Tours

New edition, expanded from the novel entitled Amélina, épisode de la conquête et de la colonisation des Espagnols dans l'île d'Haïti (Tours, 1841), which comprised only the first narrative.

The following two, set respectively in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, are by a certain A***, who has not been identified.

Contemporary Romantic binding in full brown calf, smooth faded spine decorated with gilt Romantic arabesques, covers framed with gilt fillets and gilt Romantic arabesques, white moiré silk endpapers and pastedowns, corners bumped, gilt fillets to the board edges, all edges gilt.

Restorations to spine, a few minor spots of foxing.

First edition, illustrated with four tinted plates, including a frontispiece (cf. O'Reilly & Reitman, Tahiti, 6452).

Contemporary half plum sheep, the spine faded and decorated with gilt garlands and floral tools, some rubbing to the spine, marbled-paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, a few worn spots along the edges.

Scattered foxing, the plates evenly toned.

The work offers a history of the island, written in the aftermath of its annexation following the cession of his domains by King Pomare V. It provides an overview of the voyages of Quirós, Wallis, Bougainville and Cook, a portrait of Tahitian life a century earlier, and a sketch of the island’s...

Near-complete run of this scarce bi-monthly magic periodical.

Profusely illustrated (lacking only issues 1, 4 and 5 for the year 1947), Robelly having voluntarily ceased publication after issue 121.

Contemporary half sheep bindings in shades of fawn, brown or beige, spines with four raised bands gilt-tooled with floral ornaments, most spines faded or discoloured, a few minor rubs to some spines, marbled paper boards, endpapers and pastedowns, sprinkled edges; modest period bindings.

Robert Rouet, known as Robelly (1894–1975), was something of the historiographer of the "magician’s" profession, assembling a remarkable body of information and documentation.

At...

First edition, one of 50 numbered copies on Arches wove paper, the sole deluxe issue.

Spine slightly sunned.

A rare and pleasing copy.

Folio edition of the Holy Bible illustrated by Gustave Doré in two volumes.
3/4 red calf, spine with five raised bands showing some scuffing, decorated with five blind-stamped panels framed in gilt, gilt roll on the bands and at top and bottom of spine, spine-ends rubbed, spine elaborately decorated with gilt tooling, title and volume number gilt-stamped, marbled paper boards framed in gilt, small losses of paper at upper margin of front board of both volumes, paper lifting at margin of lower cover of volume two, contemporary binding. Some foxing. 
Translated by J.J. Bourassé and P. Janvier.
A handsome edition with numerous monumental woodcuts after drawings by Gustave...

First edition of this rare work. Several states are known: without any plates, not even the engraved title-frontispiece (the extremely rare deluxe issue); with the engraved title bearing the same imprint as the printed title (Tours, R. Pornin et Cie); and, finally, with the Paris, Lehuby imprint (as in the present copy).

The following explanation may be proposed: the Tours publisher Pornin reserved a small portion of the edition, without the engraved material, for the author's friends. The remainder was shared with the Paris publisher Lehuby, a specialist in children's books, who ensured its wider distribution.

The work is illustrated with a frontispiece and two steel-engraved...