Masterpieces of Literature

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...

First edition, one of 70 numbered copies on pure thread paper, ours being one of 15 hors commerce copies lettered under Ingres covers, deluxe copies after 2 reimposed on pure thread laid paper hors commerce reserved for Jacques Hébertot and 13 holland paper copies.
Minor marginal tears of no consequence to the covers.
Handsome and rare copy of this response by Albert Camus to Jean-Paul Sartre's "Les mains sales".

First edition of the French translation by A. J. B. Defauconpret. Illustrated vi­gnette on the title page of each volume, with two illustrations in each volume (60 in total) by Louis Marckl after Noël Bertrand.
Green half shagreen binding, spine with five raised bands elaborately framed in gilt and blind, spine-ends stamped with a gilt rosette bearing cabbalistic signs, marbled paper boards, marbled endpa­pers and pastedowns, speckled edges, contemporary bindings.
Spines slightly lightened, some corners slightly dulled, more pronounced foxing on some volumes, a tear not affecting text to pp. 303-304 of vol. 2, a restored tear and a marginal lack of paper not af­fecting text to pp...

First edition of André Gide's French translation of Typhoon, completed in print on 25 June 1918 by the Éditions de la Nouvelle Revue Française, in the small blue-wrapper series devoted in particular to Gide's own works and translations. One of 300 numbered copies on Rives paper, the sole deluxe issue, this copy no. 250.

Half black morocco with bands, signed Creuzevault at the head of the front free endpaper. Smooth spine with longitudinal title, title and top edge in palladium. Original wrappers and spine preserved. Some rubbing to the boards and corners, with slight rubbing to the joints. A rare...

First true edition as an earlier, truncated and inaccurate edition of this book had already appeared the same year in Brussels.
Copy in the original wrappers, as issued. Trace of a crease to the lower right corner of the front wrapper.

One of Hugo's masterpieces, containing some of the most powerful and sarcastic poems of the century. The emperor so reviled is treated here more mercilessly, if that is possible, than in Napoléon le Petit.

New edition, augmented with an introductory study and notes. Engraved portrait of William Shakespeare as frontispiece.

Green calf binding, gilt and blind-tooled border on the covers, spine with five raised bands, gilt ornaments on the bands, gilt caissons and fleurons between the bands, gilt edges, blind-tooled decorative border on the doublures, French Curl paper doublures, French Curl edges. Binding rubbed and scuffed, some surface wear, the spine and part of the rear board sunned.

Manuscript ex-libris of the celebrated medium Julie de Güldenstubbe on a front free endpaper.

The Shakespearean theater populated by ghosts and...

New edition of this ancient pastoral romance, illustrated with a frontispiece and eight full-page engravings. With several headpieces, decorated initials and tailpieces.

Dark yellow morocco, spine with five raised bands, author, title and date lettered in gilt, gilt fillets to board edges and headcaps, gilt inner dentelle, all edges gilt; tan morocco case by Riviere & Son, spine with five raised bands, author, title and date lettered in gilt, blind-tooled fillets. Raised bands lightly rubbed, with a few scuffs to the slipcase, otherwise a handsome copy.

Mortimer L. Schiff's guilt red morocco bookplate on the front pastedown.

First edition, with all the first issue features, including the misprint "Sénart" on the dedication leaf.
Elegant half hazel morocco bindings with corners by Blanchetière, spines with five raised bands, very slightly faded, dates gilt at foot, marbled paper sides, combed paper endleaves and pastedowns, original wrappers bound in, with the original spine preserved for the first volume, top edges gilt.
Complete with the publisher's catalogue at the end of the first volume.

Occasional light foxing.
A handsome and desirable copy, retaining its rare original wrappers and finely bound by Henri Blanchetière.

Illustrated edition with 154 drawings by Jules Férat, engraved by Barbant.
Hetzel publisher's binding in full red percaline, in the "anchor spine" design, with Engel type "i" rear board as identified by Jauzac, original blue endpapers, all edges gilt. 
Spine ends slightly sagging, spine lightly faded, lower left-hand corner of the front board frayed, blue endpapers marginally faded as usual, small black marks to the outer margins of the boards, occasional foxing at the beginning and end of the volume, and a bibliophile's ink stamp in the upper left-hand corner of the front pastedown.
A pleasing copy of this novel, which forms a sequel to Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the...

