Gift ideas between 1 000 and 1 500 €

Original poster by Karen Horowitz numbered 145/200, dated 1974 and signed in pencil, showing a photograph with a superimposed quote from Lawrence Durrell's Justine: “The world is like a cucumber – today it's in your hand, tomorrow up your ass”.
A few tiny wormholes.

Manuscript inscription in felt tip pen by Lawrence Durrell to the left of the quote: “Buttons dear Attention! Larry Durrell. 1978”

This poster was given to a young lover of the author's who, in both Sommières and Paris, livened up his lonely days at the end of the 60s and in the 70s. Janine Brun, also known as “Buttons” in the author's letters and postcards was described thus

First edition of the author's third book, with no copies printed on deluxe paper, here a review copy.

Spine very lightly sunned, without seriousness, faint spotting to the board edges.

Rare and desirable presentation copy signed by Patrick Modiano to the woman of letters Christiane Baroche: "Pour Christiane ces boulevards de ceinture avec lesquels elle est bien indulgente. Avec l'amitié de Patrick."

First edition on standard paper.

A handsome copy, complete with its publisher’s wraparound band.

Fine presentation inscription signed by Milan Kundera: "Paris 1998. Pour Michel Tournier avec l'amitié fidèle de Milan Kundera."

New edition and the first printing of Jacques Tardi’s illustrations.
Publisher’s white boards, smooth spine.
A handsome copy.
Presentation inscription, dated and signed by Jacques Tardi to Joëlle Passani, with an original black-felt drawing depicting a sorrowful-faced Bardamu in a small vignette.
 

First edition of this rare work, offering the very first description in French of this small canton, still nominally under Ottoman rule—though in fact largely autonomous—and which appeared as exotic to early 19th-century Westerners as the most remote corners of China.

Illustrated with 13 hand-coloured plates, including a large folding map, two botanical plates, two depicting celebrations, three views of churches, and five costume plates. (cf. Atabey 1286. Lipperheide 1443. Not in Blackmer or Colas.)

Contemporary half calf binding, smooth spines decorated with gilt fillets, garlands, and floral tools, red morocco lettering-piece, black morocco numbering-piece

First edition, complete in 23 instalments, of the second series of this magic periodical (cf. Fechner, p. 503).

Text in two columns; each instalment, richly illustrated, comprises between 12 and 16 pages (20 for the final one).

Contemporary half-sheep bindings: the first volume in brown, the second in tan, the spines with four raised bands tooled with gilt ornaments, moiré-patterned paper sides, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, sprinkled edges; one original wrapper preserved. Bindings from the period, though mismatched in tone between the two volumes.

Complete collection of the second series of this Swiss periodical, whose first publication appeared in 1941–42 as the “j

New edition, revised, corrected, and considerably enlarged.

Contemporary bindings in half mottled fawn calf over corners, smooth spines gilt with fillets, morocco title and volume labels, brown paper-covered boards, sprinkled edges.

Some minor rubbing to the spines, a few corners slightly bumped.

L'Esprit des lois occupies volumes I to IV; La Défense de l'Esprit des lois volume V (with a general index); Lettres persanes volume VI; volume VII gathers the Considérations and related pieces; volume VIII contains the posthumous works.

This collected edition of Montesquieu's works offers no particular bibliographical peculiarities in its conte

First edition, one of the numbered copies on alfa paper reserved for the press.

Spine very slightly sunned, otherwise a well-preserved copy.
Signed autograph inscription from Irène Némirovsky to Charles Laval.

Second edition of the French translation prepared by François-Victor Hugo.

Half red shagreen bindings, slightly faded spines with four raised bands numerously framed in gilt and central gilt tooled motif, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers, speckled edges, contemporary bindings.

Some occasional foxing, minor black specks on a few spines, upper corners of volume 10 slightly damaged.

Our set, attractively bound uniformly in contemporary bindings, is complete in 18 volumes including the often lacking final three volumes of apocryphal writings.

First edition, one of 42 numbered copies on Japon paper, the leading copies after 8 hors commerce on Chine paper.
Elegant Bradel binding in half black calf over floral paper boards by P. Goy & C. Vilaine, covers preserved (lightly soiled at edges), top edge gilt.
With a frontispiece portrait of the author on Chine paper by Jean-Louis Forain.
One tiny foxing as well as a small, clear marginal dampstain touching frontispiece.
A very good copy nicely bound.

