Gift ideas between 400 and 500 €

Autograph note dated and signed by Marguerite Yourcenar, written from her Paris residence to journalist Marcel Baroche of the literary review Sud. Written on one of her visiting cards. 

Eighteen lines in green ink, with the autograph envelope addressed to her correspondent, concerning a proposed collaboration with Yourncenar initiated by the director of Sud.

[27 December 1980,
to the journal Sud, to Marcel Baroche,

Dear Sir, you have my acceptance of the proposal for a special issue on my work in 1982, together with my thanks in advance. There exist many photographs of me, a few of which strike me as fairly faithful likenesses: I do not...

First edition, with no deluxe paper issue.

A fine copy.

Dated and signed presentation inscription from Annie Ernaux to the woman of letters Christiane Baroche: "Pour Christiane, très amicalement. Annie. 24/03/93."

Stated fifth edition, illustrated with 316 wood engravings, including numerous plates. This fifth edition is the only one issued in the publisher’s cloth.
Publisher’s binding by Souze. Half red shagreen. Spine richly tooled with a bouquet of flowers, various large tools and special rolls. Boards elaborately decorated with a central gilt panel bearing the American eagle and the motto: E pluribus unum. Broad red and black border with several red and gilt medallions on a black ground. Gilt edges. A few scattered marginal foxmarks. Some rubbing, notably to the headcaps. Corners softened.

A handsome copy in its publisher’s binding.

First edition, one of 10 lettered copies on Holland paper, the only deluxe copies.

Illustrated on the cover with a portrait of Max Jacob by Pablo Picasso.

A rare and handsome copy.

New edition of the French translation established by Amédée Pichot, partly original as it is enhanced with a historical notice on Lord Byron.

Half blue glazed calf bindings, spines partially faded with four raised bands framed by gilt garlands and richly decorated gilt compartments, navy blue glazed calf title and volume labels, blind-stamped floral tools at head and tail, marbled paper boards, gilt fillets at foot, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, marbled edges; a few lightly rubbed corners. Romantic bindings of the period.

Our copy contains 13 engraved plates, some serving as frontispieces.

Scattered foxing, a few leaves browned due to paper acidity.

A copy in...

Subscription prospectus issued in the format of the work, with 2 black-and-white reproductions in the text and 2 colour plates hors texte.

A fine copy.

First edition of this program of events organized by the Centre National d'Art Contemporain from 16 October to 23 December 1974, presenting the works of Christian Boltanski and Jacques Monory.
The December date has been modified in green felt pen at the foot of the program.
Presentation of photographic, cinematographic and book-based works by Christian Boltanski and pictorial works by Jacques Monory.

A very rare document.

Rare first edition illustrated with 9 plates, including a large folding map.

Publisher’s binding in full havana cloth, smooth spine decorated in black, vignette of a ship within a double black circle on the upper cover, black endpapers and pastedowns, joints split, corners slightly rubbed.

The author was a former officer of the 90th Light Infantry Regiment and wrote several works on various military subjects.

Manuscript ex-libris of R. B. Knight on the half-title, blue ink stains on the edges at the beginning of the volume.

Original black and white portrait of Mistinguett wearing a hat.

Very slight, superficial scuffing to the margins, not affecting the image.

Vintage gelatin silver print. Printed stamp of the P. Apers photographic studio in Paris to the right margin of the image.

Inscribed by Mistinguett to André Saudemon, signed and dated in black ink, at the foot of the photograph.

Photographic portrait of Erroll Garner, seated at his piano.

A fine copy.

Inscribed and signed by Erroll Garner in blue ink in the upper left margin of the photograph.

Provenance: from the collection of the renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.

First edition, one of 950 copies on Vélin Vidalon signed by André Marchand, the only printing following 49 copies on Vélin d'Arches.

Bound in black morocco-backed boards with corners, smooth spine, gilt fillet borders on cat's eye paper-covered boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved, all edges gilt. Slipcase edged in black morocco, marbled paper panels. Binding signed by D. Saporito.

Illustrated with 50 splendid original lithographs by André Marchand, printed by Mourlot.

Featuring previously unpublished texts by Georges Spyridaki, René Lacôte, Georges Hugnet, Gabriel Audisio, Raymond Queneau, David Herbert...

Autograph letter signed and dated April 16, 1912, by Henri Bergson, addressed to M. Masson de Saint-Félix. Includes the original autograph envelope, bearing an inscription by the recipient: "Lettre de M. Bergson / Membre de l'Institut / mon professeur de philosophie au Lycée de Clermont Fd".

Touching letter of condolence from Henri Bergson to a former student from his philosophy class in Clermont-Ferrand, where he taught for five years — from 1883 to 1888 — at the Lycée Blaise-Pascal and the Faculty of Letters.

"Mon cher ami,

La nouvelle du grand deuil qui vous frappe me touche profondément. Laissez-moi vous envoyer...

First edition of this splendid theatre programme, with an introductory text by Raymond Blathwayt. Illustrated with six exquisite double-page colour plates by Yoshio Markino. The play was written by David Belasco.

