Émile de LA BÉDOLLIÈRE

First edition, illustrated with 12 out-of-text steel-engraved vignettes.
Half dark green straight-grained morocco binding, smooth spine decorated with large gilt romantic tools, scratches at foot of spine, green boards, yellow paper endpapers and pastedowns, corners slightly bumped, all edges gilt.
Some minor foxing.

First edition, illustrated with 12 steel-engraved plates.

Contemporary full brown straight-grained morocco. Smooth spine decorated with large Romantic tools with date at foot. Covers with large blind Greek key border and gilt fillet frame. All edges gilt. Decorative gilt board-edges. White watered paper endpapers. Spine uniformly sunned, turned brown. One corner rubbed. Several gatherings browned. Handsome copy nonetheless, in contemporary morocco.

One of Curmer's famous and beautiful publications, who had just published in 1838 one of the most celebrated Romantic books: Paul et Virginie. An essential literary figure from the mid-19th century onwards, La bedollière, formerly a bohemian alongside Baudelaire, whom he frequented at the café, here gives his first collection of short stories; he is one of the models of the journalist-writer (he would contribute numerous articles to Les français peints par eux-mêmes) who would make writing a lucrative profession. He is talented, possesses a fine pen, but devoid of any genius.