Armorial bindings / Emblems / Heraldry / Genealogy

First edition. 

Official series not recorded by Polak. 

Contemporary full cherry-red morocco binding, smooth spine decorated with gilt Romantic arabesques, gilt roll tooling partly worn at the spine ends, covers with a wide panel of sextuple gilt fillets and Romantic arabesques, corner ornaments in gilt, crowned "FO" cipher stamped in gilt at the centre of each cover, doublures and endpapers lined with azure watered silk, gilt garland frame to the doublures, corners slightly rubbed, all edges gilt, an elegant Romantic binding of the period.

A few dark stains to the covers, occasional foxing mainly affecting the endpapers.

Copy from the library of Ferdinand-Philippe

First edition of the English translation of "De Logomachiis eruditorum" (Amsterdam, 1688) by the Swiss Reformed theologian Samuel Werenfels (1657–1740), a notably engaging essay on the obstacles to concord among Christians created by the endless disputes over the terminology used to define points of belief.

A few small spots of foxing.

Full speckled fawn calf, the spine with five raised bands decorated with gilt compartments and gilt tools; rubbing to the spine, the gilt title almost entirely effaced, headcaps trimmed down with a small loss to the tailcap; gilt double-fillet border with gilt corner tools on the covers; some wear to the board edges w

First edition, illustrated with a frontispiece and four plates after drawings from life by Voutier, engraved on copper by Normand fils (cf. Loukia Droulia, 429; Blackmer, 1750; not in Atabey).

Half black shagreen binding, spine restored, with four raised bands ruled in triple gilt fillets, aubergine paper boards, boards faded, gilt armorial device stamped to the upper cover, modern bookplate pasted at the head of a pastedown, contemporary binding.

Scattered foxing.

"Voutier went to Greece in 1821 and acted as ADC to Mavrocordatos on the Peta campaign" (Leonora Navari).

Distinguished provenance: copy bearing t

Unique ensemble of works devoted to the philanthropic achievements of the Marquise d'Aligre (1776–1843).

Full olive-green calf, the spine slightly darkened, with five raised bands framed by triple gilt fillets and decorated with double gilt panels; gilt roll tools on the partially worn headcaps, rubbing to joints, gilt scrolling borders on the covers, gilt armorial device stamped at the centre of the upper cover, large blind-stamped fleuron at the centre of the lower cover; marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt dentelle border on the pastedowns, gilt edges somewhat dulled on the board edges, all edges gilt; lower corners softened; contemporary binding.

A few scattered spots.<

New edition, partly original, revised, corrected and enlarged.

Bound in full red morocco, spines with five raised bands decorated with gilt garlands and compartments adorned with crowned “LL” monograms, gilt rolls on the caps, triple gilt fillets framing the covers, gilt armorial stamps of Louis XV at the centre of each board, gilt dentelle border on the turn-ins, gilt fillets along the edges, marbled edges. Slightly rubbed corners. Contemporary bindings.

Some leaves slightly yellowed, minor paper flaw on page 101 of the second volume.

Extensive and highly useful table of contents at the end of the second volume. Jean-Antoine Soulatges, lawyer at the Parliament of Toulou

First edition, illustrated with woodcut armorial bearings at the head of the first page of text.

Description of the equestrian procession that accompanied through Rome the new Roman senator, Count Nils Bielke (1706–1765), a Swedish knight, chamberlain to the King of Sweden and papal chamberlain following his recent conversion to Catholicism.

The text gives a detailed account of the sumptuous costumes worn by the participants and of the various decorative settings. It concludes with the names and titles of all those who took part in the procession.

Ink annotations at the head of the final page.

Our copy is preserved in its original wrappers, now protected by modern

First edition of this periodical, the inaugural volume of which appeared in 1776. Publication continued until 1789 and ultimately comprised 112 volumes; sets are consequently very difficult to assemble, particularly in uniform bindings.

Copy bearing unidentified arms.

Contemporary full brown sheep. Smooth gilt-decorated spine. Red morocco lettering-piece and volume label. Upper cover stamped with armorial devices. Headcaps defective in five places. Various abrasions. A few early cracks at the head of the joints.

First edition.

