Honoré de Balzac

First edition, one of 1000 numbered copies on B.F.K. de Rives laid paper.
Work illustrated with a frontispiece portrait of the author by Madrassi.
Some minor tears to the slipcase of no consequence, handsome copy.

Elzevirian edition illustrated with a handsome unsigned frontispiece title, after the first Elzevirian edition of 1651; the original collected edition dating from 1644 in Paris.
Near-contemporary full vellum binding. Spine with four raised bands decorated with a red morocco title label. All edges speckled red. Handsome copy, well printed.
The Elzevirian editions consecrate the success of the work of Guez de Balzac and the great renown of the author at that time. The various works are composed of the different discourses, dissertations and letters of the writer.

First edition, a numbered copy on sorel Moussel paper.
Preface and notes by Charles Léger.
A good copy.

First edition.
Half fir green shagreen binding, spine with five raised bands showing minor rubbing, gilt date at foot, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers preserved, top edge gilt, contemporary binding.
One small harmless tear without loss at head of first endpaper.

First French edition, partly first edition and published one year after the original, one of 10 copies on Holland paper, the only deluxe copies with 2 on China paper.
Bradel binding in half cherry red cloth, smooth spine decorated with gilt floral motif, gilt date and double fillet at foot, rubbed black morocco title label, marbled paper boards, original wrappers preserved, top edge gilt, binding cold-stamped signed Pierson.
Precious and rare signed autograph inscription from Théophile Gautier to Jules Pelletier, Secretary General of the Ministry of State to whom Gautier lent his pen.
He thanked him by interceding with the Emperor who appointed him Officer of the Legion of Honor on August 7, 1858.
Our copy is complete, as frontispiece, with the portrait of H. de Balzac printed on China paper and etched by E. Hédouin as well as its 3 autograph facsimiles (which are often lacking according to Clouzot).

First edition, richly illustrated with 75 hors-texte plates, principally by Gavarni, including 4 music plates framed with wood engravings by Bertall and several compositions by Bertall. Very numerous vignettes by Monnier, Français, Daubigny... The compositions with multitudes of vignettes by Bertall on subjects such as evenings at the opera, Paris by night... which constitute the ensemble of Paris comique are particularly delightful. This edition is rarer than le Diable à Paris.
Contemporary green half-shagreen. Smooth spine decorated with series of romantic tools in compartments. Green corsillonné paper boards. Borders rubbed and corners slightly bumped. Some scattered foxing, principally in the outer margins, on good white paper. The text jumps from p. 5 to 41 without loss, the text continuing. Good copy.
Portrait of Paris, in all its aspects, at the beginning of the Second Empire, Le tiroir du Diable sails on the success of le Diable à Paris with the same collective for texts and illustrations. One notes the presence of Balzac's text: Physiologie des boulevards, two texts by Sand and one by Musset. The other collaborators being celebrated litterateurs of this period, Edouard Ourliac, Frédéric Soulié... At the beginning of the work, Lavallée's text on the geography of Paris (which was also present at the beginning of le Diable à Paris). At the end of the work, statistics of Paris, the work always wanting to be both entertaining and informative. In this regard, all the texts, satirical or not, of the work are more or less of journalistic character, but as journalism was then practiced under the Second Empire. The work concludes with the statistics of Paris.

First edition, one of 500 copies on vergé à la forme paper. With a portrait and 5 illustrations.
A very good copy.

First edition.
Plain paper cover.
Rare.

The rare first edition of one of Balzac's last anonymous collaborations, published the same year as "Le dernier Chouan", his first signed novel.
Work illustrated with a frontispiece vignette.
Significant lack to first board and spine of cover restored at the time, joints cracked at head and foot of second board, pleasant interior condition.
Rare, like all of Balzac's early works.

First edition, published under the pseudonym of Horace de Saint-Aubin.
Elegant Romantic pastiche binding from the second half of the 19th-century in half tan calf over marbled paper boards, spine with gilt and blindruled fillets, gilt friezes to head and foot of spine, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, speckled edges.
A little light spotting and light dampstains (not serious), lacking the advertising leaf at the end the second volume.
In a pretty, near-contemporary pastiche binding.

First edition, an advance (service de presse) copy.
Two small tears to margins without lack to foot of upper cover, otherwise a good copy.