Elzevirian edition of the text of Julius Caesar, following the review established by the philologist and humanist historian Joseph Justus Scaliger (1540-1609), associated with the University of Leiden; this posthumous edition appeared twenty-six years after Scaliger’s death.

A desirable copy exhibiting all the distinguishing features of the first issue: 

• The buffalo head decorating the headpiece vignette of the dedication and of page 1
• Page 149 is misnumbered 153
• Page 335 is misnumbered 345
• Page 475 is misnumbered 375
• The index printed in italic type

Engraved title-page, two ornamental headpiece vignettes, a portrait of...

First edition, first issue, illustrated with an engraved frontispiece printed on mounted China paper and 120 wood-engraved plates by Grandville. From 1839 onwards, subsequent printings incorporated the wood engravings within the text and the frontispiece was printed on ordinary paper. Two issues were published by Fournier in 1838. The first issue may be identified by the captions to the engravings ending with a full stop; on page XIII of the Life of Aesop, the capital letter N is formed of looping lines, whereas in the second issue it is composed of small black-and-white squares. This distinction between the two issues is seldom noted. Our copy combines features of both issues: all the...

First edition, one of the review copies.

Spine sunned, small losses to the spine and covers, paper brittle in the margins of the leaves.

A fine and rare signed autograph inscription by Roger Nimier, in the purest Hussard manner: "Pour Henry Grave et le Colonel Monier avec les claquements de talons et un arrière goût de rhum blanc du Cavalier Nimier".

Rare first edition for which no large-paper copies were printed, one of the press copies.
Spine and boards lightly sunned as usual, a few light dampstains to the spine.
Illustrated with 32 photographic plates.
Precious autograph inscription signed by Michel Leiris to Gabrielle Gras, a discreet yet prolific critic for the Revue Europe, close to Surrealist circles and to numerous writers and artists.

First edition.

Wrappers illustrated by Louis Icart.

Exceptional signed autograph inscription by Louis Icart: "à mon ami, au peintre Edouard Chimot \"Gouverneur de... Javea\" - ces scènes rapportées d'Espagne ! En hommage cordial. Louis Icart."

First edition, one of 80 numbered copies on Montval paper, the deluxe issue.
A handsome copy with wide margins.

First edition, one of 45 numbered copies on hollande, most limited deluxe issue.

Contemporary full red morocco, spine with four raised bands framed with black fillets, date gilt at foot, taupe morocco doublures, red silk endleaves, gilt fillets and dots to board edges, all edges gilt, slipcase, an elegant binding signed Favre-Petit-Mermet.

A fine copy, handsomely bound in full morocco with morocco doublures by Favre-Petit-Mermet.

First edition on ordinary paper, with the correct imprint date of 25 September 1951, false "fifth thousand" statement of edition on the title page.
A small restored tear to the margin of the front cover, joints skilfully restored.

Presentation copy, signed and inscribed by Julien Gracq to Madame Renaudon: "...in memory of her smiling kindness amid the work of disasters..."

The first Paris edition, published simultaneously with the Brussels edition.

Most of the volumes bear a statement of fourth, seventh, or eighth edition.

Some foxing to several volumes.

Contemporary half tawny speckled sheep bindings, smooth spines decorated with double gilt fillets, red sheep lettering-pieces lettered "Oeuvres de V. Hugo", sky-blue sheep title and volume labels, volume label lacking from the fifth volume, three others partially lifting, marbled paper-covered boards, decorative endpapers and pastedowns.

New edition of the French translation first published in the author’s collected works, one of 550 numbered copies on pure wove paper, the only issue after 80 copies on Arches wove paper.

Contemporary forest green half morocco over marbled boards, corners, spines lightly sunned with four raised bands, gilt decorative rolls and richly gilt compartments, marbled endpapers, original upper wrappers preserved, top edges gilt.

Illustrated edition with 20 original black engravings by Marianne Clouzot, one of 675 copies printed on Lana wove paper.
Slipcase spine sunned, joints rubbed, boards uniformly and lightly toned, internally in very good condition.

