n. l.

A new duodecimo edition of the most celebrated work by the writer and historian Charles Pinot Duclos, published in the same year as the first edition. According to the Dictionnaire des ouvrages anonymes et pseudonymes of 1822, "the edition without place of publication, 1751, 12mo, in large type"—the present edition—"should be preferred to that bearing Prault's name, 1751, which contains a dedicatory epistle to the King." (our own translation)

Fine contemporary binding in polished tan...

Rare first edition of the French translation by Judith Gautier, printed on japon-style paper.
Slight restoration work to spine and a corner of the lower cover, wrappers slightly and marginally soiled as usual.
Illustrated throughout with full-page colour woodcuts by Yamamoto.

Second edition, the first edition having appeared in 1920.

Contemporary half brown sheep, spine with four raised bands decorated with blind fillets, some rubbing to the spine, beige cloth boards, endpapers and pastedowns of handmade paper, original front wrapper preserved.

This manual by the Jesuit Léon Wieger (1856–1933) serves as a practical and useful vade mecum.

Fourth edition reproducing, with only minor variations, the third edition of 1916.

Half tan calf binding, spine with five raised bands decorated with blind fillets, cherry shagreen lettering piece, slight rubbing to the spine, handmade paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, speckled edges, original wrappers preserved, contemporary binding.

This work is fundamental to the graphic and lexicological development of Chinese characters.

It is entirely unjust, as was done for more than fifty years, to minimise the role and contribution of the Jesuit Léon Wieger (1856–1933) to sinology, in which his work was of major importance despite the narrowness of his religious...

First edition of this in-folio broadside signed "Phelypeaux", printed on one side only and in two columns.

A scarce and pleasing copy despite traces of central folding.

Four-page manuscript in black ink on a folio bifolium (31.9 x 20.1 cm), entitled Compte de dépense & de recette pour l'habitation de Monsieur le Vte de La Bourdonnaye and, on the verso, Etat des naissances de Nègres et mortalités & crues et déficits d'animaux, together with Etat des revenus fabriqués sur l'habitation de Monsieur le Vte de La Bourdonnaye. Signed Pérès and Grasset frères, Pitteu & Cie, certified at Verrettes and Saint-Marc on 30 June 1785.

First edition of this in-folio printed broadside signed "Phelypeaux", printed on one side only.

Visible fold marks to the broadside.

Folio manuscript from the second half of the 18th century, comprising 2 unnumbered leaves and 258 foliated pages, containing extracts and summaries of royal orders and dispatches of the Conseil de Marine from September 1715 to March 1723. The volume therefore covers the entire period of activity of this institution, created at the beginning of the Regency as part of the polysynody and maintained until its disappearance in 1723.

Contemporary restored full tan calf. Smooth spine decorated with gilt compartments and gilt tools, partly faded, lettering-piece lacking, a gilt rampant lion stamped at the centre of...

Manuscript of unnumbered leaves comprising a digest of ordinances and regulations relating to the French naval troops, most promulgated between 1690 and 1751.

The manuscript is preserved in its original stitched wrappers, in contemporary paper covers with manuscript annotations; tears to the opening leaves affecting the text; housed in a cream card portfolio. 

It contains: Royal regulation of 1690 concerning the levy, pay and discipline of the naval troops. – Royal regulation of 1691 governing the billeting, conduct, march, policing and discipline of the naval troops. – Royal ordinances of 1695 and 1700 on the policing and discipline of the compagnies franches. – Ordinance of...

Fine contemporary manuscript plan in colour depicting the region (now within the Var department) extending from Le Thouar in the north to the Château Sainte-Marguerite in the south, of considerable strategic importance as the eastern defensive line protecting the approaches to Toulon.

Fold marks without tears or loss.

Fine hand-coloured manuscript plan depicting the area (now in the Var department) situated north of the village of La Valette (today La Valette-du-Var), extending to the lower slopes of Mont Coudon (702 m).

Creasing to the manuscript sheet.

Manuscript drawing consisting of a coloured sketch of one of the fort’s bastions, with scale in toises.

