Yvette GUILBERT

First edition with all first printing  features, one of the press copies.

Exceptional presentation copy inscribed by the author to the famous singer Yvette Guilbert, to whom Céline himself sang and offered one of his scandalous compositions, “Katika la putain,” [Katika the Whore] later renamed “À Nœud coulant” [With a Slipknot"] "A madame Yvette Guilbert en témoignage de ma profonde admiration. LFCéline.” 

Beneath Céline's inscription, the actor Fabrice Luchini added: “A Yvette Guilbert in memoriam. FLuchini” ; and on the half-title, actor Jean-François Balmer wrote in turn: “Merci en bon voyage. JFBalmer.”

With pasted-in entry tickets to their respective performances of Voyage au bout de la nuit at the Comédie des Champs-Élysées for Luchini, and at the Théâtre de l’Œuvre for Balmer.

Autograph letter signed by Jean Lorrain, 47 lines written in black ink on a double sheet, addressed to the café-concert singer Yvette Guilbert.
Fold marks inherent to the envelope enclosure, envelope included.
Jean Lorrain is recovering with difficulty and very slowly from his operation: "Not yet healed! All the misfortunes, all the complications, all the relapses. Operated on June 30th, fifty-eight days of filth, anguish and suffering and two dressings per day..." and feels aged by this harsh physical ordeal: "Vous me retrouverez avec des cheveux blancs et plus mince que vô."
His convalescence will take him outside Paris: "Je pars demain pour Plombières et j'y resterai un mois. Je n'assisterai donc pas à vos débuts de septembre..." and he worries about his author's rights for "Fleur de berge", a song for which he wrote the lyrics and which Yvette Guilbert performs and for which she composed the music: "Fleur de Berge a été chantée plus de mille fois par tous et partout et je n'ai jamais, jamais touché un sou ! Avouez que c'est peu, je voudrais pourtant qu'elle me rapporte de quoi vous envoyer une fleur... Est-ce que pour Morphinée et celles que je compte vous faire ce sera toujours peau de balle comme ça."
The writer, completely foreign to and lost in these legal intricacies, asks the singer for advice: "Vous devez être très au courant, vous. Ecrivez-moi un peu comment on fait, comment vous faites... Consultez au besoin votre imprimeur éditeur..."
Fine autograph letter from a dandy writer confronted with the mysteries of material and pecuniary considerations.

First edition illustrated with a cover and frontispiece by Emmanuel Brun.
Bradel binding in half brown cloth, smooth spine, date in gilt at foot, pebbled paper boards, illustrated cover by Emmanuel Brun and spine preserved.
Handsome copy of this collection of songs interpreted by Yvette Guilbert.