Illustrated edition featuring 20 original colour engravings by Marianne Clouzot, issued in a limited edition of 375 copies on Rives wove paper.
Spine of the chemise and boards of the slipcase lightly sunned at the margins, as is usually the case, the boards evenly and lightly toned, a fine copy internally.

Our copy is further enhanced by an original blue ballpoint drawing by Marianne Clouzot depicting the profile of a nun, accompanied by a signed autograph inscription to Etienne Crémieu-Alcan.

Illustrated edition featuring 25 original colour watercolours by Lucien Boucher, printed in an edition of 750 copies on Rives wove paper.
As is usually the case, the chemise spine and the slipcase boards are lightly sunned at the edges, the boards uniformly and lightly toned; a fine copy internally.

Illustrated edition with original colour engravings by Marianne Clouzot, one of 575 copies printed on Rives wove paper.
As is generally the case, the chemise spine and the slipcase boards are lightly sunned, the boards evenly and slightly toned, otherwise a fine copy internally.

Illustrated edition with 16 original colour engravings by Emilio Grau Sala, printed in an edition of 350 copies on Rives wove paper.
Spine of the chemise and boards of the slipcase marginally sunned, as is usually the case, boards evenly and lightly toned, a fine copy internally.

Later edition, stated eighth edition.

Contemporary half brown shagreen over marbled paper boards, spine with four raised bands ruled in black and decorated with black double-panel compartments featuring gilt central floral tools, marbled endpapers, speckled edges, contemporary binding.

A few minor spots of foxing.

A handsome copy attractively bound in its contemporary binding.

Edition from the same year as the first edition, of remarkable rarity, bearing a fictitious statement of fifteenth edition, yet featuring correct colophon (1872) at the foot of p. 312: "1124-72". 

Binding in brown half sheepskin, spine with four raised bands ruled in black and decorated with double black compartments bearing central gilt fleurons, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, speckled edges, contemporary binding.

A few minor foxing spots of no consequence.

A fine copy attractivelyhoused in a contemporary binding, published the same year as the first edition.

New edition of the French version of the celebrated poem "Tu seras un homme mon fils", a complete reworking of Rudyard Kipling's poem "If", one of the numbered copies on Lafuma wove paper.

Bound in half forest green morocco with corners, the spine faded and sunned, with four raised bands ruled in gilt and decorated with gilt compartments enhanced by red, brown and dark brown onlaid morocco inlays, gilt date at the foot, marbled paper-covered boards, marbled endpapers, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt.

A few light spots of foxing.

A handsome copy in an attractive binding.

Signed autograph presentation inscription from André Maurois to...

New printing of the author's works issued by Alexandre Houssiaux, who had acquired the Furne publishing stock under which the works had originally appeared. He expanded the set with three additional volumes (Theatre, Contes drolatiques, etc.), published here for the first time.
Bound in red half shagreen, spines with four raised bands ruled in gilt and richly gilt-panelled, a few minor scuffs to some spines, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers, speckled edges.

A few light foxing spots, as usual.

Illustrated with 125 plates hors texte by the leading artists of the period, including Bertall, Daumier, Gavarni, Johannot, Meissonier and Nanteuil, together with rare...

First edition, issued without any edition statement.
Contemporary half mottled fawn sheep bindings, smooth spines ruled in gilt with double fillets, red sheep lettering pieces bearing the author's name "Works of V. Hugo", sky-blue sheep title and volume labels, marbled paper-covered boards, decorative endpapers and pastedowns.
Some occasional foxing, small holes at the head of the half-title leaf of the first volume.
Widely regarded as Hugo's masterpiece in the realm of fiction, a dark and baroque work in which his poetic style, built upon antitheses and oxymora, is carried to its furthest limits, anticipating qualities later embraced by the Surrealists.

First edition of the illustrations by Henry Lemarié, one of 3,450 copies printed on Rives wove paper (No. 1059).
Magnificent work illustrated by Henry Lemarié with 3 title vignettes and 57 large wood-engraved plates hors texte, hand-coloured using the pochoir process. 
One of the most desirable illustrated editions of La Fontaine's Fables produced in the twentieth century. 
Spines of the chemises sunned, boards lightly and partially discoloured, as is often the case, otherwise a pleasing set. 

