« C’est à ça qu’on les reconnaît » : les éditions originales les plus précieuses sont souvent identifiées par leurs coquilles hâtivement corrigées en cours de tirage par des auteurs contrits ou furibonds ! Mais la vraie nature faillible de nos génies littéraires se révèle surtout à travers les correspondances : patronymes écorchés, grammaire malmenée, syntaxe hasardeuse et autres fautes farfelues, savourez les hiatus entre la lettre et l’esprit.
Autograph manuscripts, signed, comprising two humorous tales and three poems, written in blue ballpoint pen and violet ink, on both sides of a single sheet of ruled paper.
A few cancellations and ink smudges; minor soiling.
Autograph letter signed "R" by Auguste Renoir, addressed to his friend and great collector of his works Paul Bérard. One and a half pages in black ink on a bifolium.
Horizontal fold mark inherent to mailing.
A rare Belgian pirate edition in 8 tomes bound in 4, published shortly after the novel's first serial appearance in the Journal des débats from August 28, 1844 to January 15, 1846. Complete with all half titles and title pages. They are all dated 1845, except for the last two (vol. 7-8) dated 1846. The edition includes the misprint "Christo" for "Cristo", present in the pre-first edition of the Journal des débats, and corrected for the first time at the end of 1846 in the first illustrated edition.
Rare pirate pre-first edition of the greatest revenge novel of all time. Given the extreme rarity of the French first edition in book form, these...
First edition, with all the first issue features, including the misprint "Sénart" on the dedication leaf.
Elegant half hazel morocco bindings with corners by Blanchetière, spines with five raised bands, very slightly faded, dates gilt at foot, marbled paper sides, combed paper endleaves and pastedowns, original wrappers bound in, with the original spine preserved for the first volume, top edges gilt.
Complete with the publisher's catalogue at the end of the first volume.
Occasional light foxing.
A handsome and desirable copy, retaining its rare original wrappers and finely bound by Henri Blanchetière.
First edition limited to only 250 copies, which were not offered for sale but given to the author's close circle. This former minister under Louis XV composed these essays in 1736, and his son, the Marquis de Paulmy, had them published nearly fifty years later.
Contemporary half brown calf, grained paper boards, spine with five raised bands decorated with five compartments featuring double gilt fillets, red morocco lettering piece, red speckled edges.
First edition, with all the features of first issue copies, including the misprint “Sénart” on the dedication leaf.
Contemporary plum-coloured 3/4 morocco binding signed by Georges Huser, spines with five raised bands, numerously ruled in blind, with a gilt floral tool at centres, dates in gilt at foot, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers preserved, top edges gilt, bookplates on each front pastedown. Complete with the publisher’s catalogue at the end of the first volume.
A very handsome copy, elegantly bound by Georges Huser, with the...
« Chère amoi [sic]
Ton ami arrivé moulu brisé de deux nuits de voitures et de chemins de fer. Il t'attend demain soir mardi. Oh ce sera avec grand bonheur qu'il s'assurera que toutes choses sont dans l'état où il les a laissées
a toi »
"Je me suis fait Monsieur, une loi de ne rien changer au texte...
Autograph letter signed by Louise Michel addressed to Lucien Barrois; one and a half pages written in black ink on a bifolium of white paper with black border. Transverse folds inherent to mailing. Tears to lower margin without loss at the fold.
Louise Michel requests help for one of her friends: "Vous savez que le père Blin ne peut plus travailler depuis deux mois passés, voici maintenant la mère Blin qui vient de tomber très malade. Voyez ce qu'on pourrait faire vous savez tous les services qu'ils ont rendus en 70-71. Mon petit cousin [...] aidera le père Blin à tenir son kioske (sic) mais cela ne donne pas de secours à la maladie de Mme Blin. Mme Barrois...
Autograph letter signed by Camille Pissarro, one page on a folded bifolium. A few tears along the horizontal and vertical fold lines, not affecting the text; small paper loss to the margin of the blank leaf.
Unpublished letter from Camille Pissarro, written in an especially graceful hand, addressed to his friend the painter Maximilien Luce.
Unpublished autograph letter signed by Max Jacob addressed to Fernand Pouey. One page written in black ink on a sheet.
Two transverse folds inherent to mailing.
Remarkable letter in which Max Jacob asks a strange favor of his friend: "Un de nos amis explose [sic] des tableaux 76 Fg St Honoré galerie Charpentier le 4 avril. J'ai des obligations à son endroit et je voudrais lui montrer des sentiments d'ailleurs plus ou moins sincères. Tu peux certainement signaler au critique d'art de la maison cette peinture sûrement honorable." ["One of our friends is exploding [sic] paintings 76 Fg St Honoré galerie Charpentier on April 4th. I have obligations...
Unpublished autograph letter signed and dated, written in black ink and addressed to a notary. On the verso, probably in the hand of a secretary, the inscription "Sade du 1er avril 1793"; below this inscription, a short sentence in the Marquis's hand: "so that I may write to Gaufridy to send him money".
Some transverse folds from the original folding for posting.
Lengthy letter addressed to a notary while the Marquis, freed on April 2, 1790 by the abolition of royal warrants, is at liberty and attempting to put his affairs in order. After the Revolution his sons emigrated and he did not follow them. His name nevertheless appears on the list...
Superb original photographic portrait of Ravachol taken by Alphonse Bertillon, contemporary print on albumen mounted on bristol board.
Extremely rare handwritten caption signed by the most famous of the French anarchists, written in his hesitant and naive handwriting, at the bottom of the photo: “1er mai 1892 Koningstein [sic] Ravachol” “1st May 1892 Koningstein [sic] Ravachol”.
The spelling Koningstein chosen by Ravachol differs from his father's surname (Königstein). This variation confirmed by the Maintron (Biographical dictionary of the social and labour movement) is found in particular in a piece of his writing by hand dated 13 April 1892 and kept at the Conciergerie.
“ Un...
First edition, printed on vélin d'Angoulême paper, with the usual misprints and including the six condemned poems, one of the few copies given to the author and “intended for friends who do not deliver literary services”.
Full emerald morocco binding, signed by Marius Michel, original wrappers preserved.
Magnificent and unpublished handwritten letter signed by Fernand Léger about American jazz and colours, addressed to Gaston Criel, author of a pioneering essay on “Swing.”
The painter looks back on his exile in the United States from 1940 to 1945, talks about Louis Armstrong and of his captivating discovery of experimental jazz in New York, in the company of the Afro-American painters of the Harlem Renaissance.
29 lines in black ink, written on one leaf.
The hand-written letter is presented under a half forest green morocco chemise, green paper boards with a stylised motif, endpapers lined with green lamb, slip case lined with...
