861), and the last one on June 14, 1863. There also exists an album: “Collection des Charges de Portraits, scènes comiques sur les principaux personnages de notre temps” featuring illustrations of LE BOULEVARD.

LE BOULEVARD with its literary, critical, anecdotal and illustrated contributions can be considered an exceptional and very important mirror of the period of the second Empire. BANVILLE, BAUDELAIRE, CARJAT, CHAMPFLEURY, ALPHONSE DAUDET, VICTOR HUGO and many more were the literary contributors. The 118 illustrations of LE BOULEVARD came from CARJAT, DORÉ, DAUMIER and others. Daumier did 11 illustrations for this paper: DR 3243-3252, 3254. All of them can be considered outstanding lithographs in quality and expression. Only DR 3243 and DR 3246 carry the title LE BOULEVARD. All the others don’t show this title.

DAUMIER earned 50 francs for each of the lithographic stones, which he delivered to CARJAT for publication in LE BOULEVARD. All of his prints were valued as outstanding pieces of art and were instantly reprinted on heavy white paper with wide margins in the album SOUVENIRS D’ARTISTES. The Album included also DR 3253 (which was not part of the BOULEVARD edition). Some rare impressions on “Chine appliqué” were set aside for selected collectors. BERTAUTS was the printer and publisher of the SOUVENIRS D’ARTISTES collection.