First edition of Henry Lemarié's illustrations, issued in 3,450 copies, this being one of the copies on Rives wove paper (no. 1073).
Spines of the chemises decorated with gilt compartments and lacework tools, slipcase panels adorned with a large illustration depicting artistic attributes and highlighted in gold.
Boards of the volumes lightly and partially sunned.
The work is illustrated throughout with black-and-colour in-text illustrations by Henry Lemarié.
An attractive, richly illustrated copy in an elegant presentation.

First edition, one of 175 numbered copies on alfa paper, being the only large-paper copies after 23 on pure laid and 155 on vellum.
A fine copy despite two small tears at the head and foot of the spine.

Autograph presentation inscription signed by Hervé Bazin to Robert Géry, accompanied by a small drawing of a viper with its forked tongue extended.

Charming illustrated edition featuring, as the frontispiece to the first volume, a portrait of Alfred de Musset after the original painting by Charles Landelle, together with 28 drawings by Alexandre Bida; one of the numbered copies printed on laid paper.

Bound in full midnight-blue Russian morocco, spines with five raised bands gilt-tooled with garlands and decorated with gilt fillets and blind-stamped typographical ornaments, gilt rolls to the spine ends, gilt dates at the foot, a few joints slightly split at the head or tail, covers framed with quintuple gilt fillets, gilt armorial bearings stamped at the centres, red moiré silk endleaves and doublures, gilt dentelle border to...

First edition on ordinary paper for the second volume; statement of 1000th edition on the first volume.

Minor foxing to the top edges.

A handsome set, housed in a white paper covered chemise and slipcase.

Exceptional presentation copies signed by Marcel Pagnol to Maurice Druon on each volume: "à Maurice Druon, écrivain véritable, hommage du romancier amateur, son ami, MarcelPagnol. 1958" [to Maurice Druon, true writer, homage from an amateur novelist, his friend, Marcel Pagnol] and "Cher Maurice, puisque ça te plaît, voilà la suite. Mais rassure-toi, il n'y en a plus qu'un ! affectueusement, Marcel." [Dear Maurice, since you liked it...

First edition, one of the press copies.

A few spots of foxing to the centre of the spine.

Presentation inscription signed by Raymond Queneau to Marcel Mithois.

First edition of the French translation, sixth edition statement.

Contemporary half blue sheepskin binding, spine with four raised bands ruled in black and decorated with gilt floral motifs, gilt initials at foot, cat’s-eye paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns.

A pleasant copy.

First Gallimard edition, one of 1050 numbered copies on alfama du marais paper.

Publisher's boards executed after the original design by Paul Bonet.

Spine slightly faded, as often encountered, two neatly repaired splits at the head and foot of one joint, 

First edition, one of the copies specially printed on Corvol l'Orgueilleux paper for the Sequana selection.

Publisher's full sand paper-covered boards, smooth spine, lightly sunned, with wrappers specially designed for the Sequana selection and spine preserved, speckled edges.

A pleasing copy.

Third edition, revised and augmented by the author, published during his lifetime. The copy is complete with the title-frontispiece depicting a "portico of Tuscan architectural order" according to the description of the 1805 edition, whose terrace shows a man ploughing the fields, indicating the content of the book. It is likewise complete with the folding plate and the eight elaborate vignettes. The first edition of this major text was issued from the press only five years earlier, in 1600.

First edition of the French translation, illustrated with a photographic portrait of Albert Einstein as frontispiece.

A small loss at the foot of the spine, which also shows rubbing along the joints, upper right corner of the front board starting to come loose, a slight marginal tear just below, pleasant internal condition, manuscript bookplate at the head of a flyleaf.

Annotations and markings in red pen on pages 8 and 9.

Work illustrated with figures in the text.

