DOYLE, Arthur Conan; SAUBER, Robert, illustrator

Uncle Bernac

London: Smith, Elder, & Co., 1897. I dare say that I had already read my uncle's letter a hundred times, and I am sure that I knew it by heart" DOYLE, A[rthur] Conan. Uncle Bernac. A Memory of the Empire. London: Smith, Elder, & Co. 1897. First English edition. Octavo (7 1/2 x 5 inches; 191 x 127 mm.). x, 300, [8, publishers advertisements] pp. Monotone frontispiece (with tissue-guard) and eleven monotone plates by Robert Sauber. Three leaves with slightly creased corners, a few light marginal stains, otherwise very good. Publisher's red cloth, front cover blocked and titled in gilt, spine lettered in gilt, black coated endpapers. Inner hinges cracked, spine ends and corners a little rubbed. A good copy. 12,500 copies were published on 14th May 1897 priced 6/-. "I dare say that I had already read my uncle's letter a hundred times, and I am sure that I knew it by heart. None the less I took it out of my pocket, and, sitting on the side of the lugger, I went over it again with as much attention as if it were for the first time. It was written in a prim, angular hand, such as one might expect from a man who had begun life as a village attorney, and it was addressed to Louis de Laval, to the care of William Hargreaves, of the Green Man in Ashford, Kent. The landlord had many a hogshead of untaxed French brandy from the Normandy coast, and the letter had found its way by the same hands.." (Chapter I - The Coast of France). Robert Herman Sauber (1868-1936) was a British painter and illustrator. Green and Gibson A21a. .

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Book number: 05018

Catalogue: Illustrated Books

Keywords: SAUBER, Robert, illustrator Nineteenth-Century Literature Naval and Military

DULAC, Edmund, Illustrator

Belle Au Bois Dormant, la [the Sleeping Beauty]

Paris: L'Edition d'Art H. Piazza & Cie, 1910. Numbered and Signed by the Artist In The Publishers Deluxe Morocco by Durvand A Variant Not Noted by Hughey [DULAC, Edmund, illustrator]. La Belle Au Bois Dormant [The Sleeping Beauty]. Et quelques aures contes de jadis. Préface de Edmund Pilon, Illustrations de Edmund Dulac. Paris: L'Edition d'Art H. Piazza & Cie, (1910). First edition in French, limited to 400 copies signed by the artist, this being copy no. 266. Quarto (11 5/8 x 9 in; 293 x 228 mm). 172, [1, limitation], [1, blank], [3, adv.], [1, blank] pp. With thirty color plates as in the first English limited edition but with grey-green borders, captions in French, and guard sheets as tissue. With an additional four extra head- and tailpieces, four decorated initials and border designs for text and chapter pages, and two small medallions, all printed in grey-green, not found in the first English limited edition. In the publisher's original full crushed brown morocco deluxe binding by Durvand (with elaborate gilt decoration, wrappers bound in). Top edge gilt. Spine very slightly sunned. A fine copy. Includes Le Barbe Bleue (Bluebeard), Cendrillon (Cinderella), and La Belle et la Béte (Beauty and the Beast). A variant not noted by Hughey, numbered and signed as 23x but specially bound as noted in 23z, aa yet in a variant leather color ("green or red"). "[Dulac's] best work..is to be found in The Sleeping Beauty and Other Fairy Tales. His designs for the title story and 'Cinderella' have ornate eighteenth century settings ..No less ornate and rather more attractive are the eastern scenes conceived by Dulac for 'Bluebeard' and 'Beauty and the Beast'" (Ray, The Illustrator and the Book in England 1790-1914, p. 209). "The most beautiful book ever published at a popular price" (Advert. 1910). "It is all that could be desired" (Illustrated London News, Dec. 3, 1919). Hughey 23x, 23z, aa. .

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Book number: 02808

Catalogue: Illustrated Books

Keywords: Fine Bindings Books in French French Literature Signed Limited Edition

DULAC, Edmund; ANDERSEN, Hans Christian

Reine Des Neiges, la

Paris: L'Édition D'Art / H. Piazza, 1911. French Signed Limited Edition of Edmund Dulac's Hans Andersen [DULAC, Edmund, illustrator]. ANDERSEN, Hans Christian. La Reine des Neiges et Quelques Autres Contes Illustrés par Edmond Dulac. Paris: L'Édition D'Art / H. Piazza, [1911]. French Signed Limited Edition. Limited to 500 numbered copies on Papier du Japon signed by Edmund Dulac (this being #487). Quarto (11 3/8 x 8 3/4 inches; 290 x 224 mm.). 172 pp. Title-page decoratively printed in red, black green and yellow. Twenty-eight mounted color plates, each framed with turquoise green flowery borders and titled tissue-guards. Original front wrapper decorated in green and gilt bound in. Contemporary (Publishers ?) full mottled calf, covers with triple rule borders and decorative corner pieces, spine with five raised bands, decoratively stamped in gilt and with a maroon morocco lettering label. All edges stained red, marbled endpapers. Expert and almost invisible repair to rear joint, tiny (one inch) crack at top of front joint. An excellent copy. "28 Dulac colour plates, mounted on vellum, framed with turquoise green flowery borders; covered with tissue guards imprinted with black captions. Also special turquoise green borders for title page and snowflake border designs for text pages. 5 different dark green initials decorated with turquoise surrounds; small medallion designs for limitation and printer's pages, 7 designs for chapter titles, 9 tailpiece designs.. Price when issued: full leather 100 fr." (Hughey, 27kk). During his lifetime, Hans Christian Andersen, whose every fairy tale has become a classic, was second only to Charles Dickens as the most popular author in the Western world. Hughey, 27kk. .

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Book number: 03185

Catalogue: Illustrated Books

Keywords: ANDERSEN, Hans Christian Books in French Fairy Tales Signed Limited Edition

DULAC, Edmund, Illustrator; KHAYYAM, Omar; FITZGERALD, Edward (trans.)