First edition, an advance (service de presse) copy.
Some lacks to foot of spine, clear stains and scratches to head and foot of upper cover, tiny foxing to the endpapers, the last endpaper is covered with notes in pencil made by the dedicatee.

Autograph inscription from Irène Némirovsky to Michel Corday.

Fine autograph letter signed by Colette to her friend Bolette Natanson. Two pages written in ink on blue paper. Horizontal folds inherent to the mailing of the letter.
As ever protective and maternal with her friend, Colette compliments her: "Comme tu es gentille, - comme tu es Bolette". Nineteen years her senior, she praises the youth of "[her] child": "Tu es ma 'provision d'hiver', la jeunesse dont j'aurai besoin, plus tard, bien plus encore qu'à présent. Soigne-toi bien ma jeunesse en grange".
Having grown up from early childhood in artistic circles—she was the daughter of Alexandre and the niece of Thadée Na

First edition, with no mention of deluxe paper copies.
Precious signed autograph inscription from Octave Mirbeau to his friend Jules Renard.
Blue pencil mark by Jules Renard on the front cover.
Our copy is further enriched with Jules Renard's celebrated ex-libris, designed and engraved by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

First edition, cf Conlon 17:710. Quérard VII, 455 ("Cette Dissertation est très-estimée").

Full marbled blond calf, spine with five raised bands richly gilt in compartments decorated with gilt bees, red morocco lettering-piece, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt fillet on board edges, mottled edges, contemporary binding.

Lower corner rubbed, endpapers partially browned.

Notable treatise on the two great English political parties, their history, development, and respective positions.

Edition illustrated with 16 original watercolours by Auguste Leroux, engraved on copper by Delzers and Feltesse, one of 90 numbered copies on Imperial Japan paper.
Bound in navy blue half morocco with corners, spine with four raised bands decorated with gilt pointillé and triple gilt panels with typographic motifs, gilt date at foot, gilt fillet borders on marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved, gilt edges, contemporary binding signed by Bernasconi. 
As stated in the justification of the print run for the copies on Imperial Japan paper, our copy is complete with its two suites: one in colour with remarques and the other in colou

First edition of the French translation based on the second English edition, with additions drawn from Robert Adams's narrative in Africa, 1810. (cf. Gay 2788.)

Illustrated with 10 plates, including a frontispiece portrait of Mungo Park and a map showing his route from Kayee on the Gambia to Boussa on the Niger.

Contemporary full marbled tan sheep, smooth spine decorated with gilt fillets, garlands and fleurons, cream title labels, gilt dentelle and fillet frames on boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt fillets on board edges, speckled edges.

Some wear with minor losses at head and foot of one joint, a few scuffs to the covers, occasional foxing, otherwise a ple

"On June 28, 1970, I attended the first New York Gay Pride March. The date marks the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots, which launched the LGBTQ+ liberation movement in the U.S. We left from Christopher Street, a gay cultural mecca in Greenwich Village, and walked up 6th Avenue to Central Park. To end the day, a kissing contest was held in the middle of the park! It was a great moment of joy, love and freedom. This couple, who kissed for hours under an umbrella, obviously didn't care about photographers" (Interview with Clément Thierry, 2021)

New edition. A steel-engraved portrait frontispiece, printed on China paper and mounted. Printed in very small type, arranged in two columns.

Full polished blond calf binding, signed by Thouvenin at foot of spine. Smooth spine with blind-stamped Gothic architectural elements heightened with gilt dots, gilt fillets and title. Covers blind-stamped with a large Gothic window surrounded by architectural ornaments. Multiple blind-ruled frames with corner fleurons and gilt fillets. Inner dentelles. All edges gilt. Joints discreetly cracked at head. Some foxing and occasional browning to a few pages. Minor rubbing. Spine slightly dulled. A handsome copy.

Original inscribed photograph showing Yves Montand dressed as a cowboy and pointing a revolver in his right hand.

Yves Montand is slightly facing forward. Vintage silver gelatin print. 
On the verso, Yves Montand's name is misspelled twice.

Autograph inscription signed by Yves Montand at the bottom of the photograph: "Pour Michel amicalement Y.Montand."