A fine large-paper copy on vellum of the 1796 edition, which contains several previously unpublished texts by the author, a frontispiece portrait, 13 illustrations and 2 maps, engraved by Pierre-Alexandre Tardieu, Claude-Nicolas Malapeau, P. F. Tardieu, A. Girardet, Jean Louis Charles Pauquet, François Denis Née, Emmanuel-Jean-Népomucène de Ghendt, Charles Emmanuel Patas, Noël Le Mire and Vincent-Marie Langlois (in order of appearance).

Contemporary half long-grain red morocco bindings, smooth spines divided by...

First edition on standard paper.

Bradel binding in full moiré silk with a leaf pattern, smooth spine decorated with a gilt fleuron and gilt date at the foot, green morocco lettering piece, fore-edge and tail edges untrimmed, binding signed in blind on the upper pastedown [E.T.] Pierson, the Goncourt brothers' binder of choice.
Silk at the headcaps slightly rubbed, corners worn, light rubbing to the lettering piece.

A fine copy, with a few very faint fox spots and one paragraph marked with a pencilled marginal bracket at p. 61.

A complete set of the astronomical writings of Jean Sylvain Bailly, partly in first edition. This is the main work of the author,  first Mayor of Paris, elected during his lifetime to three French academies, a distinction previously achieved only by Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle.

The present set comprises the second edition of the Histoire de l'astronomie ancienne, the new edition of the Histoire de l'astronomie moderne, and the first edition of the Traité de l'astronomie indienne et...

First edition on ordinary paper, bearing the correct imprint date of 25 August 1978.

Spine yellowed and creased as usual, internally in pleasing condition.

Rare signed autograph inscription from Georges Pérec to Chantal Labre.

First complete edition of the French translation.

Contemporary red half morocco, spine with four raised bands tooled with gilt dotted rules and decorated with double gilt compartments filled with a semé of gilt stars, minor rubbing to spine, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, speckled edges.

Occasional light foxing.

First edition, one of the deluxe copies on alfa, this one an unnumbered hors commerce, only deluxe issue after 10 copies on Arches.

Full blue-gray morocco binding, spine with five raised bands, gilt date at foot, yellow box calf doublure, watered silk free endpapers, original wrappers including spine bound in, all edges gilt, half morocco chemise in panels, wood motif paper boards, slipcase edged in morocco, wood motif paper boards lined with blue felt, outstanding binding signed Hélène Alix.

Unrecorded...

First English edition, published one year after the first edition (American), complete with its illustrated dust jacket with unclipped price.
Publisher's pink-red cloth, title, author's name and publisher's imprint to the spine, all three in gilt.
Headcaps very slightly pushed, faint foxing to the boards, a fine copy. On the dust jacket, spine and boards sunned as is common, discreet wear and stains to the headcaps, boards and corners, marginal browning and a dampstain at the foot to the inside of the jacket.

First edition of the French translation, for which no deluxe paper copies were issued, with the correct "achevé d’imprimer" dated February 1939.

A fine copy, complete with its illustrated dust-jacket, as usual showing only slight rubbing and minor marginal tears, not affecting its overall appearance.

The work is illustrated, facing the title-page, with a map of the south-eastern United States during the Civil War.

First British edition of 1955 (the first edition of 1954 is American), complete with its dark pink dust jacket designed by Lynton Lamb, on which one of the two prizes received by A Fable in 1955 is mentioned: the Pulitzer Prize. This is the work on which William Faulkner laboured longest and which he considered his masterpiece.

Publisher's binding in candy-pink cloth, with title and author's name gilt in a false panel at the head of the spine, and publisher's name gilt at the foot. Galignani...

Definitive edition.

Spine slightly sunned and a little cocked, a few spots to the boards.

Signed autograph inscription from Vercors to François Triboudeau.

First English edition, printed after the first edition published in Milan in 1959 and the American edition published that same year, on ordinary paper, complete with its original unclipped dust jacket.
Publisher's red cloth binding, title and names of author and publisher to spine in gilt. Manuscript inscription, dated February 1964, on the front free endpaper.
Spine of the dust jacket sunned as is often the case, joints of the front board very slightly split, small tears at the head of the front board and a few minute red offsetting to that same board.
Scattered foxing and light browning to the pastedowns and endpapers.