Rubáiyát of Omar KhayyáM

London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1909. Edmund Dulac's Rubaiyat [DULAC, Edmund, illustrator]. KHAYYÁM, Omar. FITZGERALD, Edward (trans.). Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. Rendered into English Verse by Edward Fitzgerald. With Illustrations by Edmund Dulac. London: Hodder and Stoughton, [1909]. First trade edition. Quarto (10 11/16 x 8 3/8 inches; 271 x 213 mm). [60] leaves. Title-page decoratively printed in sepia and light brown. Twenty mounted color plates, including frontispiece, each with a captioned tissue guard. Decorative borders to plates and leaves. Bound ca. 1910 for the Times Book Club in full plum calf, covers decoratively bordered in gilt, spine with three raised bands, f=decoratively stamped and lettered in gilt. Top-edge gilt, gilt board-edges and turn-ins, marbled end-papers. Some rubbing and slight splitting to joints, but still sound. Ink inscription dated 1923 on top margin of half-title. A reasonably priced example of this classic. Hughey 21a. .

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Book number: 03651

Catalogue: Illustrated Books

Keywords: KHAYYAM, Omar FITZGERALD, Edward (trans.) Fine Bindings Persian Literature

EDWARDS, Lionel

My Hunting Sketch Book [and] My Hunting Sketch Book Volume Two

London: Eyre and Spottiswoode Limited, 1928. The Large-Paper Edition DeLuxe - Signed by Lionel Edwards EDWARDS, Lionel. My Hunting Sketch Book [and] My Hunting Sketch Book Volume Two. Written and Illustrated by Lionel Edwards, R.I. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode Limited, 1928-1930. Large-Paper Copies. Limited to 255 and copies and 185 copies signed by Lionel Edwards (these being copies #155 and 90 respectively). The mounted color frontispiece in volume one is also signed by Lionel Edwards. Two folio volumes (12 7/16 x 10 1/8 inches: 315 x 258 mm.). xiv, 28, [1, blank], [1, colophon], 2, blank] pp. with fifteen mounted color plates; xvi, 40, [1, blank], [1, colophon], 2, blank] pp. with twelve mounted color and nine black and white plates. Publishers quarter vellum over red cloth boards, front covers titled in gilt, top edge gilt, others uncut. Slight rubbing to corners, otherwise a fine set. Volume one with the Sporting Gallery exhibition announcement dated November 1928 for the original drawings for "My Hunting Sketch Book" laid in. Lionel Edwards (1878-1966) was a British artist who specialized in painting horses and other aspects of British country life. He is best known for his hunting scenes but also painted pictures of horse racing, shooting and fishing. He provided illustrations for Country Life, The Sphere, The Graphic and numerous books. His artistic output was remarkable: he wrote almost 30 books and illustrated many more, including editions of Black Beauty, Lorna Doone and The Black Arrow, in addition to numerous private commissions. He became a member of the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art in 1926 and the Royal Institute in 1927. His favorite medium was watercolor, although he used oils more in his later years. .

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Book number: 03288

Catalogue: Illustrated Books

Keywords: Hunting Signed Limited Edition Sports

GAVARNI, Paul [pseudonym of Guillaume Sulpice Chevallier]

Oeuvres Choisies de Gavarni

Paris: J. Hetzel, 1846. A Remarkable Survival GAVARNI, Paul, illustrator. Oeuvres Choisies de Gavarni. Revues, corrigées et nouvellemant classées par l'Auteur. Études de Moeurs Contemporaines. Paris: J. Hetzel, 1846. First Collected Edition. Two octavo volumes (10 7/16 x 7 1/4 inches; 265 x 184 mm.). Lithograph frontispiece, [xii], 39 plates; [iv], 5 plates; [iv], 25 plates; [iv], 11 plates, [2, list of plates]. [viii], 48 plates; [iv], 19 plates; [iv], 13 plates, [2, list of plates], [2, advertisements]. Each of the seven title pages with a vignette. A total of 160 wood engraved plates + wood engraved frontispiece and 7 wood engraved vignette title-pages. Publisher's blue cloth, covers ruled in blind and elaborately decorated in gilt, spines with titles and elaborate gilt decoration, yellow coated endpapers, all edges gilt. Fine and untouched copies of the first two (of four) volumes of this first collected edition. Two further volumes were published two years later in 1848. Contents: Les Enfants Terribles; Traduction en Langue Vulgaire; Les Lorettes; Les Actrices [and] Fourberies de Femmes en Matière de Sentiment; Clichy; Paris le Soir. .