 

Mon cher Buloz, voici la lettre à M. Lerminier

« 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 »

Autograph letter signed by Charles de Gaulle, dated and addressed to his cook Augustine Bastide, who served him from 1940 to 1958, 13 lines in black ink on his headed paper.
Fold marks inherent to postal handling.
The de Gaulles had taken in the recipient of this letter, Augustine Bastide, upon their arrival in London. Of Provençal origin, she served the family from 1940 to 1958 first in Great Britain then in France. At the de Gaulle couple's table in an England severely affected by rationing, one could then find rabbits, winkles, and other frogs. The "outspoken Southerner" would remain in the general's service for nearly twenty years, sometimes causing hilarity in the stoic head of

Autograph letter dated and signed by Emile Zola, addressed to his friend the physician Maurice de Fleury, dated in his hand October 15, 1893. 1 page 1/4, 19 lines in black ink on a double sheet. Horinzontal and vertical folds due to mailing. Stain on verso, not affecting the text.

A most unusual invitation from the master of Naturalism, who wishes to organize a luncheon with two eminent specialists in nervous diseases: "Vous êtes bien aimable de m'inviter à déjeuner. Mais cela va vous faire perdre du temps et à moi aussi [...] pourquoi ne prendriez-vous pas un rendez-vous pour deux heures et demie par exemple, avec M. Gille de la Tourette, soit jeudi, soit

Manuscript note by Philippe Soupault, 22 lines in mauve ink on a sheet, headed with this inscription: "Les séances", devoted to the famous "sleep" sessions conducted in André Breton's studio consisting of oneiric writings or texts dictated by a dreamer.
The manuscript notes contain three deletions and corrections.
Philippe Soupault considers his attempts questionable and even labels them as imposture, distancing himself from any active participation in these practices: "Neither Aragon nor I participated actively in the experiments called sleep sessions, while Breton accepted with great interest Crevel's suggestion to engage in experiments he had discovered among fri

First printing of the 109 colored wood miniatures by Henry Lemarié, one of the numbered copies on Rives laid paper for each of the volumes.
Small tear at foot of spine of the Bluebeard slipcase, very light rubbing without significance to the slipcases, two small tears at foot of second board of the silent wrapper encasing Cinderella.

We include the illustrated catalogue of Jean Porson editions as well as the catalogue, printed on Rives, announcing the collection of Charles Perrault tales illustrated by Henry Lemarié. This descriptive catalogue is decorated with the frontispiece of Sleeping Beauty in black, two vignettes and two in-text illustrations by Henry Lemarié

First edition of the French translation, issued without any large-paper copies.

A handsome copy, complete with its original promotional band: "Calvino et la préhistoire-fiction."

Inscribed, dated, and signed by Italo Calvino to Pascal Pia.

First edition, with no deluxe copies printed.
Pleasant copy, which is uncommon given the fragility of this book, often handled without care.
Inscribed and signed by Serge Gainsbourg to a recipient named Georges.
 

First French edition, one of 77 numbered copies on pur fil, only deluxe issue.

Preface by Albert Camus.

Nice copy housed under a chemise and slipcase by Devauchelle.

First edition, one of 106 numbered copies on vergé de Vizille, only deluxe issue.

Nice copy of this 1999 Goncourt Prize winner.

20 full-page lithographs in black by Gustave Doré, in second state.
Red half oblong Bradel-style cloth binding, smooth spine, black morocco title label, marbled paper boards, beige paper endpapers and flyleaves, corners slightly dulled.

Quand fleurit le marronnier du square
Autour de nous, le printemps se prépare
De ses doigts verts, il bat le jeu
Donnant aux deux amoureux
Un as de coeur, la carte du bonheur

La première fois, sur ton tailleur bleu
Un grand foulard vert !

Fausse note

La seconde fois, j'ai baisé ta main

Tu sentais

Toi l'inconnu(e)
Ombre entrevue
Tendre mirage
Soleil de ma vie
Emporte mes soucis

"On June 28, 1970, I attended the first New York Gay Pride March. The date marks the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots, which launched the LGBTQ+ liberation movement in the U.S. We left from Christopher Street, a gay cultural mecca in Greenwich Village, and walked up 6th Avenue to Central Park. To end the day, a kissing contest was held in the middle of the park! It was a great moment of joy, love and freedom. This couple, who kissed for hours under an umbrella, obviously didn't care about photographers" (Interview with Clément Thierry, 2021)