Didot le jeune

First edition of this fine collection comprising 72 numbered copper-engraved plates. (cf. Katalog der Ornamentstichsammlung Berlin, 2744. Brunet, V, 199 lists the author's name as Scheult).

Contemporary half calf binding with vellum-tipped corners, recently rebacked with a smooth spine decorated with gilt ornamental rolls and fleurons, olive green morocco label. Some rubbing to the spine, marbled paper-covered boards.

Scattered foxing, light dampstain to the upper outer corner of most leaves.

 

Illustrated edition, with frontispiece to the first volume, of a portrait of Joan of Arc drawn by Gaucher as well as 21 figures drawn by Lebarbier, Marillier, Monnet, Monsiau, all engraved by Baquoy, Choffard, Delignon, Delvaux, Duhamel, Dupréel, Lemire, Lingée, Malbeste, Patas, Pauquet, Ponce and Romanet...
Half black shagreen bindings, smooth spines decorated with blind fillets, some rubbing to headcaps and joints, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns.
Some minor foxing.

Statement of new edition, considerably expanded. It is illustrated with a portrait by Monet as frontispiece to volume I and with 18 figures by Meon and Monnet engraved by Thérèse Martinet. Volume 1, 6 figures including the portrait, and 5 frontispieces for the theatrical pieces. In volume 2, 13 figures, 3 for the theatrical pieces as frontispieces, and 10 for each canto of La Dunciade. Edition beautifully produced by Didot, on Holland paper.
Contemporary full marbled brown calf binding, probably Directoire period. Spine with raised bands decorated with 4 different tools including an urn tool, the tools within decorated compartments. Roll tooling at head and tail. Red morocco title label with roll tooling, red morocco volume label with black pastille mosaic and gilt circle. Triple thick gilt fillet border. Marbled edges. 5 corners bumped, 3 of them on volume 2. Some lacks to edges.
Very handsome set, with remarkably fresh paper (apart from some rare foxing on verso of engravings or pale marks in margins of certain engravings).
Although one could not honestly qualify Palissot's literary production as important, he was undoubtedly a major figure in the literary life of his era; thus the various pieces, notes, remarks, letters that frame each comedy (the edition is very rich in this respect) are remarkable regarding literary life in the second half of the 18th century, notably concerning the famous quarrel of the philosophers which Palissot initiated, attacking them outrageously in his eponymous play (undoubtedly poorly conceived from a dramaturgical point of view, but excellent in its writing, each mockery hitting its mark).
Besides the theater and the poem La Dunciade, the volumes contain the Mémoires littéraires (dictionary of literary figures), correspondence with Voltaire (he was his protégé at the beginning of his career), critiques by his contemporaries (Freron, Piron, Duclos...). One will discover with pleasure the critiques by his contemporaries of his own plays. Palissot was undoubtedly a social climber, with incredible talent for polemic and mockery, and equally for flattery; this edition of his works retains the greatest interest for the world of Letters in the second part of the 18th century.

Second enlarged and expanded edition following the success of the first in 1780 of L'électricité du corps humain. Second edition of De l'électricité des végétaux, and First edition of De l'électricité des météores which appears to have been published simultaneously with the Paris edition by Croulbois. Rare gathering of Bertholon's three works on electricity in uniform binding. Bertholon planned a fourth work on minerals which never appeared. De l'électricité du corps humain, 6 folding plates at the end of volume 2. De l'électricité des végétaux: 3 folding plates at the end and one folding plate of plant diseases. De l'électricité des météores: 6 folding plates at the end of volume 2. All plates contain multiple figures, notably on the effect of lightning on the ocean, volcanoes, experiments on the human body...
Contemporary full speckled tan sheep binding. Raised band spine with decoration. Black sheep title and volume labels. One wormhole on the last compartment of volume 1. Surface wear on the lower board of volume 2. A small lack in the tail compartment of volume 2. Scratches on the lower board of Végétaux. Title label of Végétaux with rubbing. 8 corners bumped. One worm track of 1.5cm in lower margin on the first 14 leaves of volume 1 of Météores, gradually fading; in volume 2, 2 holes from page 300 in lower margin developing into 2 thin tracks in the final leaves. In volume 1 of Corps humain, wide track of 2cm up to page 50. Fresh throughout. A good copy.
Throughout Europe, the physicist's work on electricity was acclaimed and translated. His presentations are indeed clear, enhanced with personal observations and experiments. In each of the fields addressed within the domain of electricity, each work forms a compendium of contemporary knowledge. If the physicist's name was fairly quickly forgotten compared to that of his colleague Abbé Nollet, it is simply because the latter demonstrated more entertaining pedagogy and scientific popularization while Bertholon's work is that of a scientist. Promoter of his friend Benjamin Franklin's lightning rod invention, he invented several machines using electricity, one to prevent earthquakes, and 2 for plants, the electrovégétomètre and an electrical rain system.

Second edition statement.
Contemporary worn full brown marbled sheep binding. Decorated raised-band spine. Red morocco title label. Head cap worn down. Foot cap partly lacking. Upper joint cracked at head and foot. Corners bumped, one broken and trimmed. Surface wear to boards. Overall rubbed. Paper crease at upper right corner extending to page 15.
Summary of all chemical experiments governed by the phlogistic theory postulate which implies that there exists a fluid in the air at the origin of combustion. This theory was refuted by the discovery of oxygen's role in the combustion process by Lavoisier at the end of the 18th century.