English reprint of 1955 — the first American edition was published in 1927 and the first English edition in 1928 — on ordinary paper, complete with its original illustrated unclipped dust jacket.

Publisher's binding in light blue cloth, title, author's name and publisher's device stamped in dark blue to spine, title repeated, also in dark blue, to head of upper board.

Spine ends and edges slightly sunned as is often the case, a...

Illustrated edition with 150 drawings by Riou.

Publisher's catalogue by FN bound in at the rear.

Hetzel publisher's binding "aux deux éléphants" type 3, full red percaline binding signed A. Lenègre, rear board type "e" as identified by Jauzac, original blue endpapers, all edges gilt. Manuscript inscription on the title page, upper right.

Illustrated edition with colour drawings by Chas Laborde, one of the numbered copies printed on wove paper.

A pleasing copy.

On the half-title page, a signed autograph inscription from Colette: "A monsieur F. Porlier. Colette.", Colette having added after Claudine s'en va :  bon vent !

Illustrated edition with colour drawings by Chas Laborde, one of the numbered copies printed on wove paper.

A pleasing copy, notwithstanding a crease mark to the lower right corner of the upper cover.

Fine signed presentation inscription by Colette: "A monsieur F. Porlier ce vieux péché littéraire que je n'aime plus beaucoup. Colette."

Illustrated edition with colour drawings by Chas Laborde, one of the numbered copies printed on wove paper.

A pleasing copy, despite a small tear to the upper right margin of the front free endpaper.

On the page following the title, a fine signed autograph inscription by Colette: "A monsieur F. Porlier. Nantes, février 1933. Colette. J'aime beaucoup "et autres" ! Colette.", Colette having ironically circled the words "et autres" appearing in a paragraph outlining her alleged collaboration with her former husband Willy in the writing of the work.

Illustrated edition with colour drawings by Chas Laborde, one of the numbered copies on wove paper.

A pleasing copy.

Autograph signed inscription by Colette: "A monsieur F. Porlier en souvenir d'une passante. Colette."

First Gallimard edition, one of 1,050 numbered copies printed on Alfama du Marais paper.

Publisher’s boards bound after the original design by Paul Bonet.

A very fine copy.

Illustrated first edition, lacking the frontispiece portrait of Hippocrates, but complete with its five plates, fine decorative initials and large tailpieces.

Contemporary full tree calf, smooth spine richly gilt with, among other decorations, a palmette roll, tan morocco lettering piece, gilt roll on board edges. Ink ownership inscription on the front pastedown: "J. E. Petrequin \ lyon, nov. 1856," in the hand of Joseph Pierre Eléonor Pétrequin, chief surgeon at the Hôtel-Dieu de Lyon, who received the...

First edition on ordinary paper with all the features of the first printing. Includes its publisher’s band expertly restored and the publisher’s catalogue at rear.

An exceptionally fresh copy, preserved with its rare red publisher’s band quoting Molly’s phrase “C’est le voyageur solitaire qui va le plus loin” (“he travels farthest who travels alone”, translation by John H. P. Marks) followed by this text on the verso:

 

“One...

New edition, limited to 2,000 numbered copies on Lafuma vellum.

Signed autograph presentation inscription by Henri Barbusse beneath the limitation statement: "A Marcel Granoux fraternellement. Henri Barbusse."

Included are an original photograph of Henri Barbusse (8.9 × 13.8 cm, from the G.L. Manuel Frères studio), showing him full face, together with two typed letters dated 28 April and 2 July 1930, signed by Henri Barbusse, concerning an article he was late in sending and a copy of Le Feu that he promises to inscribe and forward to his correspondent.

The first typed letter also bears two manuscript corrections by Henri...

First edition, one of 200 numbered copies on Holland paper, the only deluxe paper issue.

Shadowed endpapers.

Half chocolate-brown morocco binding with corners, smooth spine decorated with gilt panels enhanced with black morocco onlays, gilt date at foot, marbled paper boards, handmade paper endpapers and doublures, original wrappers and spine preserved, bookplate pasted to an endpaper, top edge gilt on untrimmed leaves, an elegant binding signed Pierre-Lucien Martin at the foot of the spine.