Construction of the Fort de Lamalgue, situated on the hill of the same name and intended to secure the landward approaches to Toulon while also protecting Fort Saint-Louis (Mourillon), which had been bombarded and abandoned during the siege of 1707, began in 1764 under the direction of Milet de Monville.

Works continued until 1792.

Traces of folding to the sheet.

First edition, printed in a small number of copies, of this offprint from the Mémoires de la Société naturelle des sciences naturelles de Cherbourg, vol. XX (1876).

See O'Reilly, Tahiti, 2693. Only three copies recorded in the CCF (BnF, Aix-Marseille, Cherbourg).

Bradel binding in blue half cloth, smooth spine, long red marbled morocco title label, marbled paper sides, original wrappers preserved, modern signed binding by Boichot.

This pamphlet, which contains a large number of botanical entries on the Marquesas, Tahiti, the Sandwich Islands, New Zealand, etc., is a continuation of the study entitled Les Plantes alimentaires de l'Océanie (1875).

A...

Rare first edition, printed in small numbers, of this Extrait du Bulletin de la Société de Géographie, 2e série, tome XI, illustrated with two folding plates showing topographical cross-sections of various valleys, including that of the Jordan (cf. Hage Chahine, 471; Numa Broc, Asie, pp. 28–29).

Half tan calf, smooth spine gilt-ruled and tooled, some rubbing to the spine, one joint restored at the head, green morocco lettering-piece, marbled boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, red edges; a contemporary binding.

An orientalist and archaeologist, the Comte de Bertou explored Palestine in 1838 with the mission of verifying the hypothesis of an ancient outflow...

Unpublished manuscript comprising 17 original signed and captioned watercolours executed in 1873 by a certain A. Poquet, an illustrator whose name has not been traced in the principal artists' dictionaries. The work announced on the calligraphic title page, Vues et types du Sénégal (Views and Types of Senegal), appears never to have been published; these watercolours almost certainly constitute the original maquette, or preparatory artwork, intended for its illustration.

The volume comprises a calligraphic title leaf, with a table of plates on the verso, followed by thirteen leaves on which the seventeen watercolours are mounted, one or two to a page...

First edition, printed in a very small number of copies, of this offprint from the "Recueil industriel, Manufacturier (…) et des Beaux-Arts", published by M. de Moléon.

Our copy is preserved in its original state, in plain yellow wrappers, and housed in a modern green-paper chemise and slipcase with black morocco spine.

Jean-Pierre-Joseph d'Arcet (1777-1844), a chemist and the son of a chemist, was appointed Inspector-General of Assays at the Mint in 1807, examined the alloys used for the Vendôme Column in 1811, and installed the baths and fumigation apparatus at the Hôpital Saint-Louis. He devoted himself with particular zeal to research into public health and hygiene...

First edition, here in its 12mo issue; the 4to edition is more commonly encountered (cf. Sabin 50563. See Gagnon 1217, Lande 656 and Higgs 1032. Not in Kress, Goldsmiths or Einaudi. The NUC records 4 copies of the 4to edition.)

Contemporary half brown sheepskin over boards with vellum tips, spine in five compartments tooled in blind with garland motifs, paper-covered boards, red-speckled edges; an old binding with a later spine.

"A review of the causes of Anglo-French hostilities in America, from a French point of vue, and with the intention of persuading the Dutch correspondent of England's aggressiveness" Cf. James Ford Bell Library catalogue, p. 359.

The...

Contemporary manuscript copy of the important unpublished memoir written in Tonkin in 1841 by the Spanish Dominican Domingo Martí (1811–1852), devoted to the lives and martyrdom of twenty-seven Servants of God who died between 1838 and 1840 during the anti-Christian persecutions carried out under the reign of Emperor Minh Mạng.

Small quarto (15 × 19.8 cm). 6 unnumbered leaves, 2 blank leaves, 117 numbered leaves with a few pagination errors...

First edition, illustrated with 1 plate and 3 folding maps printed outside the text (cf. Tulard, 694.)

Our copy is preserved in its original wrappers, in soiled temporary covers with angular losses and wear to the spine; internally in pleasant condition despite some foxing.

