Meet the ILAB Congress Scholarship Winners 2024: Adélaïde Carton, Paris

Adélaïde Carton, a young professional in the world of antiquarian books, is currently working as a cataloguer and international relations officer at Librairie Le Feu Follet in Paris.

Since joining the team in 2022, she has been actively involved in the cataloguing, valuation and sale of rare books, manuscripts and prints, while also representing the company at major international fairs such as the New York Antiquarian Book Fair and Firsts London. Her academic background is both broad and diverse; Adelaïde holds an Masters degree in Art Market and Expertise from Sorbonne Université, where she focused on Applied Art History, Appraisal Training and Art Market Law. Prior to this, she earned a Masters degree in Museology from the École du Louvre (2020), and completed a BA in Art History at the École du Louvre (2018) with a focus on Art History and Archaeology.

In 2022, Adélaïde interned at the Books & Manuscripts department of Sotheby's France, where she contributed to cataloguing, appraisals, and client services. She has also completed an internship at the National Institute of Art History (INHA) and the Musée du Petit Palais, where she gained valuable experience in provenance research, and worked as a guide during European Heritage Days, namely at the world-famous Auguste Rodin Museum and UNESCO Headquarters.

When not immersed in the world of art and books, Adélaïde enjoys strolling through Paris’s many museums and plays the classical flute.

We spoke to Adelaïde a few weeks before the ILAB Congress:

1. Adelaïde, congratulations on being awarded a scholarship for the 45th ILAB Congress. What sparked your interest in this event? What do you associate with ILAB?

I attended the 2024 ILAB Symposium Paris a few months ago and immensely enjoyed all the debates and the learning opportunities it offered. I was informed of the congress at the end of the year and the prospect of prolonging these discussions in a beautiful Amsterdam setting seemed ideal.
I discovered ILAB when attending my first book fairs and I associate it with the desire to bring book collecting to all genres and all ages, while bringing together a community of booksellers.

2. What has kept you so focused on a career in the rare book trade?

It was through the book trade that I was first given unlimited access to milestones of history and got to interact with passionate collectors. The work is wildly addictive and multi-faceted and I hope to continue in that field for many years to come.

3. In an ideal world, what support should the rare book trade give to young and starting booksellers?

In my opinion, the creation of a network of young professionals would be very beneficial.

We look forward to meeting Adelaïde at the forthcoming 45th ILAB Congress in Amsterdam from 14 to 17 October.