David Brass Rare Books (ABAA/ILAB)Professional seller

Book number: 05549

Catalogue: Illustrated Books

Keywords: Books in French Caricatures French Caricature

GRANDVILLE, J.J.; Jean Ignace Isidore Gerard

Types Modernes

Paris: Neuhaus [&] Aubert, 1835. J.J. Grandville's Types Modernes A Fine Example in the Original Wrappers GRANDVILLE, J.J. Types Modernes. Observations Critiques: Le dedans de l'Homme expliqué par le dehors. 1re livraison. (Modern Types. Critical Observations: The inside of Man explained by the outside). Paris: Neuhaus [&] Aubert, 1835-38. Oblong folio (12 3/4 x 18 7/8 inches; 324 x 480 mm.). Nine loose sheets as issued, including frontispiece, all with superb and fascinating lithographs on papier de chine laid onto paper sheets. A few minor edge tears not affecting the illustrations on papier de chine. Publishers pale green wrappers, lithographed front cover with title and large vignette by Grandville. Wrapper spine expertly and almost invisibly repaired. Housed in a quarter orange morocco over marbled boards chemise which in turn is housed in an orange morocco edged over marbled boards slipcase. The first six plates, including the frontispiece, are from the first printing published by Neuhaus in 1835. The last three bear a plate number, the mark of the second printing published by Aubert around 1838. The frontispiece shows God, assisted by Cuvier, Lavater and Gall, on the day of the Last Judgment. "Men will be resurrected in flesh and blood, in frock coats or tailcoats, with their habits, their gestures, their canes, their umbrellas, their ties, their hats and even their boots. And women will also be resurrected in the flesh, in corsets, with their combs, their bracelets, hanging from their ears and with their twists because otherwise the Lord himself would not be able to untangle anything." The other eight plates show: Phrenological and col-logical study of the French in 1834: 19th century hat making; Variety of canes; Variety of snuffers; Variety of pipes; Animalomania (2 plates); The lay people of Paris. According to Annie Renonciat Types Modernes was published between "décembre 1834, décembre 1836". Exceptionally Rare. OCLC & KVK locate just one copy in libraries and institutions worldwide: The Donaueschingen copy at the University of N. Carolina, Chapel Hill (NC, US). We have been unable to trace any copies at auction over the past 100 years.   The Plates: 1. Frontispiece - God, assisted by Cuvier, Lavater and Gall, on the day of the Last Judgment 2. Varieté des Priseurl - Varieties of Snuff 3. Etude Phrènologique et Col-logique des Francais en 1834 - Phrenological and Logical Study of the French in 1834 4. Variètè des Pipes et de leurs Fumeurs - Variety of Pipes and their Smokers 5. Chapellerie au XIXe. Siècle (1re, Série) Chapeaux civils - Millinery in the nineteenth. Century (1st, Series) Civil Hats 6. Variètè des Cannes - Variety of Canes 7. L'Animalomanie, la prèdilection sympatico logico-physique de l'homme pour la bete. Planche 1ère Animalomania, the sympatico logical-physical predilection of man for the beast. Plate 1st 8. L'Animalomanie, la prèdilection sympatico logico-physique de l'homme pour la bete. Planche 2me   Animalomania, the sympatico logical-physical predilection of man for the beast. Plate 2nd 9. Les Laire, de Paris au 19me Siècle (année 1837.) - The Lay people from Paris in the 19th Century (year 1837.) Jean Ignace Isidore Gerard (1803-1847) "was a prolific 19th century French illustrator and caricaturist who published under the pseudonym of Grandville. He has been called "the first star of French caricature's great age", and Grandville's book illustrations described as featuring "elements of the symbolic, dreamlike, and incongruous, and they retain a sense of social commentary." "His perverse vision sought the monster in everyone and took delight in the strangest and most pernicious transfigurement of the human shape ever produced by the Romantic imagination. Grandville, Philipon, and Daumier, achieved a level of celebrity status among factions of the public, as much for their defiant opposition as their cartoons. His political cartoons enjoyed great popularity with the public and were held in high regard by many. Publishers and editors such as Edouard Charton of Le magasin pittoresque, as gave Grandville the freedom to choose his own subjects and create his images. The business of caricaturing was financially tenuous. The papers typically paid cartoonist by the print and artist considered themselves lucky to receive a contract for drawing on a regular basis. Grandville had made his earlier lithographs himself, but after he started producing cartoons for the periodicals about 1831, and his later book illustrations, he typically turned his original drawings over to publishers who had lithographers and woodcut engravers copy his images for printing." Renonciat, pp. 99-102, 104, 108, 112, 134 & 213. .

David Brass Rare Books (ABAA/ILAB)Professional seller

Book number: 05707

Catalogue: Illustrated Books

Keywords: Jean Ignace Isidore Gerard Books in French Caricatures French History French Caricature

HAMILTON, Anthony; GRAMMONT, Count

[Memoirs of Count Grammont. ]

London: John White, 1808. A Rare Series of Plates depicting the Characters of Seventeenth Century England and France [HAMILTON, Anthony]. [Memoirs of Count Grammont.] A series of thirty-nine stipple plates printed in colors. [London: John White, 1808]. Quarto (11 3/4 x 8 1/2 inches; 299 x 216 mm.). A rare set of thirty-nine color printed stipple plates to the "Memoirs of Count Grammont" edition of 1808, each plate bearing the date 1 July 1808 and the address of John White. Added are six colored plates: Elenor Gwynn (no. 1 on list); Somer Hill (no. 8 on list); Barbara, Duchess of Cleveland (no. 13 on list); [Nell Gwynn] (no. 18 on list); Elizabeth, Countess of Chesterfield (no. 43 on list), and Susan, Lady Bellasys (no. 45 on list). Original boards uncut, expertly rebacked in black calf. Engraved bookplate of Clarence S. Bement (1843-1923) & oval black leather bookplate of Joseph Widener (1871-1943) on front paste-down. Housed in a full crimson levant morocco slipcase, spine with five raised bands lettered in gilt in compartments. A wonderful collection of color printed stipple portraits of English & French nobility & characters of seventeenth century life in England and France. Philibert, Count de Gramont (1621-1707), was a French courtier and soldier, known as the protagonist of the Mémoires written by Anthony Hamilton (his brother-in-law). He was a younger half-brother of Antoine III of Gramont and uncle of Catherine Charlotte de Gramont, princess of Monaco. He was 80 years old when he supplied his brother-in-law, Anthony Hamilton, with the material for his Mémoires. Hamilton said that they had been dictated to him, but no doubt he was the real author. The account of Gramont's early career was doubtless provided by himself, but Hamilton was probably more familiar with the history of the court of Charles II, which forms the most interesting part of the book. Moreover, Gramont, though he had a reputation for wit, was no writer, and there is no reason to suppose that he was capable of producing a work that remains a masterpiece of style and of witty portraiture. His biographer Hamilton was far superior as a writer to the comte de Gramont, but he relates the story of his hero without comment, and no condemnation of the prevalent code of morals is allowed to appear, unless by an occasional touch of irony. The portrait is drawn with such skill that the count, despite his biographer's candour, imposes by his grand air on the reader much as he appears to have done on his contemporaries. The book is the most entertaining of contemporary memoirs, and in no other book is there a description so vivid, truthful, and graceful of the licentious court of Charles II. There are other and less flattering accounts of the count. His scandalous tongue knew no restraint, and he was a privileged person who was allowed to state even the most unpleasing truths to Louis XIV. When the Mémoires were finished, it is said that Gramont sold the manuscript for 1500 francs; and kept most of the money for himself. Fontenelle, then censor of the press, refused to license the book from considerations of respect to the strange old man, whose gambling, cheating and meanness were so ruthlessly exposed. But Gramont himself appealed to the chancellor and the prohibition was lifted. Two of these plates are held in the British Library: John Wilmot, second Earl of Rochester. BM 1896,1118.79 Color Stipple Engraving Sr. John Denham BM 1896, 1118.80 Color Stipple Etching The Plates: 1. Eleanor Gwynn. 2. Prince Rupert. 3. Lady Robarts. 4. Miss Bagot. 5. John, Earl of Rochester. 6. Thomas Killigrew. 7. Miss Jennings. 8. Somer Hill? [No title] 9. Sir Charles Lyttelton. 10. Miss Brooks, Lady Whitmore. 11. Lady Southesk. 12. Mrs. Hughes. 13. Barbara, Duchefs of Cleveland. 14. Duchess of Cleveland. 15. Miss Stewart, Duchess of Richmond. 16. Miss Temple. 17. Countess of Shrewsbury. 18. [Untitled] 19. Nell Gwyn. 20. Mary Kirk. 21. Mrs. Davis. 22. Le Ct. Antoine Hamilton. 23. Catharine of Braganza. 24. Louis XIV. 25. Philibert Comte de Grammont. 26. Duke of York. 27. Charles the Second. 28. Miss Hamilton, Lady Grammont. 29. Duchess of Newcastle. 30. Miss Price. 31. Miss Brook, Lady Denham. 32. St. John Denham. 33. Albert, Prince Aremberg. 34. Mrs. Hyde, Lady Rochester. 35. Cardinal Richelieu. 36. Le Mares chal de Humieres. 37. Duke of Ormond. 38. Princess of Orange. 39. Marechal de Turenne. 40. Madame Royale, Daughter of Henry IVth of France. 41. Jacob Hall. the Rope Dancer. 42. Lord Russell. 43. Elizabeth, Countefs of Chesterfield. 44. Earl of Chesterfield. 45. Susan, Lady Bellasys. .

