Ludovic HALÉVY

Autograph letter signed by playwright and librettist Ludovic Halévy, 12 lines in black ink on a folded leaf, addressed to a friend for whom he obtained two seats for a performance.
Fold mark inherent to postal delivery.
"For tomorrow Saturday here are two orchestra seats. But if someone tells you tomorrow morning that the play fell flat and was quite boring, you must be careful not to go..."
Amusing autograph letter from Ludovic Halévy who notably co-wrote the libretto of Carmen by Georges Bizet with Henri Meilhac.

Edition illustrated with full-page color plates and in-text black drawings by Madeleine Lemaire.
Half red shagreen binding with corners, spine with five raised bands outlined with dotted lines and decorated with richly ornamented double gilt compartments, slight rubbing to spine, marbled paper boards, endpapers and pastedowns of pebbled paper, corners slightly bumped.
Handsome copy.

First edition of this one-act comedy, one of the rare copies on laid paper, of which no mention is made.
Rare and handsome copy with full margins.

First edition.
Half blue sheep binding, smooth spine decorated with gilt fillets and dots as well as black fillets, spine with some light rubbing, gilt initials at foot, marbled paper boards, pebbled paper endpapers and pastedowns, speckled edges, one corner slightly bumped, near-contemporary binding.
Handsome copy.
Precious signed autograph inscription from Ludovic Halévy to his friend Alexandre Dumas fils: "A mon cher maître et ami Alexandre Dumas. Ludovic Halévy" ["To my dear master and friend Alexandre Dumas. Ludovic Halévy"]

Rare original color lithograph, executed by Henri Boutet for L'Estampe Moderne, series number 8 published in December 1897.
One of 50 deluxe proofs printed on Japan paper with wide margins, laid paper mounted on Japan paper, artist's signature in the plate, publisher's dry stamp representing a child's profile in the lower margin, numbered stamp of the deluxe edition on verso; print preceded by a tissue guard inscribed with the artist's name, title and an extract from a work; blank tissue guard.
Lithograph inspired by an extract from a work by Ludovic Halévy which is reproduced on the tissue guard of the print.
Magnificent French monthly publication edited between May 1897 and April 1899, L'Estampe moderne consists of original chromolithographs which, unlike other magazines such as Les Maîtres de l'Affiche and as stipulated on the tissue guards, were created specially by each artist for the magazine. Thus 100 prints appeared in total, covering the major artistic movements of the late 19th century: Symbolism, Art Nouveau, Pre-Raphaelites, Orientalists and Belle Époque. Each delivery of four prints was printed in 2000 copies sold for 3.50F and 100 on Japan paper offered at 10F. Henri Piazza also planned a very limited deluxe edition: 50 copies on Japan paper with wide margins and 50 in black on China paper at the considerable price of 30F.
This print of handsome format is superbly printed on the most prestigious of papers: Japan. Thick, silky, satiny and pearlescent, it contributes to making each page a work of art in its own right. Its quality of ink absorption and its affinity with colors also make it the ideal support for these very beautiful lithographs.
French collectors' interest in artistic posters intensified in the early 1890s. Octave Uzanne, to describe this fever, invented the term "affichomanie." The poster, originally popular and pasted on the streets of the capital, then became an art object and its ephemeral support became precious and destined for preservation.
Piazza decided to remove the poster from its advertising vocation and elevate it to the rank of a work of art in its own right, equal to the illustrated deluxe book. He thus composed a prestigious collection of entirely original works, by the most prominent European artists of the moment: Georges de Feure, Eugène Grasset, Henri Detouche, Emile Berchmans, Louis Rhead, Gaston de Latenay, Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer, Gustave-Max Stevens, Charles Doudelet, Hans Christiansen, Henri Fantin-Latour, Steinlen, Ibels, Engels, Willette, Henri Meunier, Evenepoël, Bellery-Desfontaines, Charles Léandre, etc.
Handsome copy.

first edition, one of 200 numbered copies on vergé, only large papers after 50 Japan.
Binding in half morocco blue, smooth back decorated with double golden cartridges, date golden in tail, golden nets on the plates of marbled paper, guards and counterplates of paper with the vat, golden head on witnesses, covered blankets and backs, signed binding of Creuzevault.
Signed autograph signed by Ludovic Halévy to Jules Claretie.
Book with 8 illustrations inset.
Beautiful copy pleasantly established.

New edition printed in 500 copies, this one of 50 numbered copies on Japan paper, deluxe copies containing the Japan paper offprint of the illustrations.
The offprint of the figure adorning the cover is on China paper.
Contemporary full red morocco binding, signed Thibaron-Joly, Jansenist spine with five raised bands, green morocco doublure, interior frame formed of multiple gilt fillets and small fleuron at corners, double marbled paper endpapers, all edges gilt on deckled edges, marbled paper slipcase bordered with red morocco.
Beautiful illustration drawn by Sahib and steel-engraved by Adrien Nargeot, comprising one figure on the cover, 18 head-vignettes and a small tailpiece.
Handsome copy established in a signed full morocco binding, complete with prospectus (4 pp.), in doublure binding by Thibaron-Joly, in perfect condition.

Edition not put on the market and illustrated with a blanket and 9 thumbnail enhanced with watercolor by Henriot.
Bound in half red morocco corners, flat spine decorated with golden floral frieze decorated with incisions pieces of green and brown morocco contained petals, golden tail dates framing gilded nets on marbled paper plates, guards and contreplats of handmade paper, preserved covers, gilded head, contemporary binding signed Champs.
Our copy was offered by Mr. L. Conquet Boismont.
Nice copy pleasantly established.

Edition, one of 30 numbered copies on Holland paper justified by Ludovic Halevy, head draw.
Bound in red half morocco with corners, back with five nerves with traces of friction, marbled paper plates, guards and contreplats of handmade paper, gilded head on witnesses, slightly later signed binding Raparlier.
autograph dedication of the author autograph signed Ludovic Halévy his friend Henri Meilhac with whom he collaborated on many occasions.
Pleasant beautifully drawn copy.

First edition and first issue of Gavarni's illustrations.
Publisher's full red boards binding, smooth spine very slightly faded, boards decorated with gilt decorative motifs, small corner stains on front board.
Work illustrated with 100 large compositions by Gavarni.
A pale marginal dampstain on the title page diminishing and disappearing through the following pages, otherwise pleasant interior condition.

First edition, one of the rare copies on Hollande paper of which no mention is made.
This is a comic opera in three acts set to music by C. Lecocq.
Lacks to head and foot of spine and marginal tears to boards, full-margined copy.