Alphonse Lemerre

First edition.
Contemporary Bradel binding in full Empire-green cloth, smooth spine decorated with a gilt fleurion, date and double gilt fillet at foot, black morocco lettering-piece with a small marginal loss, original wrappers preserved, corners very slightly rubbed, without consequence, contemporary binding signed Durvand.

Precious signed presentation copy from Alphonse Daudet to the distinguished historian of the Napoleonic era and fellow member of the Académie française, Frédéric Masson.

Provenance: from the library of Émile Henriot, with his manuscript ex-libris beside the binder's name at the head of an endpaper ; on the facing page appears...

First edition, issued without any deluxe paper copies.

Occasional marginal tears to upper part of front cover, small lacks of paper to spine-ends, lack of paper to the lower left corner of the lower cover, and a small snag to lower part of lower cover.

Exceptional presentation copy from one woman writer to another, addressed by Georges de Peyrebrune to Jane Catulle Mendès: "pour mon exquise confrère / pour ma charmante amie / Madame Catulle Mendès / En souvenir / Peyrebrune".

First editions by Peyrebrune and even more so her inscribed copies are decidedly scarce: "it is still very difficult to find Peyrebrune's books nowadays" (Sophie...

First edition on ordinary paper, with no mention of large paper copies.

Occasional light spotting, a small angular lack to half-title.
Elegant pastiche marbled paper Bradel binding by Thomas Boichot, brown morocco title label, covers preserved.
Handsome autograph inscription signed by the author: "A Guy de Maupassant, son ami [For Guy de Maupassant, his friend]."

Bilingual edition in Provençal with the French translation printed opposite.

Contemporary half brown shagreen, smooth spine sunned and decorated in gilt with floral tools and ornamental motifs, gilt initials at foot, cat’s-eye paper sides, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, wrappers preserved.

A few minor foxing spots, the first gathering tending to loosen.

Precious dated autograph inscription signed by Frédéric Mistral in Provençal to his friend, the félibre poet Paul Arène.

First edition, one of the scarce copies on Japon paper.
Work illustrated with 17 colour plates.
A fine copy with wide margins.

First edition, one of 500 copies, dated 1867 on the wrapper.

3/4 brown morocco binding, spine with four raised bands framed in gilt and decorated with double gilt compartments adorned with small gilt tools at the corners and a large central floral tool at centre, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers preserved with two minor restorations to the upper cover, gilt top edge, elegant binding signed by Bernasconi. A few minor foxing spots, slightly more pronounced on the first leaves.

Rare and precious autograph presentation...

First edition, one of 10 numbered copies on Hollande paper, the only large paper copies along with 10 on China.
Contemporary half red morocco over marbled paper boards, spine in six compartments with gilt flowers, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, covers preserved, top edge gilt.
Provenance : from the Lallemand de Mont collection, Stanislas de Guaita's son in law with his ex libris to pastedown.
A rare large paper copy with an exceptional provenance. 

First edition, one of 50 copies on vergé de Hollande, only deluxe issue (with 10 copies on papier Chine).
Contemporary dark red shagreen, probably a publisher's binding, spine in six compartments with gilt fleurons, covers with double gilt fillet frame and gilt fleurons to corners, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, edge of covers ruled in gilt, gilt roulette to head-pieces, top edge gilt, slipcase edged in dark red shagreen. 
A very rare and handsome copy perfectly set in a contemporary binding.

Later edition.
Autograph inscription from Jules Barbey D'Aurevilly to Madame Salomon : "... parce qu'il est plus moi que mes autres livres, je vous l'offre...[since it is more like me than my other books, I give it to you…]" What an inscription!
With a frontispiece portrait of the author by Martinez.
The front free endpaper with the inscription very slightly and partially faded.
Autograph inscriptions by Barbey d'Aurevilly on this work are rare and much sought after.