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Book number: 05520

Catalogue: Illustrated Books

Keywords: GRAMMONT, Count English History French History

CHAM (pseudonym of Amédée de Noé); HUART, Louis; CHAMPS, Victor, binder

Punch à Paris

Paris: Lange Lévy et Comp. 1850. First Edition, Bound from the Original Parts Complete with all six of the original front wrappers and the five leaves of advertisements at the end From the Bibliothèque Antoine Vautier CHAM (pseudonym of Amédée de Noé). HUART, Louis. CHAMPS, Victor, binder. Punch à Paris par Cham. Revue Drolatique du Mois. Paris: Lange Lévy et Comp. February - June 1850. Complete with all six of the original front wrappers and the five leaves of advertisements at the end. First edition, bound from the original parts. Small folio (11 x 7 7/8 inches; 280 x 200 mm.). [1]-192 pp. Six full page engraved plates and numerous engravings throughout the text. The six original pictorial front wrappers dated from January thru July 1850 bound in at front. Five leaves of advertisements and one blank bound in at end. Bound by V[ictor] Champs ca. 1900 (stamp-signed in black on verso of front free-endpaper). Three quarter red crushed levant morocco over marbled boards, ruled in gilt, spine with five raised bands, elaborately decorated and lettered in gilt in compartments, cockerel-style endpapers. With the small octagonal bookplate of the celebrated collection of Bibliothèque Antoine Vautier on front paste-down. The commencement of Punch à Paris was in February 1850 and was intended to be a monthly published magazine, however in June 1850, after just six issues Punch à Paris had to cease publication "The excessive rigors of the new press law oblige us to suspend our publication". Cham, pseudonym of Charles Amédée de Noé (1818-1879) has collaborated in many satirical newspapers and has also published a number of albums of lithographs or woodcuts. Very comfortable in political and moral caricatures, he is one of the first to give stories in drawings that will soon be called comics and as such occupies a key place in the history of comics in France, and among the pioneers of the genre. Louis Adrien Huart (1813-1865) was a French journalist, writer and theater director. From 1835, he wrote for Le Charivari, France's main opposition satirical daily, of which he was to become the most assiduous editor. In his literary and theatrical chronicles as well as in his satires of daily political news, he constantly approached the legal limit set by censorship without ever exceeding it. Many legends of lithographs by Honoré Daumier came from his pen. Editor-in-chief of Charivari from 1848, he later became its editor until his death. He had the merit of discovering and promoting young talents from the new generation, such as Henri Rochefort , who without him would have remained a simple employee of the administration. He also wrote the text for several books illustrated by Grandville and Cham. Victor Champs (1844-1912) was one of the most prolific and renowned bookbinders of the late nineteenth century. "His bindings for bibliophiles are sought after by collectors, for the good performance of their body of work and the finish of the work. Together with Carayon, they were the bookbinders who, in relatively simple works, summed up the highest degree of perfection of execution." (Fléty, p.41). Provenance: Bibliothèque Antoine Vautier. One of the great French bibliophiles whose superb collection "Catalogue de Vente aux Encheres" was sold in Paris at Hotel Drouot on April 21st, 1971 and on May 11th, 1977. Hatin, 521. .

David Brass Rare Books (ABAA/ILAB)Professional seller

Book number: 05630

Catalogue: Illustrated Books

Keywords: HUART, Louis CHAMPS, Victor, binder Books in French Caricatures French Caricature