Bound in full cherry red morocco, smooth spine richly gilt with romantic typographic ornaments, gilt roll tooling on the caps, boards framed with double gilt fillets and interlaced motifs with gilt corner fleurons, gilt AO monogram stamped at the center of the boards, gilt garland border on the pastedowns, moiré sky-blue silk endpapers and pastedowns, trace of a removed bookplate on one pastedown, gilt fillets on the edges, all edges gilt, contemporary binding.

The sections relating to the colonies are as follows: Martinique, pp. 199–203; Guadeloupe and dependencies, pp. 204–209; French Guiana, pp. 210–212; Bourbon, pp. 216–220; French settlements in Oceania, pp

First edition, illustrated with 6 folding plates at the end of the volume (cf. Polak 5375).

Contemporary Bradel binding in full red boards, flat spine, black shagreen label with gilt lettering, the upper cover stamped in gilt with the monogram of Prince Eugène de Beauharnais, stepson of Napoleon. Lower corners a bit rubbed. Period binding.

A few minor spots, not affecting legibility.

Only two copies listed in the CCF (BnF and École Polytechnique).

The only edition of this insightful analysis of French naval doctrine at the close of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, significantly bearing the motto on the title page: Delenda est Britannia. Charles-Louis-Victor d

New collected edition of the works of this German-born Neo-Latin poet, one of a few copies printed on deluxe Dutch paper (see Brunet III, 1180–1181. Cf. G. Oberlé, "Poètes néo-latins", pp. 134–137; Van Tieghem, p. 91 ff.).

The first volume includes a portrait of the author.

Full ivory vellum bindings, spines with five raised bands richly decorated with gilt floral and ornamental rolls, red morocco title labels, gilt dentelle frame to covers, gilt plaques with the legend "Minerva Dordracena" at the center of each board, sprinkled edges, red silk ties (mostly missing), contemporary bindings.

A fine edition according to Brunet, who notes: “There are copies on Du

First edition, illustrated with 11 plates including a frontispiece. This copy has been enriched with a second frontispiece inserted before the half-title: the frontispiece from the Relation de la bataille de Marengo présentée à l'empereur par le Maréchal Berthier, published in 1808. This image, depicting Napoleon on horseback listening to Marshal Berthier outlining the battle plan held by a guard, has been mounted on red cloth. The booklet contains only a half-title, as the original cover—which has not been preserved—appears to have served as the title page: beneath a central imperial eagle, it simply bore the date and the mention “Paris, En vente chez tous les libraires.”

The rare first edition, illustrated with 100 in-text figures of medals, each showing obverse and reverse. Of the three parts that were to appear successively, only this one was published, Le Menestrier's death having put an end to this work. The work was not even put on sale; the author only distributed a few copies around him. It is therefore very rare to come across this edition. The 1642 edition entitled Medales illustrées des anciens Empereurs et Impératrices de Rome is the same work to which the publisher Paillot added the Médailles des impératrices from a manuscript he had purchased from the heirs. Jean-Baptiste Le Menestrier, antiquarian, should not be confused with the heraldist C

First edition. 14 full-page plates including two folding, numerous illustrations in the text, as well as twelve pages of tables with hieroglyphic and Chinese characters.

Beige calf binding, elaborately gilt spine, boards stamped with the arms of the Society of Writers to the Signet. Minor foxing. Spine, corners and spine-ends restored, some wear to spine and boards.

A rare copy of this abundantly illustrated treasure trove of esoteric science, serving as an initiation into the mysteries of Egypt through the study of hieroglyphics.

One of the rarest and most interesting works by Pierre Lacour, a painter, engraver and literary scholar who succeeded

A new duodecimo edition of the most celebrated work by the writer and historian Charles Pinot Duclos, published in the same year as the first edition. According to the Dictionnaire des ouvrages anonymes et pseudonymes of 1822, "the edition without place of publication, 1751, 12mo, in large type"—the present edition—"should be preferred to that bearing Prault's name, 1751, which contains a dedicatory epistle to the King." (our own translation)

Fine contemporary binding in polished tan ca

First edition, illustrated with full-page 65 plates.

Occasional light foxing.

