Germain Bapst became an avid writer, art collector, art critic, and an expert in gemstone history. By the early 1880s, Bapst was serving on the administrative council of the
Union Centrale des Arts Décoratifs (now Les Arts décoratifs), assisting with its museum and exhibition of decorative arts commission. He pursued in-depth research and began to patiently reconstruct the history of French
pewter. Representing the Union Centrale des Arts Décoratifs in 1882, he traveled through Bavaria, Saxony, Hungary, Austria, and Bohemia to engage with museum and art industry leaders. His observations provided practical insights into museum classification, display strategies, and the construction of new art spaces. He praised Hungary for its authenticity and criticized Vienna's disorganized museums. Bapst served as a delegated council member for the foreign section of the 7th Exposition de L'Union Centrale des Arts Décoratifs, held at the
Palais de Champs-Élysées in August 1882. In the following year, he published an
exhibition catalogue titled "The Arts of Wood, Fabrics, and Paper", highlighting key exhibits from the 1882 Exhibition. In 1883, Bapst published an inventory of
Maria Josepha of Saxony, Dauphine of France's jewelry titled "Inventaire de Marie-Josèphe de Saxe, dauphine de France". Bapst's work, "Metals in Antiquity and the Middle Ages: Tin", was released in 1884. On 4 February 1885, Bapst was elected as a resident member of the
Société des Antiquaires de France. During that year, he was accepted into the
Society of French Bibliophiles as well as the Society for the History of French Art. He published "Studies on French Goldsmithing in the 18th Century: The Germain, Goldsmiths-Sculptors of the King" in 1887. He dedicated the work to French bibliographer
Jérôme Pichon. Bapst chronicled the legacy of the
Germain family, detailing their rise through generations as they perfected the art of goldsmithing. The narrative follows the creation of a piece, from its design to its display in noble courts, and lastly, where the pieces were found at the time of its publication. The work was decorated with more than 100 engravings and was recognized by the
French Academy. With inspiration from his family's historical documents and state archives, Bapst planned to write an extensive account of the French crown jewels, covering their assembly by
Francis I of France in 1530 right through to their partial sale by the state in the 19th century. The book was supported with 50 detailed engravings. Bapst also published a work in 1892 titled "French Goldsmithing at the Court of Portugal in the 18th century". He became director of the French periodical
La Revue contemporaine from 1892 to 1893. Bapst was involved in the 1895 Historical and Military Exhibition of the Revolution and the Empire, writing the
preface for the
exhibition catalogue. He eventually curated an attraction for the
Paris Exhibition of 1900, dedicated to the military history of land and naval forces. This was segmented into an art section with paintings and busts, and a historical section featuring flags, weapons, uniforms, and other military equipment. For the
Irish International Exhibition of 1907, he lent two volumes of the "Works of M. Viscount De Chateaubriand". They had been in
Napoleon's possession while in exile at
St. Helena. Along with the volumes, various Napoleonic relics, including portraits, engravings, and prints, were exhibited. ==Personal life==