HUGO, Victor; LIMITED EDITIONS CLUB; OFFICINA BODONI; MARANGONI, Tranquillo

Toilers of the Sea, the

Verona: Printed for the members of The Limited Editions Club, 1960. Dedicated to the Island of Guernsey HUGO, Victor. The Toilers of the Sea. In the translation by Isabel F. Hapgood and with an introduction by Matthew Josephson. Illustrated with wood-engravings by Tranquillo Marangoni. Verona: Printed for the members of The Limited Editions Club, 1960. Limited to 1,500 copies signed by Giovanni Mardersteig and Tranquillo Marangoni, this being no. 1201. Large octavo (10 5/16 x 7 1/8 inches; 262 x 181 mm.). xxii, 578, [4] pp. Illustrated with numerous woodcuts by Tranquillo Marangoni. Publisher's quarter black cloth over green patterned boards, spine stamped in gold and green leaf. A fine copy in the original pale gray dust jacket, spine printed in green and housed in the original pale green cardboard slipcase. Victor Marie Hugo (1802- 1885) was a French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement. He is considered one of the greatest and best known French writers. In France, Hugo's literary fame comes first from his poetry but also rests upon his novels and his dramatic achievements. The Toilers of the Sea (Les Travailleurs de la Mer) is a novel by Victor Hugo that was first published in 1866. The book is dedicated to the island of Guernsey, where Hugo spent 19 years in exile. Hugo uses the setting of a small island community to transmute seemingly mundane events into drama of the highest calibre. The Toilers of the Sea is set just after the Napoleonic Wars and deals with the impact of the Industrial Revolution upon the island. The story concerns a Guernseyman named Gilliatt, a social outcast who falls in love with Deruchette, the niece of a local shipowner, Mess Lethierry. When Lethierry's ship is wrecked on the Roches Douvres, a perilous reef, Deruchette promises to marry whoever can salvage the ship's steam engine. Gilliatt eagerly volunteers, and the story follows his physical trials and tribulations, which include a battle with an octopus, as well as the undeserved disapproval and criticism of his neighbors. Limited Editions Club Bibliography, 314. .

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Book number: 03170

Catalogue: Illustrated Books

Keywords: LIMITED EDITIONS CLUB OFFICINA BODONI MARANGONI, Tranquillo Fine Printing French Literature Signed Limited Edition

KIEFFER, René, binder; BALZAC, Honoré de

Le Peau de Chagrin. études Sociales

Paris: H. Delloye [&] Victor Lecou, Éditeurs, 1838. An Incredible Early Twentieth Century 'Portrait' Binding by René Kieffer Specially Bound for Gérard de Berny in Memory of his Father Gabriel de Berny First Illustrated Edition with an additional set of Proof Illustrations on 'Large Thick Paper' BALZAC, Honoré de. KIEFFER, René, binder. La Peau de Chagrin. Études Sociales. Paris: H. Delloye [&] Victor Lecou, Éditeurs, 1838. First Illustrated Edition, First Printing of the Vignette Illustrations. Specially bound by René Kieffer for Gérard de Berny in memory of his Parents. 'Thick Paper' copy with an additional 'proof' set of the illustrations. Large octavo (11 1/16 x 7 1/2 inches; 281 x 191 mm.). [iv], 402, [1, Table des Matières], [1, blank]. One hundred and one decorative engraved vignettes in the text by Baron, Janet-Lange, Gavarni, French and Marckl, plus one on the title, engraved on steel by Brunellière, Nargeot, Langlois, etc. Additional engraved portrait on India paper of "Pauline", after Janet-Lange, engraved by Félicie Fournier, née Monsaldy (as appearing on pp. 149). Some foxing throughout, mainly marginal, otherwise fine. An incredible early twentieth-century 'Portrait' binding by René Kieffer, stamp-signed in gilt on front turn-in and with his printed label on verso of front endpaper. Full brown morocco, covers triple-bordered in gilt enclosing a highly elaborate symmetrical gilt diamond design with gilt stars. The front cover inlaid with a large oval nineteenth century 'medallion' portrait in oil of Honoré de Balzac and four smaller circular nineteenth century 'medallion' oil paintings titled "Enfance" (childhood), "Etude" (study), "Amour" (love), and "Plaisir" (pleasure). The rear cover similarly inlaid with a large oval nineteenth century 'medallion' portrait in oil of Madame Louise Antoinette Laure de Berny (Balzac's first love "La Dilecta") and four smaller circular nineteenth century 'medallion' oil paintings titled "Ambition", Misère (misery), "Desespoir" (despair), and "Suicide". Spine with five raised bands, similarly decorated and lettered in gilt in compartments. Double-ruled gilt board-edges and multi-gilt ruled turn-ins surrounding an orange morocco liner, elaborately decorated in gilt in a symmetrical design, olive green watered silk endleaves, blue-gray marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Original brown morocco over blue marbled boards chemise, housed in the original brown morocco edged blue marbled boards slipcase. Spine of chemise sunned, slipcase a little worn at extremities. The binding itself is near fine with just a few fragments missing from the edges of the 'medallions'. Original printed tan wrappers and spine bound in. Small square engraved bookplate of renowned collector, Gérard de Berny on front endpaper. A stunning example reflecting the love affair between Honoré de Balzac and Gérard de Berny's mother, Laure de Berny. The nineteenth century 'Medallion' oil paintings are most certainly from the collection of Gabriel de Berny. Roger Louis Gérard de Berny (1880-1957) was a French politician of the French Third Republic. He was born in Amiens, France. He was elected senator for the Somme in January 1936 and was one of those who voted to give full power to Marshal Pétain on 10 July 1940. de Berny did not return to government after the Second World War. He died in his