About Michel-Antoine David
Lived 1707 – 1769 (aged 61–62). Michel-Antoine David was a French publisher, printer, encyclopédistes and bookseller.
Frontispiece of the first volume of the Encyclopédie published in 1751. Among the printers "David l'aîné, rue Saint-Jacques", à la Plume d'Or (Michel-Antoine David called David l'aîné)
Michel-Antoine David also David l'aîné (1707? – 17 March 1769, Paris) was an 18th-century French printer, publisher and Encyclopédiste during the Age of Enlightenment. He was one of the four printers of the Encyclopédie.
Biography David came from a family of Parisian printers; he was the son of Michel Etienne David. His grandfather was the printer Michel David and his uncle David Christophe (1682–1741). He trained from September 1727 until January 1732 by the Parisian printer Claude-Louis Thiboust. On 2 May 1732, he became a member of the guild of booksellers and printers of Paris and on 1 September 1733 he received his master's certificate.
As a bookseller, he was active in the period from 1732 to 1769 and from 1751 additionally as a publisher. from 1732 to 1769 he lived and worked at various locations in Paris, such as in rue Saint-Jacques (ca. 1751), rue vis-à-vis la grille des Mathurins (ca.1762–1764), rue d'Enfer in the quartier Saint Michel (1765) and finally at (ca. 1768).
David was one of the four publishers of the Encyclopédie whose editors were Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert. The other publishers were André le Breton, Antoine-Claude Briasson, and Laurent Durand.
He himself wrote two articles for the Encyclopédie: Catalogue and Droit de copie (see wikisource infra)
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Michel-Antoine David's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Michel-Antoine David's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Michel-Antoine David?
French publisher and printer
When was Michel-Antoine David born?
Michel-Antoine David was born in 1707.
When did Michel-Antoine David die?
Michel-Antoine David died on 17 March 1769 in Paris.
What was Michel-Antoine David's occupation?
Michel-Antoine David was a publisher, printer, encyclopédistes and bookseller.
What nationality was Michel-Antoine David?
Michel-Antoine David was French.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Michel-Antoine David
· DBpedia: Michel-Antoine David
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Michel-Antoine David. https://biography.guide/michel-antoine-david/
MLA: "Michel-Antoine David." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/michel-antoine-david/.
Chicago: "Michel-Antoine David." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/michel-antoine-david/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:00 UTC