Blue morocco half-binding, spine with five raised bands ruled and decorated in gilt with gilt floral tools, marbled boards, marbled endpapers, original wrappers preserved, top edge gilt; bookplate on front pastedown.

A handsome copy in an attractive binding.

A fine and substantial group relating to the Vaudreuil family, of considerable importance in the history of the French colonies, both in Canada and in Saint-Domingue.

The work is illustrated, at the beginning of the volume, with a folding genealogical table printed hors-texte.

Contemporary full marbled sheep binding, spine in six compartments gilt and tooled with floral motifs, red morocco title-piece, rubbing to the joints and restorations to the spine, gilt arms stamped at the centres of the boards, minor losses and abrasions to the boards, marbled endpapers, gilt fillets to the edges partially faded, marbled edges, an early binding.

The folding plate at the beginning

First edition for each of the volumes.

Contemporary full mottled fawn sheep binding, spine with five raised bands, tooled in gilt with alternating anchors and fleurs-de-lis, joints split and restored at head and foot, burgundy shagreen title-piece with a small angular loss, spine ends trimmed, gilt arms stamped at the centre of the covers, red edges, corners bumped, contemporary binding.

 2 ff.n.ch., 81 pp. Sabin 12235. Polak 1655 records this work from the Maurice Chamonal catalogue no. 31.

Bound after: Cyprien-Antoine de Lieudé de Sepmanville: "Détail particulier pour la carte de la Gonave, ajoutée en 1788 au Pilote de l'Isle de Saint-Domingue", printed in Par

First edition illustrated with 3 repeated engraved title-frontispieces representing the King's garden, 451 plates drawn by Aubriet (who would later accompany the author on his voyage to the Levant), and 5 text vignettes. Dedication to King Louis XIV.

Contemporary polished marbled beige calf, spines with raised bands decorated with the cipher of Louis XIV in 4 compartments ornamented with fleur-de-lys, stars and plants, red morocco titles and volume labels, volume labels decorated with fleur-de-lys and suns, royal arms stamped on covers (OHR n°2494, 10, still in use at the beginning of the reign of Louis XV), boards thrice framed in gilt, inner dentelle and on edges, speckled edges,

First edition with false statement of 3rd edition, as this theater play was first created at the théâtre français on January 18, 1866.
Split to upper part of joint of the second board, some wear to head and foot of joints, rubbed corners.
Contemporary deep green morocco binding. Arms of Napoléon III stamped at center of each boards. A nice copy.
In the aftermath of the Terror, the author portrays the protagonists of the French political revival: General Hoche and General Bonaparte in the Salon of Madame Tallien.

First French edition, after the first edition published in 1608 in Mainz, where the author worked as a teacher. Illustrated with a title-frontispiece, allegory of the 7 deadly sins represented by monsters, Christ in medallion at the top with his feet on a seven-headed dragon.

Contemporary beige morocco, spine elaborately decorated in gilt, sides with central gilt armorial stamps, full quartered arms on the lower plate, boards elaborately framed in gilt using the same tools as the spine, with gilt cornerpieces, gilt edges, traces of laces. Upper spine restored, as well as spine-ends. Brown stain to second board, 1cm in diameter. Leaf 553, a hole to the lower margin, a few pale t

New deluxe edition printed by Didot on deluxe vellum paper. Includes two superb engravings by Moreau, engraved by Giraud. Critical edition with preface, annotations, and Plutarch's Life of Phocion in Amyot's translation.
Copy bearing the crowned cipher of Louis-Philippe stamped on both boards. Once on the throne of France, Louis-Philippe abandoned the arms of the Duke of Orléans in favor of his crowned cipher, a symbol of his role as constitutional monarch. Later in his reign, the crown would even be removed, leaving only the bare cipher.
Later Restoration binding in red long-grain morocco, attributable to Simier, Louis-Philippe's bookbinder (Louis-Philippe had several copies bound

First edition published by Antoine Le Bouc in 1642 and later reissued for sale in 1684, with a cancel slip pasted over the original imprint, bearing the updated address of Antoine Vuarin. This intriguing bibliographical feature suggests that a portion of the original printing remained unsold. Notably, the work was never reprinted. Epistle addressed to Cardinal Richelieu.
Fine allegorical frontispiece by Avice. The illustrations include a genealogical chart of the House of Orléans; two genealogical tables of the House of Luxembourg; four plates demonstrating the Marquis de Gesvre's descent from Charlemagne; a plate detailing the quarterings of the Marquis de Noirmoustier's arms; a genea

First edition.

