Paris (France)

First edition of Les Hommes d'aujo­urd'hui (33 issues lacking out of 469). Five volumes bound in light blue half-cloth, smooth spines, blue morocco ti­tle labels decorated with double filets, marbled paper boards (4 volumes). The color title pages have been preserved and bound in. Marginal tears without damage to the text (no. 163; no. 165; no. 184, p. 2). Mar­ginal restorations without damage to text on 8 leaves be­tween nos. 214 and 223. Two leaves of no. 224 backed. Mar­ginal tear with some paper missing (no. 345, p.1). Format of quires in the first vol­ume varies; some are trimmed more than others.
First edition of Les Femmes du jour, very rare complete collection in 11 issues published between 1886 and 1892 (the last very rare Réjane issue appeared in 1892, six years after the other 10). Bound in half red cloth, smooth spine, mid­night-blue morocco title labels framed in gilt, gilt title length­wise, marbled paper boards.

An impressive gal­lery of prominent 19th century women and men carica­tured and described by the foremost avant-garde artists and writers of the time.

First edition, rare first issue copy (printing error in the Grasset imprint, original soft cover dated 1913, publisher's catalog in-fine, no table of contents) for the first volume ; first issue of A l'ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs without statement of edition, one of about 500 copies, the 2000 later issued copies bearing a false statement of edition on the cover, pasted label "majoration temporaire cinquante pour cent" on the spine of the preserved soft cover; first editions on pur fil for the following volumes, only deluxe copies with réimposés quarto copies.
Famous misprint known as "La faute à Grasset" : most important printer's error, only present on service de presse (advance copies) and very first issue copies of Swann. A vertical bar | had slipped between Grasset's E and T on the lower part of the title-page and was quickly removed during printing. 17 deluxe copies – 5 on japon and 12 on Hollande paper – were printed after first issue corrections.
No statement of edition: true feature of first issue copies of A l'ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs. Although dated 30 November 1918, the 128 "réimposés" copies were only printed in 1919 along with deluxe copies of the Swann second edition.
The complete first edition, first issue of La Recherche du temps perdu includes the first two volumes on ordinary paper with the above-mentioned particularities, then deluxe copies for the following volumes. These deluxe copies on pur-fil are of the same format than the first two volumes.
Elegant three-quarter blue morocco binding signed J.-P. Miguet, spine with five raised bands tooled in gilt, dates in gilt at foot, tiger eye marbled paper boards, endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers including spine preserved in every volume, gilt untrimmed edges, chemised in a felt-lined dark blue morocco slipcase, tiger eye marbled paper boards.
Small restored corners on spine and boards of the first volume, restored piece of paper to the margin of the front endpaper of Sodome et Gomorrhe II.
This complete collection of In Search of Lost Time includes the following titles: Du côté de chez Swann, A l'ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs, Le Côté de Guermantes (2 volumes), Sodome et Gomorrhe (3 volumes), La Prisonnière (2 volumes), Albertine disparue (2 volumes) et Le Temps retrouvé (2 volumes).
Very handsome copy set in a morocco binding by Jean-Paul Miguet.

Provenance : library of Pierre Bergé, business tycoon, writer and companion of fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent, with his engraved bookplate on each front endpaper.
After the famous "sale of the century" of artworks from the Bergé-Saint-Laurent collection sold at auction after the death of the great designer for 375.3 million euros, Pierre Bergé waited another 13 years before parting with his prestigious library assembled over forty years with his famous lover.
Considered one of the most beautiful bibliophilic collections of the century, the library of the businessman known as the "Prince of Haute Couture" was exhibited in New York before being auctioned.

First edition, one of the deluxe copies on alfa paper.
Sunned spine, like most copies.
Publisher's binding after an original design by Mario Prassinos.

The second édition originale on ordinary paper. Fifteen hundred copies had been printed, plus 4 on chine paper, a few copies on hollande and on vélin. Complete with the portrait of the author by Félix Bracquemond (often missing), here in first state on papier chine pasted on the page (before letters, i.e. “L'Artiste” on top of the portrait).
A very rare copy with untrimmed margins and no foxing, preserved in its original soft cover; housed in a custom clamshell box with the design of the original cover and spine, signed by Julie Nadot.

 

Mistakenly considered as “partly original”, this edition was entirely revised by the author, with 35 newly composed poems and 55 “deeply rewritten” poems [profondément remaniés] among the 129 poems. This true new first edition of Les Fleurs du Mal is the culmination of Baudelaire's grand œuvre and the only text of reference for foreign language translations.

First edition, one of 215 numbered copies on pur fil paper.
Handsome copy.

First edition, one of the 50 numbered copies on papier japon, the only grands papiers (deluxe copies). One of the few named copies, this one printed especially for Dr. Anselme Weill.

Half red morocco binding, top edge gilt. Original wrappers preserved

Very rare copy signed and inscribed by Alfred Dreyfus: “au Dr Weill, Souvenir reconnaissant et affectueux. A. Dreyfus” (“to Dr. Weill, grateful and affectionate souvenir. A. Dreyfus”)

The last letters of the word “affectueux” trimmed by the binder.

Dr. Anselme Weill was charged with the difficult task of announcing to the Dreyfus family the news of Alfred's life sentence and formal degradation. In his book Affaire Dreyfus, L'Honneur d'un patriote, Vincent Duclert writes: “Mathieu [Dreyfus, Alfred's brother] had asked a relative of the Hadamard family, Dr. Weill, to wait for the announcement of the verdict and to bring the news to the apartment on rue de Châteaudun, where a small group of friends and family members was waiting. He arrived at half past seven in the evening.” He also reveals that Anselme Weill had testified on behalf of Alfred Dreyfus at his trial: “Other allegations could be rejected, for example those directed towards Dr. Weill, whose wife was a third cousin of Lucie Dreyfus. 'I attest, as the very frequent, almost daily relations that I had with him as a relative, as a doctor and as a friend, allow me to do so, I attest that Dreyfus was always a perfect husband, and that I never knew him to be a gambler nor a libertine. However, it is just the opposite that I am made to say, and I protest against these allegations. I have nothing to add', he declared to the court.”

As expected, Alfred Dreyfus sent one of the rare copies on papier japon to Weill, his cousin, friend and one of his most ardent defenders.
The copies printed on papier japon (probably 25 numbered copies sold by subscription and 25 named copies for close friends and main supporters) inscribed by Alfred Dreyfus are extremely rare. Only a few recipients are known: Émile Zola, Colonel Picquart, Dr. Brissaud, Emmanuel Vidal-Nacquet, Mrs. Henri Bernheim (his niece), Bernard Lazare (now in the Musée de Bretagne) and Sacha Guitry.

Provenance: library of Anselme Weill.

Rare and handsome uncut copy.