Hôtel on Rue Victor Hugo in Amiens, now the Hôtel de Berny Museum. The Musée d'art local et d'histoire régionale or Musée de l'Hôtel de Berny is a local history museum for the region of Picardy. The Hôtel de Berny Museum includes 18th century tapestries and wood carvings, such as those from the La Fayette salon in the château de La Grange-Bléneau and those by the Huet brothers (Nicolas, François and Jean-Baptiste the Younger, the three sons of Jean-Baptiste Huet) and Adrien Choquet (a painter from Abbeville) from the Salon du Zodiaque in the Long château, as well as Art nouveau and Art déco ceramics by Montières, French Revolution-era faïence, paintings by Louis Jean François Lagrenée and Isabey, a 1612 harpsichord, pastels by Choderlos de Laclos and 16th-20th century ironwork and clocks. It also contains objects relating to figures from local and national history such as Gresset, Choderlos de Laclos, Jules Verne, Édouard Branly and Maréchal Leclerc. Gérard de Berny's father, Charles Philippe Gabriel de Berny (1825-1884) was married to Laure de Berny, née Louise Antoinette Laure Hinner (1777-1836). "In 1793, aged only fifteen, Laure married Gabriel de Berny, but their union was unhappy. He was 20 years old, quite reserved and cold, whereas his young wife was very sensitive, warm-hearted and caring. Despite their differences, they still managed to have nine children, although five died in infancy and only two survived their mother. In 1815, the family bought a house in Villeparisis, in northern France, where they spent the summers. It was here that Laure first met Honore De Balzac. Laure was 42 at the time and already a grandmother, but this didn't stop the young Balzac (he was only 22) from falling in love with her. At first she resisted him, but Balzac wouldn't give up. He courted her for months and in the end, she gave in. The two become lovers. Of course nothing could remain secret for long in a small town. When Balzac's parents learned of it they tried to break off their scandalous relationship, but to no avail. Laure wasn't just Balzac's lover. She was his confidante, his muse and his benefactress. She gave him the love, security and confidence he hadn't received from his parents as a child, she supported his literary career (she inspired the characters of Madame de Mortsauf in The Lily In The Valley, and Pauline in Louis Lambert) and helped him out financially when he needed it. She assisted him in his business ventures, which always failed, and helped him pay his debts. "La Dilecta", as Balzac called her, also told him many stories about the ancient regime and of how some of her aristocratic friends and acquaintances managed to escape death during the Revolution, while others weren't so lucky. His royalist principles would be strongly confirmed by Laure's influence and it's from her he also acquired his aristocratic longings. Thanks to her help, he also managed to meet several influential people and would sometimes make an appearance in high society. Balzac would also talk to her about his relationship with other women, such as Madame de Hanska, who he would end up marrying a few months before his death. Laure De Berny died on 27th July 1836 at La Bouleaunière, her country house at Grez-sur-Loing. Balzac was in Italy at the time, but when he returned, he visited her grave." (historyandotherthoughts.blogspot.com). René Kieffer (1875-1964) worked for ten years at the famed Chambolle-Duru bindery in Paris, specializing in gilding, before establishing his own workshop in 1903. He debuted at the 1903 Salon des Artistes Françcais, and, evolving toward to more modern approach, became a disciple of the great Marius-Michel. At the time of this binding's creation he had begun to incorporate a transitional mix of flowers, vines, and colorful onlays in rather formal compositions, their Art Nouveau motifs retained within symmetrical borders that revealed his classical roots. By the end of World War I he had emerged as one of Paris's leading binders, his work sought after by collectors, his fine workmanship matched by a wide range of progressive designs. Before La Peau de Chagrin (first published in 1831) was completed, Balzac created excitement about it by publishing a series of articles and story fragments in several Parisian journals. Although he was five months late in delivering the manuscript, he succeeded in generating sufficient interest that the novel sold out instantly upon its publication. A second edition, which included a series of twelve other "philosophical tales", was released one month later. Although the novel uses fantastic elements, its main focus is a realistic portrayal of the excesses of nineteenth century Parisian bourgeois materialism. Balzac's renowned attention to detail is used to describe a gambling house, an antique shop, a royal banquet, and other locales. He also includes details from his own life as a struggling writer, placing the main character in a home similar to the one he occupied at the start of his literary career. The central theme of La Peau de Chagrin is the conflict between desire and longevity. The magic skin represents the owner's life-force, which is depleted through every expression of will, especially when it is employed for the acquisition of power. Ignoring a caution from the shopkeeper who offers him the skin, the protagonist greedily surrounds himself with wealth, only to find himself miserable and decrepit at the story's end. La Peau de Chagrin firmly established Balzac as a writer of significance in France. His social circle widened significantly, and he was sought eagerly by publishers for future projects. The book served as the catalyst for a series of letters he exchanged with a Polish baroness named Ewelina Ha ska, who later became his wife. It also inspired Giselher Klebe's opera Die tödlichen Wünsche. Carteret, Volume III, p. 41. .

