Jean-Nicolas Barba

Rare first edition published anonymously.
With a frontispiece "Je n'ai jamais vu un aussi petit homme" engraved by Benoist after Claude-Louis Desrais.
Half brown calf binding, smooth spine slightly sunned and ruled in gilt, marbled paper boards, endpapers and pastedowns in caillouté paper, contemporary binding.
A rare copy of this satyrical and erotic novel about the love adventures of a dwarf and a giant. Despite their rivalry, the dwarf remedies the giant's impotence by hiding in his breeches, and together they take revenge on a cruel marquise.
We have found only four copies in public collections (National Library of France, British Library, Library of Château d'Oron, Switzerland, and National Library of Hungary).
Not included in the Dictionnaire des ouvrages anonymes.

First edition illustrated with an engraving as frontispiece to each of the four volumes.
Half red shagreen bindings, spines with four thin raised bands set with gilt garlands and decorated with broad black fillets, gilt friezes at head and foot, marbled paper boards, two joints slightly cracked.
On the fourth volume: a filled gap at foot of pages 41-42 (not touching text) and a marginal tear without loss on pages 211-212 with slight damage to text.
Charles-Antoine-Guillaume Pigault de l'Épinoy, known as Pigault-Lebrun, was a French novelist and playwright born in 1753 in Calais and died in 1835 at La Celle-Saint-Cloud. Pigault Lebrun is at the very source of French popular fiction which flourished in the 19th century with Alexandre Dumas and Eugène Sue. He made the fortune of publisher Barba who wrote his biography.
Rare.

First edition.
Bradel binding in full grey cloth, smooth spine, black shagreen title-label, gilt date, gilt monogram and coat of arms at head of front board, original wrappers preserved.
Some foxing, pale dampstain to margins of leaves.
Rare.

First edition.
Contemporary brown paper Bradel binding, modern black sheep title label, skillful repairs to joints and corners.
Rare autograph inscription from the author to his friend the sculptor David (d'Angers). The inscription, though its ink has faded, is still legible.
Retaining its frontispiece lithograph by Raffet.
Occasional spotting.

First edition.
Half cherry red sheep binding, smooth spine decorated with gilt arabesques, double gilt fillets at head and foot, light rubbing to joints without significance, marbled paper boards, contemporary binding.
Some foxing mainly at beginning and end of volume.

First edition illustrated with 4 frontispieces drawn by Huot and engraved by Texier.
Contemporary half brown calf bindings. Blue paper boards. Smooth spine decorated with 4 concentric tools and roulettes. Black title and volume labels. Handsome copy. Foxing.
Charles-Antoine-Guillaume Pigault de l'Épinoy, known as Pigault-Lebrun, was a French novelist and playwright born in 1753 in Calais and died in 1835 in La Celle-Saint-Cloud. Pigault Lebrun was at the very source of the French popular novel that would flourish in the 19th century with Dumas and Sue. His life was as eventful as his work. He made the fortune of publisher Barba, who wrote his biography. New editions of this excellent author are still awaited.

Some of these plays are first editions. Only the last play is by Lemercier. The work brings together the author's best plays, notably Le Philinte de Molière, a Revolutionary play which had considerable success.
Contemporary full sheep binding. Smooth spine with fleurons and roulettes. Red morocco title label. Roulette frame on boards. 2 corners slightly bumped. A lack of leather at the top of the upper joint. Rubbing to joints, edges.
Fabre d'Églantine (1750-1794) was a strange character, first an itinerant actor then writer of comedies, he became Danton's secretary then deputy to the Convention, to end up guillotined in 1794 (for forgery and use of forgeries), alongside Danton whom he had principally contributed to having executed.

First edition published anonymously.
Bradel binding in full boards covered with marbled paper, smooth spine, hazelnut morocco title-label, original wrappers preserved, binding cold-stamped by Henry Joseph successor to Pierson.
Scattered foxing.
Rare.

First edition.
Tears with losses to covers, handsome interior condition.

Second edition.
Work illustrated with several vignettes after Déveria.
Handsome copy.

First edition.
A good copy.

First edition.
Autograph inscription from one of the authors on the front cover.
Marginal notes for the distribution of roles and one manuscript correction in the text.
Some minor foxing as expected, slight corner loss to front cover.
Rare.

First edition of the theatrical adaptation of this major 19th-century event.
Light marginal lacks not affecting the text on some pages, two small stains on the final endpaper.
Rare.