Armorial copy of the Dukes of Luynes, at this date, most certainly of Marie Charles Louis d'Albert de Luynes, 5th Duke of Luynes. Armorial copies of the Luynes always bear only the heraldic device of the crowned lion on the spine in the 18th century.
Full glazed and marbled brown calf binding. Spine with raised bands decorated with the heraldic device of the Dukes of Luynes, with crowned lion. Red morocco title and volume labels. Small crack to lower joint at head of volume II. On the lower joint of volume 3, crack along one compartment for 2cm. In volume IV, small cracks to joints at foot, for a few millimeters. P.403, volume II, hole with loss of on

First edition.
Contemporary full brown sheep binding. Smooth spine richly decorated with ornamental tools and roulettes. Red morocco title and volume labels. The title label reads "Memoire de Torcy" while the title page is anonymous, so the author of these anonymous memoirs must have been well known at the time. Light rubbing. The half-titles of volumes II and III are not present, as in all copies we have consulted, so it is possible that they are not actually missing, and that there was only one half-title for the entire work. Very handsome copy, very fresh.
Armorial bookplate engraved in the 18th century of Louis Francois (1713-1791), Marquis de Monteynard (Languedoc), First G

New edition, after the original published in 1627 under the title: De proxeneta seu De prudentia civili. One frontispiece title.
Copy with the cipher and arms of the Duke and Duchess of Montausier.
Contemporary full brown sheep binding. Spine decorated with the crowned cipher of the Duke and Duchess of Montausier (repeated 3 times in each compartment). Brown sheep title label. Boards stamped with arms and ciphers in the corners and triple fillet frame. Red edges. Paper browned. Skilful and fine restorations to headcaps, joints and corners. Gilding faded in places. Good copy.
Major figure of the 17th century, Charles de Sainte-Maure was made Duke of Montausier and

First edition of the French translation of Livy's Roman History by Pierre Du Ryer, historian, member of the French Academy and great translator for the Parisian booksellers of the period. This translation is accompanied by the supplements of Jean Freinsheim, philologist and historiographer to Queen Christina of Sweden, to whom Du Ryer dedicates the work. The edition also includes Florus's complete Summaries at the head of each book. Arms of Louis XIII engraved on the title page, text enhanced with engraved headpieces, initials and tailpieces.

Full calf binding, spine with 6 raised bands, later 18th-century red morocco title-label decorated with an eagle, arms of the Sade family

First edition, illustrated with a title vignette, 6 folding maps and 2 folding plates (sun and moon positions, diagrams); a map of the coasts of Acadia and Isle Royale, one of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, plan of Canseau harbor, the southeastern coasts of Isle Royale, plan of Chibouctou harbor, southeastern point of Acadia, 
Presentation copy with the cipher and arms of Louis XV.
Contemporary binding in full marbled and glazed brown sheep. Spine with raised bands decorated with the repeated cipher of Louis XV. Red morocco title label. Boards stamped with the gilt arms of Louis XV. Triple gilt fillet frame on boards. 2 compartments restored partially effacing the ciph

Rare French first edition in the translation by Esprit Pézenas, illustrated with 2 title vignettes and 78 folding plates representing instruments used for physics demonstrations.

Armorial copy with unidentified coat of arms.
Contemporary full porphyry sheep binding. Decorated spine with raised bands. Beige calf title label, brown sheep volume label. One lack to foot of volume I. Light lack to head compartment of volume II and to foot compartment. Split to upper joints at foot of both volumes, 1cm. Corners with leather losses, as well as to edges. The use of acid to achieve the porphyry marbling has caused certain alterations to the leather, notably

New illustrated edition with a portrait as frontispiece, 3 title vignettes, and 41 folding plates. According to Brunet, the first octavo edition following the original quarto published in 1769 of these Commentaries. Title pages printed in red and black.
Contemporary full mottled calf binding. Spine with raised bands, gilt-tooled. Beige morocco title-piece, black basane volume label. Head of volume 2 restored. Surface abrasions on the boards, polished with wax. Traces of rubbing. A handsome copy, the paper of remarkable freshness.
Ex libris with 18th-century armorial bookplate of Biel D. de Lislemont.