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Book number: 04605

Catalogue: Illustrated Books

Keywords: BALZAC, Honoré de Fine Bindings Books in French French Literature

KIRCHER, Athanasius

China Monumentis

Amsterdam: Johannes Janssonius van Waesberge et Elizium Weyerstraet, 1667. The True First Edition of Kircher's China Monumentis KIRCHER, Athanasius. China Monumentis, qua Sacris quà Profanis, Nec non variis Naturae & Artis Spectaculis, Aliarumque rerum memorabilium Argumentis Illustrata. Amsterdam: Johannes Janssonium á Waesberge & Elizium Weyerstraet, 1667. First edition. Large folio (14 3/4 x 9 9/16 inches; 375 x 243 mm.). [*4], [**4], 1-237, [238-248, index] pp; [*4], [**4], A4 - Gg3, index Gg4 - Hh4; 8 preliminary leaves (incl. the engraved title). Finely engraved allegorical frontispiece title-page (Amsterdam: J. Jansson à Waesberge & E. Weyerstraet, 1667), letterpress title-page with printers woodcut vignette, engraved portrait of the author. Twenty-three engraved plates (one of which is folding), two double-page engraved maps, and fifty-nine engravings in the text. Early vellum over boards, covers ruled in blind and with central blind-stamped device. Spine with five raised bands, ruled in gilt. Red morocco label lettered in gilt. Endpapers renewed many years ago, all edges stained red. Upper and lower joints cracked but sound. A wonderful example with the plates and maps bright and fresh and with no repairs or restoration. "The True First Edition of Kircher's profusely illustrated account of China [China, Illustrated with Monuments, Both Sacred and Profane, and Various Spectacles of Nature and Art, and Proofs of Other Memorable Matters.] based on descriptions by many European explorers, including many Jesuits such as Kircher himself. [This], the true first edition is larger in size, the Amsterdam and Antwerp counterfeit prints of the same year are about 5 cm smaller and with the engravings redone. The engravings are based on these explorers' sketches and original images imported from Asia. This work includes the first Chinese vocabulary ever printed in the West . the standard text for the study of Chinese until the nineteenth century" (Merrill). "China, like Egypt, was to Kircher an ancient and mysterious land, highly civilized, filled with strange creatures and unimaginable marvels, and, above all, having an origin and universality common with all nations.. China had been open to Christian missionaries for only a few decades when Kircher, at 28, applied to go there. He was refused, but the refusal only whetted his curiosity. Over the next 37 years he maintained a voluminous correspondence with fellow Jesuits in China, gleaning all the information he could from their letters and journals. Most notable among his sources were Johann Adam Schall von Bell (1591-66), missionary in China from 1622, reviser of the Chinese calendar, and chief of the Bureau of Mathematics and Astronomy in Peking; Martino Martini (1614-61), Kircher's former pupil, mathematician of the Chinese imperial court, and author of the first detailed map and geographic description of China, Novus atlas sinensis (1655); and Johann Grueber (1623-80), who went to China in 1656, became assistant to Schall, and returned to Rome in 1661. Yet another important source is Michael De Boym (162-59), a missionary in India from 1643 and in China from 1650. De Boym returned in 1652 to Eurpoe, whhere he published his Flora sinensis (1654), a description of China's flowers, fruits, fruits and animals. Kircher's major source was undoubtedly Matteo Ricci's Commentaries (1615), the account of the Jesuit missions in China from their inception in 1582 until Ricci's death in 1610.. China illustrata is a compilation of these missionaries' notes and journals. Kircher readily acknowledges in the preface his debt to his colleagues in China and India for the information, but the book is liberally sprinkled with Kircher's own philosophy. Kircher compiled a detailed and considerably accurate account of Chinese geography, history, culture, and language, and, as his readers had learned to expect, the book is filled with delightful engravings illustrating the curious habits of the Chinese.." (Merrill, pp. 47-49). "..China illustrata is a compilation of these missionaries' notes and journals. Kircher readily acknowledges in the preface his debt to his colleagues in China and India for the information, but the book is liberally sprinkled with Kircher's own philosophy. Kircher compiled a detailed and considerably accurate account of Chinese geography, history, culture, and language, and, as his readers had learned to expect, the book is filled with delightful engravings illustrating the curious habits of the Chinese. The book is divided into six parts. The first discusses the famous Nestorian inscription, written in Chinese with a portion in Syriac. The monument was erected by Nestorian missionaries near the city of Hsi-an fu in A.D. 781, establishing the incursion of Christianity into China as early as the eighth century. The transcription and transliteration, together with Father Michael De Boym's translation of the inscription, first printed here by Kircher, constitute the first Chinese vocabulary ever printed in the West. It became the standard text for the study of Chinese until the nineteen century.. The second part gives a history of China and of her introductions to Christianity.. Idolatry, the subject of part 3, was considered yet another Egyptian influence in China.. He includes a Sanskrit grammar and vocabulary prepared by the intrepid Jesuit explorer, and the first European to master the Sanskrit language, Heinrich Roth. This was the first printing of a Sanskrit grammar and of the Devanagari script in Europe, and it, like the Chinese vocabulary in the same work, became the primary source for the study of the language.. Part 4 Kircher devoted to describing China's government, its cities, and its natural wonders - mountains, lakes and rivers, plants, animals, and minerals. Part 5 details China's architectural and mechanical marvels, such as the great bells of Peking. Finally, in part 6, Kircher returns to the Chinese language and the origins of its characters." (Merrill, pp. 49-50). Merrill 20; Brunet III, 666-67; Caillet II, 361.5773; Clendening 9.14; De Backer I, 428-29.21; Ebert 11397; Graesse IV, 21; Sommervogel IV, 1063-65.24. .

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Book number: 05517

Catalogue: Illustrated Books

Keywords: Early Books Seventeenth-Century Literature Voyages and Travels

LAVATER, John Caspar; HOLLOWAY, Thomas; HUNTER, Henry, translator

Essays on Physiognomy

London: John Murray, 1789. The Jealous are Possessed by a Mad Devil and a Dull Spirit at the Same Time" (John Caspar Lavater) LAVATER, John Caspar. Essays on Physiognomy, Designed to Promote the Knowledge and the Love of Mankind.. Illustrated by more than eight hundred engravings accurately copied; and some duplicates added from originals. Executed by, or under the inspection of, Thomas Holloway. Translated from the French by Henry Hunter, D.D.. London: John Murray, 1789-1792 -1798. A Spectacular Example of the First Edition in English. Three folio volumes bound in five (12 7/8 x 10 1/4 inches; 327 x 260 mm.). Volume 1. [ii, half-title, verso blank], [ii, vignette title-page, verso blank], [ii, translator's preface], [vi, advertisement], [iv, contents], [x, list of subscribers], [ii, dedication], [vi, author's preface], [ii, French translators' preface], [3]-280; [iii]-xii]; [1-3], 4--238; [1, half title vol II. part II, verso blank], [239]-444; [iii-iv, title-page, verso blank], [v]-xii, contents, [1]-252; [2, half title vol III. part III], 253-437, [1, blank], [1]-xi index, [1, blank] pp. Complete with 174 engraved plates after Rubens, Fuseli, Bartlozzi and Blake. Bound ca. 1830 in full dark green diced calf, covers with double ruled gilt line and decorative corner-pieces in gilt. Spines with five raised bands, elaborately tooled in gilt, two brown morocco labels lettered in gilt. Gilt ruled board edges and turn-ins, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. With the engraved armorial bookplate of Viscount Birkenhead on front paste-down of each volume. Some light foxing and offsetting throughout but still an incredible set of this landmark work. John Caspar Lavater (1741-1801) "was the last and most influential of the descriptive physiognomists, a class of pseudo-scientists who attempted to ascertain character on the basis of physical features.. Von der Physiognomik [1772], an unillustrated two-volume book, was Lavater's first work on the subject; this was later expanded, with the help of Goethe, into the four-volume Physiognomische Fragmente (1775-1778), and further perfected in a French translation, Essais sur la Physiognomie.. supervised by Lavater himself. Lavater's physiognomy differed from those of his predecessors in that he paid special attention to the structure of the head, particularly the forehead - a form of psychological indexing that exerted some influence on the development of phrenology and brain localization theories in the early nineteenth century. Lavater's work also influenced artists of the period, both in the overall creation of portraits, and in the use of his physiognomical theories to construct individual faces in historical paintings" (Norman Library). Lavater's work on physiognomy was extremely popular, and, by 1810, sixteen German, twenty English, fifteen French, two American, two Russian, one Dutch, and one Italian version had appeared. Among the portraits included are those of Julius Caesar, Descartes, Erasmus, Homer, Locke, Milton, Newton, Raphael, Salome, Satan, Socrates, Christopher Wren, Vesalius, Voltaire, George Washington and several of himself. A full listing of the plates is available upon request. Brunet III, 887; Garrison and Morton, 154; Graesse IV, 126; Lowndes, 1321; Norman Library; Osler, 3178. .

