Victor SCHOELCHER

First edition, very rare (cf. Lorenz XII, 926).

Half caramel calf with corners, spine with four raised bands ruled in black, brown shagreen lettering-piece, restored original wrappers and spine bound in, modern binding.

Loss of paper to the upper right corner of the half-title, some passages underlined in pencil, pp. 399-400 detached with loss of text.

An important work: one of the most comprehensive studies on Toussaint Louverture and the revolution in Saint-Domingue.

This was his final work, published on the occasion of the centenary of the French Revolution. It recounts, in particular, the events following the slave rebellion in Saint-Domingue in August 1791, the abolition of slavery in the colony in August–September 1793, the Convention’s decree of emancipation on 16 Pluviôse Year II (4 February 1794), and the protracted war waged by the French troops—dispatched by Napoleon Bonaparte to the colony in December 1801—against the newly freed slaves, ending with the French defeat in November 1803 and the proclamation of independence.

Autograph letter signed by Victor Schoelcher, one page written in black ink on a bifolium of blue paper bearing the monogram and address of the politician, addressed to minister Alfred Boucher-Cadart, director of the general security service at the Ministry of the Interior. The envelope containing this letter has been pasted onto the second leaf. Central fold inherent to the mailing.
"There is nothing more to be done for the worker Cauchare. He was forced to serve his 10 days in prison while the Ministry of Justice was changing his sentence. I nonetheless thank you for your goodwill toward the poor man and I ask you to accept the assurance of my highest consideration."

Pencil portrait of Victor Schoelcher by Louis-Pierre Henriquel-Dupont, signed and dated 1832.

Uniformly browned, some foxing. A small wove paper label with the name of Victor Schoelcher in pen pasted on the verso, accompanied by a mention of a previous bibliographer in pencil, also on the verso.

A precious unpublished early portrait of the abolitionist Victor Schoelcher, at the age of 28.
This portrait was presented at the 1833 Salon: 'M. Victor Schoelcher [...] whose charming portrait, drawn by M. Henriquel-Dupont, can be seen just beside the Salon's entrance. Charming indeed, broad and full of character' (Augustin Jal, Salon de 1833, les causeries du Louvre, p.159).
 
Schoelcher had begun his fight against the slave trade two years earlier with an article in the Revue de Paris. He also took an interest in the fine arts, writing a review of the Salon de peinture in 1835 in the same journal. This drawing is the work of Henriquel-Dupont, a distinguished pupil of the painter Pierre-Narcisse Guérin. Renowned as a master engraver, he reproduced the works of his contemporaries, particularly Ingres, whose style is distinctly reflected in this portrait.
Schoelcher and Henriquel-Dupont both sat on the jury of the 1879 Salon in the engraving section.

 

A pencil drawing of exceptional execution, one of Henriquel-Dupont's "delightful portraits in pastel and graphite" (Charles Lenormant)

First edition.
Pamphlet illustrated with a portrait of Napoleon III in perfect harmony with the title and subject that the work intends to denounce. Violent anti-Badinguet pamphlet.
Light tears with small corner losses to covers, some minor foxing, a small loss at foot of pages 15 and 16 not affecting text.

First edition, of which there were no deluxe copies.
Some foxing affecting the covers and first leaves.
Very rare.