PICARD, L. B. [Louis-Benoit Picard]
Les Tracasseries / Un Jeu de la Fortune / Encore Des Menechmes / la Noce Sans Mariage / Les Trois Maris Five plays bound in one volume
Paris. Leather Bound. 8vo. 19th century mottled calf with five plays bound in one volume. The boards are bowed & the rear joint is tender. Conts. browned at margins. Fourth play stained at bottom; else good+ condition. Louis-Benoit Picard (1769-1828) was a French playwright and member of the Academie-Francaise. He was born in Paris and wrote 85 plays, which were meticulously crafted and shrewdly observant of contemporary manners (see W. Staaks, 'The Theatre of Louis-Benoit Picard'). This unique volume contains five of Picard's plays bound into one volume: (1) 'Les Tracasseries, ou Monsieur et Madame Tatillon' which was presented for the first time in Paris, at the Comedie Francaise on June 25, 1804. This is the first edition, published in 1804, and is signed on the copyright page by the publisher, Mme. Masson (80 pages); (2) 'Un Jeu de la Fortune, ou Les Marionnettes', presented for the first time in Paris, May 14, 1806. This is the first edition, published in 1806, in Paris, by Chez Martinet, and contains 121 pages; (3) 'Encore Des Menechmes', a comedy presented for the first time in 1791. This edition published in Paris, in 1802, by the booksellers Huet, Ravinet and Charon (96 pages); (4) 'La Noce Sans Mariage', presented for the first time in Paris in 1805. Published by Madame Masson in that year and signed by her on the copyright page (96 pages); (5) 'Les Trois Maris', date of first presentation not stated. Published by the booksellers Huet and Charon - no year of publishing stated. WorldCat suggests 1800, although the website for the Comedie Francaise gives the year of the first performance as 1801 (104 pages). It is evident that these five plays were not published together, but were bound so at a later date, probably in 1806, or shortly thereafter.

Bison Books
Professional sellerBook number: 9900035395
CAD 1071.40 [Appr.: EURO 748 US$ 799.19 | £UK 643.75 | JP¥ 111254]
Keywords: Comedie Francaise; French theater;