Smeers

New edition. Printed on laid paper. Uncut copy with full margins.
Contemporary half glazed morocco with chocolate corners, signed on first endpaper by Smeers. Spine with 5 raised bands richly decorated, gilt title-label, volume labels and date. Top edges gilt. Occasional worming. Light traces of rubbing. Leaf 395, small angular lack.
Superb copy.

First illustrated edition, first state of the 100 steel-engraved vignettes by Gavarni, Baron, Lange, French, Markl... Missing the 2 portraits of Foedora and Pauline printed on papier de chine (these portraits were printed separately from the edition and could only be acquired in addition to the volume, as they were made to form another edition: Les femmes de Balzac; thus they are only very rarely bound, and are already present as vignettes).
Blue long-grain morocco from the end of the 19th century signed Smeers at the top of the first endpaper, elaborately gilt spine. Boards in 'Du Seuil style'. Large interior dentelle. Gilt edges. Scattered foxing mainly in the margins, on a very white paper. A very nice copy.
One of the most beautiful illustrated books of the XIXth century as the quality of the steel engravings is exceptional. Printed on wove paper. La peau de chagrin was supposed to be the first illustrated book of Balzac's Social Studies series, but the book sold poorly and no more were made. First printing remarks by Carteret: p.5 last line of the first paragraph ... last ecu; p.7 last word of the page ... to; p.19 last word of the 6th line ... pou-; etc. The engraving of the gardener has been replaced correctly on p. 303, but as Carteret states, "This change cannot indicate that the book is not a good edition, and the best proof of this is the copy in separate issues from which we give the present description contains the engraving of the gardener on p. 303."