Paris

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...

First edition, one of the rare copies on laid paper.
The issue is illustrated with a drawing by Adolphe Willette "Il est né le divin enfant ! ".
Other contributions by Alphonse Allais "Le veau", Rodolphe Salis, Auguste Marin...
Handsome copy.
Le Chat noir is a weekly magazine created by Rodolphe Salis and Emile Goudeau, published from 1882 to 1897, with the aim of promoting the famous cabaret of the same name whose memory it sought to preserve. It published the texts declaimed during the shows. It is, moreover, an important literary and artistic testimony of the end of the 19th century, around the bohemian life and the Parisian effervescence that was its own.

Pléiade library edition printed on Bible paper.
Publisher's binding in full brown grained sheep, orange top edge, smooth spine decorated with gilt fillets.
Handsome copy complete with its cellophane wrapper but lacking its dust jacket and soft slipcase.

21 lines on a leaf of paper with Turgenev's monogram and address, 50 rue de Douai. Restorations with three small pieces of paper in the margin, some dampstains. Folds due to the letter's mailing.

Beautiful autograph letter signed by Ivan Tourgueniev addressed to Gabriel Monod (1844-1912), historian, former student of the prestigious École Normale Supérieure and director of the École des Hautes Études. Tourgueniev comes to the aid of Nicolas Egorovič Bitmead (1842 [?]-1886), a revolutionary recently expelled from Russia, and recommends him to his friend.
This is a touching demonstration of Turgenev's legendary generosity, who helped him once again by...

Vinyl record signed by Edith Piaf – "Récital 1962 à L'Olympia"

Columbia | Paris 1962 | 31 x 31 cm | a vinyl under sleeve

Original French release of the Édith Piaf concert titled "Récital 1962", recorded live on the night of the premiere at L'Olympia in Paris, September 27, 1962.

Rare autograph signature of Edith Piaf on the Olympia label pasted on the record.

First edition on ordinary paper.
Spine lightly sunned with a small stain, rear board stained at lower right corner.
Rare autograph inscription signed by Kateb Yacine to Christian Juin: "... en attendant qu'on chante ensemble !" ["... while waiting to sing together!"]

The first edition, of which there were no deluxe copies.
Spine lightly sunned, boards marginally stained and sunned, handsome interior condition.
Autograph inscription signed by Louis Althusser to psychologist Robert Francès.

Edition from the Pléiade library printed on Bible paper.
Publisher's full green grained sheep binding, blue top edge, smooth spine decorated with gilt fillets.
Handsome copy complete with its cellophane wrapper but lacking its slipcase.

First edition, a Service de Presse (advance) copy.
Spine lightly sunned, covers marginally soiled.
Autograph inscription signed by Jean d'Ormesson to Anne Segalen.

First edition of this fervent issue, with its front page exalting the memory of the Paris Commune.
Texts by Alain Krivine, Camille Foutrier, André Marty and Léon Trotsky on the Commune, Alain Bertrand and various correspondents of the review.
Handsome and rare copy.

First edition of this issue condemning the Francoist dictatorship.
Texts by various correspondents of the magazine.
Handsome and rare copy.

[The Man of René Descartes. And a treatise on the formation of the foetus by the same author].
Chez Jacques Le Gras, à Paris 1664, 4-to (18 x 24cm), (70 p.) 448 pp. (8 p.), bound.

The true first edition. The privilege is shared between several publishers: Charles Angot, Jacques and Nicolas Le Gras and Théodore Girard. A Latin translation had been published in Leiden in 1662 by Florent Schuyl (1619-1669), from a poor copy of the text, according to the preface by Claude Clerselier (1614-1684), who had the original Descartes manuscript.
Illustrated with 49 figures of optics and anatomy by MM. de Gutschoven and de La Forge, marked “G” or “F”...

Chez Charles Angot, à Paris 1668, 4to (17.5 x 23cm), 303 pp. (23 p.); 127 pp. (1 p.), bound.

Third edition of Discours de la méthode, dated 8 May 1668, expanded with Traité de la Méchanique first published here and the first French edition of Abrégé de la Musique. Another “third edition” of Discours de la Méthode by Théodore Girard and Nicolas Le Gras (with Michel Bobin) was printed a few days earlier (28 April) without the additional texts. For the first time, Descartes' name is present on the title-page of both editions.
First edition of Traité de la méchanique and first French...

First edition in French, of which no deluxe copies are mentioned.
Half navy blue shagreen binding, spine with four raised bands underlined with gilt fillets, a trace of discoloration at foot of spine, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns.
Some foxing, a name inscribed in ink on the title page.

Pléiade library edition printed on Bible paper.
Publisher's full grained burgundy sheepskin binding, grey top edge, smooth spine decorated with gilt fillets, copy complete with its glassine wrapper but lacking its soft case.
Handsome copy.
This volume contains: "The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes" by Mateo Aleman and "The Life of Guzman d'Alfarache" by Francisco de Quevedo and "The Life of the Adventurer Don Pablos de Segovia".