Japanese-style accordion fold. Illustrated cover. Some foxing to the covers, otherwise a very well-preserved copy.

First edition, with no deluxe copies printed.

Publisher's full blue cloth binding, smooth spine, copy complete with its photographic dust jacket, showing minor tears at the head and tail of the spine without loss.

Text by Françoise Dolto, photographs by Alecio de Andrade.

Inscribed and signed by Françoise Dolto and Alecio de Andrade on the front free endpaper.

Autograph postcard signed and addressed to his friend Ariel Denis from his summer residence in Vendée, 22 lines in black ink.

The postcard shows a general view of the coastal cliffs of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez in Vendée.

Julien Gracq expresses his satisfaction with the advice he had given his friend, while lamenting the petty calculations of administrative life: "j'avais décidément raison de vous recommander une saine stratégie syndicale : faute ce cet appui je crains qu'il n'y ait plus de belle carrière dans l'enseignement ! J'espère tout de même que la stabilité au moins va venir couronner vos efforts (il y en a un de ma part sous le beau style ! malgré...

First edition, one of 60 numbered copies on Arches wove paper, the only deluxe issue.

A fine copy.

First edition of the catalogue of the 33 works by Paul Cézanne exhibited at the Galerie Bernheim Jeune & Cie from Wednesday 1st to Saturday 18th December 1920.

Upper cover lightly sunned along the edges, printed stamp and shelf number to upper left corner of the inside front cover; otherwise a rare and attractive copy.

Some pencil annotations in the margins of a few of the listed works.

Catalogue illustrated with 10 reproductions of the artist’s works.

Introductory text by Octave Mirbeau.

First edition, one of 10 numbered copies on Madagascar paper reserved for the author, the smallest limitation on deluxe paper after the 2 copies printed on pure rag paper, also hors commerce, printed for Jacques Hébertot.
A very handsome copy.

First edition, first issue, illustrated with 21 original etchings by Jules Lalauze. Printed in a limited edition following 220 copies on deluxe paper. One of 20 copies on Wattman paper, no. 40. Title pages printed in red and black. A fine impression. An exceptional copy with the engravings in four states (sometimes bound further within the volume), whereas even the copies on Japan paper contain only three states, two of which are proofs on Japan paper. Volume IV is unfortunately lacking in this set. Original wrappers and spines preserved.
Contemporary half orange morocco binding, signed by Canaps on the upper flyleaf. Spine with raised bands, tooled with four crosses composed of four...

First edition printed in Marseille and illustrated with 20 steel engravings. Contemporary half hazel sheep binding. Smooth spine decorated with gilt fillets. Gilt title and volume numbers. Spine slightly faded. Minor rubbing. A well-preserved copy, with only occasional light foxing.

First edition, with no deluxe copies printed on special paper.

A handsome copy.

Inscribed and signed by Pierre Bourdieu to a friend named Emmanuel.

Illustrated edition comprising 68 illustrations by George Roux, including 20 large plates in chromotypography and a map.
Y catalogue at rear.
Publisher’s binding by Hetzel signed Engel, known as “au globe”, type 4, spine with lighthouse motif, lower cover type Engel “i” as per Jauzac, all edges gilt.
Headcaps slightly pushed and frayed, some foxing, offsetting from adhesive paper to the head and tail of the blue endpapers.
Le Sphinx des glaces is a fantastical novel intended as a sequel to Edgar Poe’s The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, to which it is dedicated.
Copy not recorded by Jauzac.

Engraved bookplate of Eward Wasserman by Marie Laurencin with the words "Ex-libris Edward Wasserman" inscribed on the plate.

Outstanding print on japon with wide margins of Laurencin's engraving for bibliophile Edward Wasserman.





 

First edition.

Minor spotting to the boards.

Our copy is preserved in its original wrappers, under plain white provisional covers.

Then French minister to the Court of Saint Petersburg, Louis-Philippe de Ségur (1753-1830) intervened in the constitutional debate that was stirring the National Assembly concerning the attribution of the right to declare peace and war (to the King? to the Assembly?).

First edition, one of the 81 numbered copies on Holland paper, the only deluxe issue.

A handsome copy.

First edition abundantly illustrated with photographs.
Publisher's full black cloth binding, smooth spine, black paper endpapers and pastedowns, black edges, complete with dust jacket and soft cardboard slipcase.
Signed and inscribed by Peter Marino to a couple of friends accompanied by two drawn hearts on an endpaper: "For Christine & Olivier. Love. Peter"

First edition illustrated by Myrbach with plates, headpieces and vignettes, from the Guillaume and Lemerre collection.

Contemporary half grey morocco binding with corners. Slipcase with morocco entry and covered with peacock-eye paper. Original wrappers preserved, lacking spine. Spine with 4 raised bands in Jansenist style. Top edge gilt. Uncut paper, with wide margins, fresh paper, free from foxing. Light rubbing to slipcase.
Very handsome copy.
After "Mon frère Yves" and "Pêcheur d'Islande", "Matelot" completes, in 1893, Pierre Loti's trilogy of sea novels and recounts the adventures of Jean Berny who, after failing the Naval Academy entrance exam, enlists in...