The only edition, and uncommon, of this report on the operations at Peschiera (1–19 January 1801), which followed the Battle of Marengo and were entrusted to François de Chasseloup-Laubat, Commander-in-Chief of Engineers with the Army of Italy. 

The diplomat Étienne-Félix d'Hénin de Cuvillers (1755–1841) was then serving in the same army as a captain, and later as a squadron leader attached to the...

Rare collection of 16 hand-coloured engravings, comprising a frontispiece and 15 plates, illustrating the virtues of soldiers and young men during the Consulate period.

Contemporary half bronze calf binding, smooth spine decorated with gilt fillets, dotted tools and floral ornaments, minor rubbing to the spine, brown morocco title label, boards, endpapers and pastedowns of marbled paper, ex-libris pasted on the front pastedown.

An attractive copy.

Album of 25 hand-finished colour lithographs depicting French military uniforms from the last quarter of the 19th century (cf. Glaesser pp. 320-321. Colas 2003 (issued in quarto format?)).

Contemporary paper boards, plain smooth spine in brick-red cloth.

Some foxing.

The unnumbered military costume plates are captioned.

Manuscript on graph paper comprising nearly 60 original drawings in black pencil, coloured pencil and watercolour, describing various species of edible and poisonous fungi: agaric, Caesar's mushroom, edible bolete, ceps, chanterelles, beefsteak fungus, morel, winter truffle, etc.

Each drawing is captioned in French and Latin.

 Contemporary amateur binding in full flexible boards, plain orange spine split and with portions lacking, blue boards; spine cracked.

Provenance: from the library of Dr Bacquias of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, with his name inscribed in the upper left-hand corner of the front board.

Some foxing.

First edition, illustrated with 11 photographic prints measuring 9 x 15 cm, mounted on heavy paper and hinged on stubs. 

S.l., s.d. [circa 1890], oblong 12mo (12 x 19 cm), 

Publisher's full green percaline binding, smooth unlettered spine, gilt and blind-tooled fillet borders on the covers, title stamped in gilt on the upper cover, a few stains to the covers, grey-blue paper pastedowns and endpapers.

A photographer active in Nice from the late 1860s to around 1883, Jean Walburg de Bray (1839-1901) subsequently moved to Cannes, where he remained until the early 1890s. His assistant Jean Gilletta (1856-1933) succeeded him in Nice and reissued part of the stock under his...

Album comprising 30 original albumen prints mounted on heavy card leaves.

Bradel binding in full black boards, smooth unlettered spine, gilt-ruled frame on the covers, title set within a central panel on the upper cover, corners rubbed; contemporary binding except for the renewed spine.

The first 22 photographs (approx. 12.5 × 17 cm) depict views of the City of the Doges; the following seven (various formats) reproduce paintings by Italian masters (Veronese, Titian, Raphael, Murillo...) held in Venice, Florence, and Paris; the final print shows a water-carrier.

Captions in Italian in black ink on the mount, on the verso.

The sequence of photographs is as follows...

Illustrated edition, with 6 plates bound at the end of the volume.

Our copy is preserved in its original plain wrappers.

Spine with tears and losses.

From the "Description des Arts et Métiers" published by the Académie des Sciences.

Rare whaling share certificate issued by the Lamotte & Cie shipowners of Le Havre.

Lithographed sheet on pink paper with manuscript additions, presented in a modern glazed frame (with a small chip to the upper right corner of the frame) and set within a mat.

The document is mounted on a guard, tipped in at the head to the mat.

This is a half-share certificate valued at two thousand five hundred francs, relating to the vessel Hâvre, issued in the name of Mr Levis de Pontaudemer and bearing the number 25.

Dated at Le Havre, 10 September 1834.

A very rare and attractive document.

Programme for the Ballets Russes, for the Paris season in May-June 1912 at the Théâtre du Châtelet and the Hungarian tour of March 1912. It includes the argument of Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, the programme for Saturday 8 June 1912 with cast list and the argument of Daphnis et Chloé, Sheherazade, The Rite of Spring, The Firebird (L’Oiseu [sic] de feu), followed by a page with the argument and cast list for Carnaval and Narcissus, and two pages in Hungarian announcing the programme of the March 1912 tour at the Royal Hungarian Opera.