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Book number: 05202

Catalogue: Illustrated Books

Keywords: HOLLOWAY, Thomas HUNTER, Henry, translator Fine Bindings and Sets Fine Bindings Translations into English

LIÈVRE, Édouard; HOLLOWAY, binder

Works of Art in the Collections of England

London: Holloway and Son, 1873. One of a Very Few Copies Specially Bound by Holloway LIÈVRE, Édouard. Works of Art in the Collections of England. Drawn by Édouard Lièvre author of: "Collections Célébres D' Oeuvres D'Art en France" and engraved by Bracquemond, Courtry, Flameng, Greux, Le Rat, Lhermitte, J. Lièvre, Muzelle, Rajon, Randall and Valentin. London: Holloway and Son, [1873]. One of 100 Proof Copies printed on fine paper. Large folio (19 15/16 x 13 5/8 inches; 507 x 345 mm.). [i, half-title], [ii, limitation leaf], [iii, title-page, printed in red and black with India Paper portrait affixed], [iv, photograph of lady on horseback affixed to page], [v-viii, list of subscribers, printed in red and black], [ix-x, contents leaf, printed in red and black], [1-50, text leaves printed in red and black]. Fifty proof plates on India Paper, each one interleaved with a blank. Some very light intermittent foxing to a few leaves, otherwise fine. Publisher's Deluxe Binding of full green morocco (stamp-signed in black on front turn-in) "Bound by Holloway". Covers very elaborately decorated in gilt, spine with five raised bands, also elaborately decorated and lettered in gilt in compartments. Double-ruled gilt board edges, elaborate gilt tooled wide turn-ins, all edges gilt. Armorial Shield "Advance With Courage" stamped in gilt on front paste-down. Slight fading to front cover edges and spine, still a very fine example. "The objects of art selected for representation are from many of our most famous collections, including those of Her Majesty, Sir Richard Wallace, Sir Dudley Marjoribanks, Barons Lionel and Anthony de Rothschild, and the British and South Kensington Museums. The examples have been chosen with judgment, and what with the exquisite beauty of the original objects, and the wondrous accuracy and art of their reproduction on paper, this rare portfolio is well worthy of a place among the chief treasures of any art library, public or private." "This very beautiful book was issued for Subscribers only; a few copies were printed in excess,of which there remains a limited number.. The objects suitable for reproduction have been carefully selected from the celebrated Collections, several of the most distinguished Amateurs having placed their treasures at the disposal of the artists and publishers." Published 1873 @ £15.15.00). (Bernard Quaritch's October 1883 Catalogue of Works on the Fine Arts, the Galleries, etc.). This copy was a sometime purchased from Bernard Quaritch of London (their collation marks in pencil at back). .

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Book number: 04399

Catalogue: Illustrated Books

Keywords: HOLLOWAY, binder Fine Bindings Classical History Limited Editions Art

MONNIER, Henri

[Modes Et Ridicules]

Paris: Gihaut Frères, éditeurs, 1825. One of Henry Monnier's Earliest Works Ten Superb Hand-Colored Lithograph Plates Depicting 'Absurd Fads' MONNIER, Henry, illustrator. [Modes et Ridicules]. Paris: Gihaut Frères, éditeurs, 1825. Quarto (10 7/8 x 8 1/2 inches; 276 x 216 mm.). Ten superb hand colored lithograph plates, mounted on stubs. Plate margins with some light foxing. Recently bound by Roger Devauchelle in full violet cloth, black leather label lettered in gilt on front board. An excellent copy of an extremely scarce album. The plates: 1. Avec beaucoup de plaisir, Monsieur! (With a lot of fun, sir!) 2. Voulez-vous me faire l'honneur, Mademoiselle?.. (Will you do me the honor, Miss?) 3. Satisfaction personnelle. (Personal satisfaction) 4. Embarras de Soi-meme. (Self embarrassment) 5. Mes jours de danse sont passés!.. (My dance days are over!..) 6. Mécontentement intérieur. (Domestic discontent) 7. Le Journal ne dit rien!.. (The journal does not say anything!..) 8. Distraction. 9. Je ne trouve plus de danseur! (I cannot find a dance partner anymore!) 10. Un Chanteur de Romanees. (A singer of Romanees.) According to OCLC there are only two copies in libraries and institutions worldwide: The Morgan Library & Museum (NY, USA) and Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek Klassik (Germany). "Between 1825 and 1827 Monnier passed much of his time in London, where he collaborated with Lami in what was to become the Voyage en Angleterre. On his return to Paris he embarked on a series of albums in which he recorded the manners and humors of the city with unprecedented profusion. Between 1826 and 1830 he satisfied the insatiable demand for his designs with almost 500 lithographs, nearly all of which were drawn with a pen and colored by hand. For each design he himself colored a master print and carefully supervised its subsequent preparation.. Some of the salient titles in his human comedy may be mentioned. There are potpourris like Recréations du coeur et de l'esprit, Paris vivant, and Rencontres Parisiennes. Macédoine pittoresque. There are more closely focussed surveys like Les grisettes, Moeurs administratives, Galerie théâtrale, Boutiques de Paris, and Six Quartiers de Paris. There are suites like Jadis et aujourd'hui and Les contrastes, which take their departure from comparisons in time or of manners..Monnier was a satirist with a difference. His attitude towards his subjects hardly varies. His aim was to set down what he saw with elegance and precision, but with no overt interpretation or judgment" (Ray, The Art of the French Illustrated Book, p. 199). .

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Book number: 04509

Catalogue: Illustrated Books

Keywords: Color-Plate Books Books in French Caricatures French Caricature