A fine, wide-margined copy beautifully bound by Pierre-Lucien Martin, one of the most gifted bookbinders of the second half of the twentieth century.

New edition of the French translation.

Spines slightly sunned, with minor tears at the foot.

Signed in manuscript by Thomas Mann on the endpapers of both volumes.

First edition on standard paper.

A fine copy, complete with its promotional band.

Signed autograph inscription by Pascal Quignard to a friend named Nicolas: "A Nicolas en t'embrassant, Pascal."

First edition of the French translation prepared by Alexandre Vialatte, one of the complimentary copies.

A manuscript ex-dono erased in the upper right corner of the half-title page, resulting in a small loss of paper.

Signed autograph inscription by Alexandre Vialatte to Albert Thibaudet.

First edition, one of 40 numbered copies on alfa paper, our copy not specifically numbered, issued as the only deluxe paper copies.

A few small spots of foxing, mainly affecting the edges and the endpapers, which show two small traces of adhesive paper.

New edition of the translation by Alain-René Le Sage, revised by Pons-Auguste Alletz, some forty years after its initial publication. Two frontispieces decorate each volume. As we learn from the Avertissement, this classic, which flowed from the pen of the author nicknamed the "Divine Spaniard" by his compatriots, was then, in the 1770s, unknown to a large part of the French youth.

Contemporary binding in full brown tree calf, smooth gilt spine with four compartments separated by traditional and dotted...

A fine edition complete with all 12 steel engravings with tissue guards after paintings by Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Philippe de Champaigne, and Hyacinthe Rigaud, and its chromolithographic title page. Leafs containing the Discourse on Universal History  framed by floral, zoomorphic, figural and armorial interlaced borders. This copy is further enhanced with elaborate decorated initials and tailpieces, and a black-and-white frontispiece opening each part.

Copy comprising two translations in first edition by M. de Marolles, Abbé de Villeloin. Charming allegorical engraved title-page depicting the authors and their works, the latter represented as two mischievous cherub-satyrs. Several headpieces, some with coats of arms, tailpieces, and decorated initials with floral and figural motifs.

Contemporary binding in full brown calf, spine with four gilt raised bands, decorated with four compartments with gilt fleurons and roulettes, double gilt fillet framing the...

Complete copy comprising two translations by Nicolas Perrot d'Ablancourt, whose works are commonly known as "belles infidèles" (beautiful but unfaithful translations). Between 1662 and 1795, no other translation of Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War was published. The privilege granted to the bookseller Clousier in 1712 was shared among several booksellers, including Michel-Étienne David, Nicolas Gosselin, and Jean-Geoffroy Nyon.

Contemporary full brown calf, gilt spines with five raised bands and four compartments decorated with plain and dotted fillets enclosing fleuron tools, tan morocco lettering-pieces, numbering-pieces within gilt...

Folio edition of the Holy Bible illustrated by Gustave Doré in two volumes.
3/4 red calf, spine with five raised bands showing some scuffing, decorated with five blind-stamped panels framed in gilt, gilt roll on the bands and at top and bottom of spine, spine-ends rubbed, spine elaborately decorated with gilt tooling, title and volume number gilt-stamped, marbled paper boards framed in gilt, small losses of paper at upper margin of front board of both volumes, paper lifting at margin of lower cover of volume two, contemporary binding. Some foxing. 
Translated by J.J. Bourassé and P. Janvier.
A handsome edition with numerous monumental woodcuts after drawings by Gustave...

Rare and sought-after first edition, first issue, with exceptionally added plates from the first illustrated edition, published that same year. 34 full-page engravings after Demoraine, Gagnier, Staal and engraved by F. Delannoy.

Includes the subscribers’ list and the foreword, which will be removed for the second issue when the remainder of this edition was bought by another publisher, Dion-Lambert. It also features the pagination error in volume two: page 164 instead of 364.

With a scribal letter...

First public edition of this text written under the pseudonym François la Colère, one of 50 numbered copies on Madagascar paper, the deluxe issue.

Rare and fine copy.

First edition, one of 170 numbered copies on deluxe paper.

Fine copy preserved in its double wrapper.