New illustrated edition with 3 plates (of 4) by Moreau. Handsome edition from the Didot presses printed on laid paper.
Contemporary binding in full red morocco. Smooth spine decorated with gilt fillets, friezes and fleurons. Gilt roll in frame to covers. Gilt roll on leading edges and headcaps. All edges gilt. Spine slightly faded, otherwise a handsome copy.
The Histoire de Gérard de Nevers was written around the middle of the 15th century, and forms the prose rewriting in Burgundian circles of the Roman de la Violette by Gerbert de Montreuil (1227-1229). The Count of Tressan, who had made a specialty of exhuming medieval manuscripts and publishing medieval romances, himself adapted and modernized this version. It had the effect, like other literary works published by Tressan, of a reconsideration of medieval literature, and a renewed interest in the Middle Ages.

First edition of this thesis presented and defended at the Faculty of Medicine in Paris on January 27, 1825.
Autograph inscription from Achille Villette at head of first cover.
Rare copy in original wrappers.
A light dampstain affecting the entire text block, a crease at foot of all leaves.
Rare.

Edition illustrated with 10 figures drawn and engraved by Peyron.
Full speckled blonde sheep bindings, smooth spines ornately decorated with gilt compartments, one tiny wormhole to the head of the spine of the second volume, red Russian morocco title and volume labels with slight rubbing, gilt roulettes on the headcaps, frames of gilt dentelles and tools, light scratches to the boards, gilt friezes and tools on the leading edges, two corners slightly bumped, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, marbled edges, contemporary bindings.
Handsome copy, free from foxing, attractively housed in decorative contemporary bindings.

First edition of this thesis defended at the Faculty of Medicine of Paris on April 7, 1826.
Our pamphlet is presented in plain wrappers.
Our copy is folded widthwise, light scattered foxing.
Rare.

Third edition, revised, corrected and expanded. Illustrated with 6 folding plates drawn by Levret, engraved by Mutel, depicting polyps, surgical interventions and obstetric instruments, which were modified and improved by Levret.
Contemporary full brown calf binding. Decorated raised spine. Red morocco title label. Foot headcap partially worn. Joint cracked at head and foot of upper board. One corner slightly bumped. An owner's name has been crossed out then torn from the title page, leaving a hole in the paper.
André Levret is certainly the most famous obstetrician of the 18th century, he improved its techniques and was appointed accoucheur to the court. This important publication deals with polyps, soft tumors affecting the mucous membranes, the first chapters dealing exclusively with the female genital apparatus, the anus and colon, the following ones with the nose and throat. It presents the practitioner's observations and interventions. This third edition is expanded with a supplement "which contains new methods of carrying ligatures into deep places,
theoretical-practical Reflections on the same subjects".

First edition for the first work and new edition for Les eaux de Barege.
Contemporary full marbled calf binding. Spine with raised bands, decorated. Red morocco title label. Some rubbing, 2 corners slightly bumped and foxing on the title page.
Theophile Bordeu (1722-1776) is considered one of the greatest physicians of the 18th century, and one of the most famous theorists. He is the founder of pathological physiology and his work would give birth to Bichat's General Anatomy. The work in question reports important discoveries on the structure of tissues, and notably, it is one of the principal books on cellular role and importance. His vitalist physiology principles would earn him being taken as a model by Diderot in D'Alembert's Dream.
Jourdan, Medical Biography, 402: "Pour louer dignement ce bel ouvrage, is suffit de dire qu'il donna certainement à Bichat l'idée de son Anatomie générale, et qu'il en devint un chapitre, par un de ces heureux larcins que Bichat a su se faire pardonner en y joignant une foule de remarques qui n"appartenaient qu' à lui." ["To worthily praise this beautiful work, it suffices to say that it certainly gave Bichat the idea for his General Anatomy, and that it became a chapter thereof, through one of those fortunate thefts that Bichat knew how to have forgiven by adding a host of remarks that belonged only to him."]
From the Broussonet library, with wet stamp and autograph signature.

NB: This work is available at the bookstore on request within 48 hours.

With illustrations drawn by Le Barbier and engraved under his direction. Portrait of the author engraved by Lemire and 12 illustrations engraved by Baquoy, Dambrun, Duclos, Hubert, Petit, Romanet and Simonet.
Contemporary light-brown marbled calf, spine with gilt latticework decoration, gilt fillets and fleurons, red morocco title-piece and volume labels, gilt fillets and striae to edges of covers, gilt roulette frame to covers, delicate gilt roulette around pastedowns, all edges gilt.
A little light insignificant rubbing, spines uniformly slightly faded, but otherwise a very good copy.

First printing of this famous edition illustrated by Le Barbier, the plates for which were engraved under his direction. Frontispiece portrait of the author by Le Mire and 15 fetching hors texte illustrations after drawings by Le Barbier.
Late 19th century matt dark green morocco by Ramage of London, Jansenist spine in compartments, fillets to interior, edges gilt. A small area slightly darker than the rest at head of upper cover, the slight difference in color possibly due to the leather itself. A superb copy perfectly bound, very fresh.
Bookseller’s ticket from Librairie Garnier-Bardoul, unknown ex libris.
A nice edition of this famous French picaresque novel, mixing satire of social mores and situational burlesque.