Jean-Benjamin de LA BORDE

First edition composed of 15 sepia lithographs, illustrating the different figures of the Cotillon.

Publisher's cream and gold boards, covered with glazed moiré paper. Top headcap pushed in. Soiling. Corners slightly bumped. Good copy.

A ballroom dance created around 1820 which became wildly popular at the end of balls, the main venues for fashionable entertainment of the era, the cotillon mixed parlor games and dances; composed of several figures (the flowers, the handkerchief chase, the ribbon, the cavaliers, etc.) and accessories, it could last up to two hours and more depending on the cotillon leader. 19 pages of text in the work explain the figures of the cotillon...

First edition of one of the most beautiful books of the 18^th century, of which the text and the music are entirely engraved. It is illustrated with an engraved title, 3 frontispieces by Le Bouteux and Le Barbier, a dedication page with the Dauphine arms, and 100 figures by Moreau le Jeune, Le Barbier, Le Bouteux and Saint-Quentin, finely engraved in copperplate by Masquelier and Née. The portrait of Laborde, which can be found on some copies, is not part of this edition and was printed in 1774, separately.

Magnificent copy bound in 4 volumes, very rare condition. There are usually only copies with 2 volumes for understandable cost issues. It is...

First edition, written according to Barbier (Dictionnaire des ouvrages anonymes) by Faur, and according to the BN de France by Faur or Benjamin de Laborde.
Contemporary half blonde sheep bindings. Smooth spine with fillets. Marbled paper boards. Title and volume labels gilt. Stains on spines.
The preface of the work indicates that the Memoirs of Richelieu are less a single biography of Richelieu than memoirs covering the end of the reign of Louis XIV, the Regency and the reign of Louis XV. The present work claims to remedy these memoirs and present the marshal as he truly was "it is the hero in undress that we present to the public". As the title indicates, besides his historical...

The first edition, finely printed by Pierres. The work is illustrated with three portraits, including one of Raoul de Coucy, one hors-texte figure showing the town of Coucy-le-Château, and twelve pages of music engraved with the greatest care after manuscripts belonging to the king and the Marquis de Paulmy.
Contemporary light brown calf, spine with compartments and gilt fleurons, red and green morocco title- and volume- labels. Triple gilt fillet frame to covers, gilt fillets to edges of covers, gilt roulette frame to pastedowns. All edges gilt.
A very handsome, large paper, copy.