First edition.

Publisher's full cloth-backed pictorial boards, front board with color illustration, pictorial endpapers, a newspaper clipping photograph of the Disney couple pasted on the front pastedown. Minor lacks to the upper cover, corners slightly creased.

Exceptional incribed copy by Walt Disney on the front pastedown: "Best wishes / Walt Disney," below a portrait of him with his wife and their dog.

Black-and-white photograph depicting Shirley Temple as a child.

A fine copy.

Inscribed and signed by Shirley Temple in 1988, with an autograph dedication to the noted autograph collector Claude Armand.

Black-and-white photographic postcard depicting Dolores del Rio in a frontal portrait.

A very attractive example. Envelope sent from Mexico included.

Inscribed and signed by Dolores del Rio in blue felt-tip pen to the renowned autograph collector Claude Armand: "To Claude Armand best wishes Dolores Del Rio."

Black and white photographic postcard depicting Ginger Rogers in profile.

A fine copy.

Inscribed and signed by Ginger Rogers for the renowned autograph collector Claude Armand: "To Claude Armand kindest wishes. Ginger Rogers."

Black-and-white photographic postcard depicting a young Charles Trenet wearing a hat.

A handsome example. Charles Trenet’s discography with Columbia printed on the verso.

Inscribed and signed by Charles Trenet: "Pour monsieur Thézard souvenir joyeux de Niort. Charles Trenet."

Black and white photographic postcard depicting Louison Bobet in cycling attire.

A fine copy.

Inscribed and signed by Louison Bobet in blue ink, addressed to the prominent autograph collector Claude Armand.

Louison Bobet is among the most decorated cyclists in history: three-time winner of the Tour de France between 1953 and 1955 (the first rider to win the race three years in a row), world champion in 1954, and French national champion in 1950 and 1951. He also claimed victory in numerous classic races, including Paris–Roubaix and Milan–San Remo, among others.

Colour photographic postcard depicting Fernand Raynaud holding a crate of oranges, with a sign reading: "Ici on vend de belles oranges pas chères."

On the verso, a blue ballpoint signature of Fernand Raynaud has been affixed.

Inscribed and signed by Fernand Raynaud in red felt-tip pen: "Merci Claude. FRaynaud."

Provenance: from the collection of the distinguished autograph collector Claude Armand.

Postcard after an original photograph by David Hamilton depicting a young girl walking through a flower-filled meadow.

A fine copy.

Signed by David Hamilton in black felt-tip pen at the foot of the card.

Provenance: from the collection of the noted autograph collector Claude Armand.

Color photographic postcard depicting Johnny Hallyday, a guitar in his right hand, balancing on a locomotive.

Photographic postcard produced by Philips studios.

Signed in Johnny Hallyday's hand in the upper left margin.

Colour photographic postcard depicting Claude François.

A well-preserved example. A newspaper clipping has been affixed to the verso, which also shows traces of glue.

Signed in black felt-tip pen by Claude François, with a small flower drawing and the word "bises".

Provenance: from the collection of the prominent autograph collector Claude Armand.

Black and white photographic portrait of the legendary jazz musician Benny Goodman, holding his clarinet in his left hand.

A fine example. A newspaper clipping announcing the musician’s death is affixed to the verso of the print. We include the original mailing envelope, bearing Benny Goodman’s initials, in which the photograph was sent. A concert program for Benny Goodman and his jazz band performing in Zurich in 1970 accompanies the set.

Signed by Benny Goodman in blue ballpoint pen in the upper left corner of the photograph.

Provenance: from the collection of renowned autograph collector Claude...

Photographic postcard depicting Lionel Hampton in the 1960s–70s playing the vibraphone.

A handsome copy.

Signed by Lionel Hampton in blue felt-tip pen on the verso of the photograph.

Provenance: from the collection of the renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.

Original black and white photograph, issued in a limited edition of 50 numbered prints, depicting Andrian Grigorievitch Nikolaïev during his visit to Switzerland in July 1971.

