Paris (France)

Original albumen print portrait of Edmond Rostand by Otto Wegener.
Minor damage to mount on verso of the photograph.
Signed and inscribed by Edmond Rostand to René Thorel, dated June 1903 in Cambo-les-Bains at the bottom of the photograph.
After the success of L'Aiglon in 1900, Rostand ill with pleurisy took refuge for a spa treatment at Cambo-les-Bains in the Basque country. Charmed by the region, he acquired land and built the sumptuous Villa Arnaga, now a museum dedicated to the playwright.

G.L.M, Paris 1939, 11,5x16cm, original wrappers

First edition, one of 500 numbered copies on vélin blanc, most limited issue after 15 copies on Japon.
A fine copy, despite a small stain to the upper left-hand margin of the back cover.

François-Louis Schmied, Paris 1924, 25x30,5cm, bound.

One of 140 numbered copies on wove paper with 50 original color woodcuts by François-Louis Schmied heightened in gold and silver.
Olive-green half morocco binding, smooth spine, original softcovers and spine preserved, gilt top edge.
François-Louis Schmied's autograph signature to colophon.

[Seventeen drawings by George Barbier on the Canticle of Canticles - French translation from 1316]

First edition, one of 240 numbered copies, our copy on vergé calendré paper from the Canson and Montgolfier paper factories.
Illustrated with 17 magnificent pochoir plates in black, white and gold by George Barbier.

Reprint of the so-called Keepsake edition published by Renduel in 1836, Furne having bought out the Renduel bookstore to exploit its catalogue.
Work illustrated with a portrait of Victor Hugo as frontispiece to the first volume, 2 new title vignettes as well as 11 steel engravings by Boulanger, Raffet, Rogier & Rouargue engraved by Finden, Staines...
The edition is printed in an airy typography with wide margins, close to the original published in 1831.
Foxing and browning on the engravings as is often the case.
Half dark blue Russia morocco binding, spine with four raised bands set with gilt tools, gilt friezes at head and foot, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, top edge gilt.

n.p. [Paris] 25 juin Lundi soir [25 June Monday evening] 7h3/4 [1849?]1849, 13,3x20,7cm, 4 pages on a double sheet.
Unpublished autograph letter signed by Juliette Drouet to her lover Victor Hugo, four pages written in black ink on a double sheet. Blindstamp at top right of first leaf. Folds inherent to the envelope.
Beautiful declaration of love by Juliette Drouet to Victor Hugo and his family: "O you are a blessed man, my adored one, and all your lovely family with you. The excess of my love embraces your family, and I feel I would happily die for you all" (Ô tu es un homme béni, mon adoré, et toute ta ravissante famille avec toi. L'excès de mon amour se répand sur elle et je sens que je mourrais avec bonheur pour vous tous)
This unpublished letter probably follows a weekend Hugo and Drouet spent in Rouen: "I have returned filled with happiness, joy, love and adoration, my dear beloved, yesterday will remain in my heart as one of the most beautiful, sweetest, most delightful, a charming memory takes its place in my dear little museum of love among the most charming and illustrious of my dear little collection."
Drouet met with one of Hugo's sons at the end of their trip: "I'll never forget yesterday's wonderful evening and the enthusiastic laughter of your handsome boy. I would have liked to kiss him like a daughter for the adorable friendliness he spread around us and when his enthusiasm went from the Lord's masterpiece to yours" The actress equates "the Lord's masterpiece" with those written by her lover, and also mentions the Book of Job to describe the power of her love: "The good Lord could have set limits to the sea and said: you shall go no further. But he didn't dare to do the same for love, so mine is bursting from all sides, and I myself don't know where it will stop"
A superb letter bearing witness to Juju's unconditional love for Toto.

First edition on ordinary paper.
Bradel binding in brown half morocco with corners, spine faded, gilt date at foot, a small black spot on the spine, marbled paper boards, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved and mounted on tabs.
Illustrated with a frontispiece by Félicien Rops, slightly sunned at the margins.
Provenance: from the library of Guy Seligmann, with his bookplate affixed to the head of a pastedown.