Cinquantes pièces d'exception

First edition of one of the most important revolutionary publications against the African slave trade and the first manifesto of the Society of the Friends of the Blacks, founded in February 1788 by Jacques-Pierre Brissot, Étienne Clavière, and Mirabeau, barely nine months after the London Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade, which served as their model.
 

 

Second edition only one month after the first edition.
Spine lightly wrinkled, small signs of folding in the margins of the boards, a light mark on the second board.

Claude Couffon, a French specialist and translator of the major Spanish-speaking writers of the second half of the 20th century, translated...

First edition, one of 100 numbered copies on alfa, the only grands papiers (deluxe copies) after 5 pur-fil paper.

Bound in half green morocco, paste paper boards, marbled paper endpapers, wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, contemporary binding signed Lucie Weill.
Skilful and discreet repair to the top of a joint.
Illustrated with 6 vignettes by André Derain.

Handsome inscription signed by Antonin Artaud: “à Alice & à Carlo Rim que j'aime beaucoup parce que j'aime dans la vie tout ce qui est nature, franc et sans fard et la vie d'Héliogabale aussi est franche et sans fard et dans la ligne de la grande Nature. Antonin Artaud...

First edition, one of 110 numbered copies on Rives laid paper.
Half red morocco binding, smooth spine, gilt date at foot, boards covered with abstract patterned paper, red paper endpapers and pastedowns, covers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, signed binding by P. Goy & C. Vilaine.
Autograph inscription signed by Jean Cocteau to a friend named Roger enhanced with a drawing in blue ink representing the face of a young man facing forward.

Third edition after the original published in Bordeaux in 1593 and a second Parisian edition in 1594. The copy mentions the second edition because it is the second to be published in Bordeaux.
Extremely rare handwritten presentation signed by the author on the page of the endpaper: “Pour Monsieur de Rives en memoire de moy. A Caors ce iiij [4] may 1595. Charron.” “For Monseiur de Rives in memory of me. In Caors this iiij [4] May 1595. Charron.” It is, without doubt, about Jean III de Rieu, Lord of Rives, who belonged to the family of Antoine Hébrard de Saint-Sulpice, bishop of Cahors. Pierre Charron had been called theological by this same bishop of Cahors and became his curate...

First edition, one of 500 copies, no grand papier (deluxe issue) copies.
Half morocco binding, spine with five raised bands, marbled paper boards framed in gilt, mould made flyleaves and pastedowns, original wrapper covers preserved, binding signed by Thomas Boichot.
Handsome copy signed and inscribed by Paul Verlaine to Émile Le Brun to whom Verlaine dedicated one of his poems (Dédicaces, sonnet XVI). 
This copy includes manuscript corrections by Paul Verlaine himself and an exceptional manuscript poem on page 123.
A nice copy, elegantly bound, containing the first printing of the famous Art poétique [

First edition, one of 40 numbered copies on vélin pur fil paper, the tirage de tête (deluxe copies).

Full morocco, covers and spine preserved, slipcase, elegant binding signed by Semet & Plumelle.

Provenances: mostly from Robert Desprechins' library with his ex-libris drawn by Jean Cocteau, and by Louis de Sadeleer with his engraved ex-libris.

A very nice copy beautifully bound morocco signed by Semet & Plumelle.

First edition, one of 15 numbered copies on Hollande paper, the leading copies.
This copy with the original frontispiece lithograph by André Masson.
Hors-texte illustrations by André Masson.
A very good and rare copy.

First edition, one of 100 numbered copies on vellum, ours unnumbered, the only deluxe papers after 15 copies on Japon.
Illustrated with a frontispiece drawing by Salvador Dalí.
Precious signed autograph presentation from Paul Eluard to René Char : « Exemplaire de mon ami René Char. Paul Eluard. »

First edition on ordinary paper, issued after the destruction of the 1923 printing following a dispute between Tzara and the publisher.
Double autograph inscription, signed and dated by Tristan Tzara, first to Paul Éluard – « à Paul Éluard. Tristan Tzara. Juillet 1929 » – then, after striking through this initial dedication, to René Char in September 1934: « à René Char avec toute l'amitié grande de Tristan Tzara ». This second inscription is further embellished with a small drawing by Tzara, a hand pointing with its index finger to Char’s name.

First edition including all the features of the first issue for Du Côté de chez Swann (Grasset printing error on the title-page, front cover with the date 1913, missing contents table, publisher's catalogue at rear). First edition on ordinary paper, one of the very rare first edition copies without a statement of edition for A l'ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs, from an edition of about 500 copies. Following volumes in first numbered editions on pur fil, only deluxe copies after the "réimposés".

Few small tears along the lower edge and a small crease mark to the upper cover of Du côté de chez Swann, with some foxing to the...

Very rare first edition.
Beige half calf binding, spine decorated and ruled in gilt, some rubbing to the joints, dark yellow paper boards, marbled endpapers, edges speckled. Missing top spine end, rubbed joints and some scratches.
Notes about the author in ink by a former owner on the page facing the half-title page: "condamné à mort le 24 mars 1794” (executed on 24 March 1794)

Extremely rare inscribed copy signed by Anacharsis Cloots to the revolutionary Nicolas Joseph Pâris, "Pour NJ Pâris de la part de l'auteur” (For NJ Pâris from the author) Friend of Danton and Cloots, court clerk of the Paris Revolutionary Tribunal, Pâris was well known under...

First edition including all the features of the first issue for Du Côté de chez Swann (error with Grasset, first board with the date 1913, missing contents table, publisher's catalogue in-fine). First edition on ordinary paper, one of the very rare first without mention copies for A l'ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs, of which there were only around 500 copies printed. First numbered editions on pur fil, only deluxe copies after the reimposed for the following volumes.
Complete collection of In Search of Lost Time with two important and precious autograph inscriptions signed by Marcel Proust to Lucien Descaves, founding...

Very rare and sought-after first edition of one of the most important autobiographical works in the history of French literature, masterpiece and major work by George Sand.
Beige half sheepskin bindings, spine with four raised bands gilt tooled and framed in gilt and black, gilt tooling at top and bottom of spines, marbled paper boards, original wrappers preserved for each of the volumes, elegant imitation bindings.
Provenance: Pierre Boutellier, with his ex-libris on the front pastedown of the first volume.
Presentation copy signed by George Sand to his great friend the poet Maurice Rollinat, on the half-title of the first volume.
Pleasant and extremely rare...

First edition, one of 7 numbered copies on Hollande paper, the only large paper copies, this one no. 1, specially printed for Jean Cocteau's mother.
Contemporary vellum Bradel binding by Dupré, gilt date to foot of spine, brown shagreen title label, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, covers and spine preserved. Light worming, principally affecting the margins of some leaves.
A moving and exceptional autograph inscription signed and dated by Jean Cocteau to his mother, in Latin, quoting a verse of Virgils Bucolics: “Incipe, parve puer : cui non risere parentes, nec deus hunc mensa, dea nec dignita cubili est. / Virgile. / Jean”, which in English is: “Realise this, child...