A fine copy. Printed stamps on the verso identifying the cosmonaut, the date of his visit to Switzerland, the numbering of the print (10/50), and the name of the "Boutique russe" in Geneva.

Boldly signed by Andrian Grigorievitch Nikolaïev in blue felt-tip pen in the lower left corner of the print.

Andrian Grigorievitch Nikolaïev was part of the very first group of Soviet cosmonauts selected in

Black-and-white photographic postcard depicting a young Ludmila Tcherina.

Pinholes to the corners of the card.

Signed autograph inscription by Ludmila Tcherina, in white felt-tip pen, to the prominent autograph collector Claude Armand: "A Claude bien amicalement Tcherina."

Provenance: from the collection of the renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.

Photograph signed by Tyrone Power in violet ink.

A handsome print. Printed stamp of a London dealer on the verso of the image.

Provenance: from the collection of the noted autograph collector Claude Armand.

Postcard-format reproduction of a photograph by David Hamilton depicting a nude woman seen from behind, gazing at herself in a mirror.

Signed by David Hamilton in black felt-tip pen at the lower right corner of the card.

A handsome copy.

Provenance: from the collection of the noted autograph collector Claude Armand.

Autograph letter dated and signed addressed to Thierry Maulnier who is not named (25 lines in black ink on one leaf).
Central folds inherent to postal folding.

Patrice de La Tour Du Pin thanks Thierry Maulnier and shows himself delighted to be soon published by la Table ronde even though he requires certain conditions: "... mais vraiment pour l'édition que vous me proposez si amicalement, je ne peux accepter malgré mon désir : il m'est impossible de faire paraître en même temps plus de quatre volumes de luxe ou de demi-luxe. Déjà Gallimard trouve que c'est un peu gros ! ..." ("...but truly for the edition that you propose so kindly, I cannot accept despite my desire...

Autograph note signed by Victor Hugo in ink on a newspaper cutting:

"Par le Ph.[are] de la L[oire] d'aujourd'hui j'apprends que je suis un traître j'en prends acte"

This modest yet powerful note is emblematic of the mythic Hugolian tradition of the "copeaux", or little "shavings" of paper. As an outlet, a catharsis for this overflow of thoughts and agitation, the writer accumulated ill-fated fragments: "Hugo's writing also has its wild, untamed side. Hugo was a graphomaniac: for him, writing was an imperious gesture, bound to no place or hour. Words, phrases...

Photographic postcard depicting Jean-Paul Belmondo with sunglasses and a cigarillo between his teeth.
Handsome copy.
Autograph inscription signed by Jean-Paul Belmondo in the lower margin of the photograph: "Pour Claude JP Belmondo".
Provenance: from the collection of the great autograph collector Claude Armand.

Printed calling card on which André Malraux added, in blue ballpoint pen, these few words for his friends Minka and Karl Hans Strauss:
"I am touched, dear friends, by the affectionate part you take in my grief... And what else is there to say?..."





 

Newspaper Clipping Annotated by Paul Éluard

Autograph quatrain and tercet from Cocteau's youth, comprising fourteen stanzas signed by Jean Cocteau, with fifteen lines written in black ink and titled "Pour Abel Bonnard".
This manuscript poem, bearing two autograph corrections by Jean Cocteau, was later published in the collection "Le Prince frivole," issued by Mercure de France in 1910—the poet’s second published work.
On the verso of the bifolium, Cocteau drafted an early version of the poem: the title, the first line, and the very beginning of the second, with a slight variation from the final version.
This manuscript of Le Prince frivole was long thought to be lost: “Le...

Autograph quatrain and tercet from Jean Cocteau's youth, comprising fourteen stanzas penned in black ink across 15 lines on grey paper bearing the poet’s silver monogram in the upper left corner.
Two pencil corrections in the poet’s hand.
This poem presents a variant of the version published in the collection "Le prince frivole," released by Mercure de France in 1910, Cocteau’s second published work; “Versailles dont on a tant dit” (appearing as “Le vieux parc dont on a tant dit” in the printed edition).