First bilingual edition, with French facing Greek, translated by Pierre Coste, with his footnotes. Title page printed in red and black. Extended preface by Pierre Coste.
Copy bearing the arms of Queen Elisabeth Farnese of Spain, Princess of Parma, queen from 1714 to 1746. A woman of power whose policies profoundly influenced Spain. Double coat of arms surmounted by a closed royal crown, encircled by the collars of the Orders of the Holy Spirit and the Golden Fleece. Dexter: Spain; sinister: Farnese ("or with six fleurs-de-lys azure, 3,2,1"). An intriguing feature of the queen’s arms: the collars of the Orders of the Holy Spirit and of the Golden Fleece, although these

New edition after the first, very rare, published in 1670. Huet's Treatise on the Origin of Novels, in the form of a letter to Segrais, appears at the end of the first part of Zaïde.

Armorial copy of Charlotte Emilie Le Fèvre de Caumartin de La cour de Balleroy, daughter of Louis-François Le Fèvre de Caumartin, lord of Boissy, and wife of the Marquis de la Cour de Balleroy. Feminine arms are rare and sought after, as few women formed libraries with their coat of arms. The Marquise de Balleroy, who died in 1749, settled in Normandy, and maintained an intense correspondence with the highest nobility from which she descended.

Full speckled brow

New edition. It is known that the first volumes 1 to 8 appeared in 1777, then the rest staggered until 1789. This edition does not contain Bachaumont's name on the title page, unlike the original. It is not known whether the address is fictitious or real, but the typographical material appears to be Dutch. Bachaumont wrote the first volumes but they were edited by Pidansat de Mairobert who continued writing the volumes until his death in 1779, then it was Moufle d'Angersville's turn. The complete collection contains 36 volumes.

Bindings in half chocolate sheep with corners. Spine with raised bands decorated with 3 fleurons. Title and volume numbering gilt. Boards rubbed.

The rare first edition of these two volumes published two years apart, the continuation of which would never see the light of day. With one frontispiece and one large folding genealogical chart.
Copy with the arms of Louis XV stamped on the boards, and his cipher repeated on the spine, a presentation copy.
Contemporary full marbled brown calf bindings. Spine with raised bands decorated with Louis XV's cipher repeated four times with angular fleurs-de-lys. Red morocco title and volume labels. Armorial boards. Triple gilt fillet frame on boards. Headcaps restored. Several splits along the upper joint of volume I and volume II. Corners and certain areas of the leading

First edition, illustrated with 4 very attractive headpieces by Pronk, 4 tailpieces and 13 folding plates on polyps. Armorial copy with the arms stamped on the spine (ermines and macles) of the Rohan-Chabot family. The armorial bindings of the Rohan and Rohan-Chabot families have the distinctive feature of bearing the heraldic devices exclusively on the spine.

Contemporary full blonde calf binding. Spine with raised bands decorated with crowned ermines and macles. Joints entirely cracked. Headcaps worn. Corners slightly bumped from rubbing. Occasional minor worming, final plates with upper margin soiled.

It was in these memoirs that Tre

First edition, rare.
Contemporary full mottled brown calf. Spine with raised bands, gilt tooling. Gilt title. Loss at the head of the upper joint. Rubbing to joints, head of spine, and corners.

This is the penultimate edition of the most famous historical dictionary, an inexhaustible source that remains highly sought after for both history and genealogy. This edition was refined by Platel and considerably expanded. The first edition was the only one published during the author's lifetime, in 1664, in one folio volume.
Bindings in full dark brown glazed mottled calf, spine with raised bands decorated with animal tools, red morocco title labels. Unidentified arms on the boards (possibly of a town or the Oormsgard family, but non-French arms) with a lion facing forward (and not in profile as usual) holding a castle.
Copy complete with the frontispiece.
Volume I has the upp