Poetry

First edition - only published issue of this journal of the Resistance.
Minor rubbing at head and foot of spine, slight tears in margins of covers.
Anonymous texts by Claude Bourdet, Maurice Clavel, Jean-Louis Curtis, Yves Gandon, Flavien Monod and Maximilien Vox, who was the magazine's director.
This single issue was put together between December 1943 and March 1944, but La Revue noire could not be published during the Occupation. The final press proof was given on 15 February 1944 and the imprint is dated 15 February 1945.
A rare and pleasant copy.

New illustrated edition with 22 plates by Célestin Nanteuil, and some headpieces. Text adapted for young readers. Translation by Le Prince Le brun. First edition of this version for young readers.
Publisher's polychrome mosaic cartonnage binding. Smooth spine with ornaments on red, green and cream ground. Upper cover decorated with 4 shields, 2 red and 2 blue, and a portrait of Tasso on cream ground, all set against Renaissance interlacing patterns. Blind-ruled frame on covers. Edges gilt. On the lower cover, a very elaborate shield on green ground. Tinted paper throughout. Dark traces on the lemon endpapers. Some very occasional and light foxing.

A very handsome...

First edition on ordinary paper.
Minor lacks to foot of sunned spine and to board margins, small restoration at the head of the upper board.
Autograph inscription dated and signed by Henri Barbusse to Jules Cornely.

First edition printed on alfa paper, no mention is made of deluxe copies.
Work illustrated with illustrations in the text.
Manuscript signature of Géo Lévy-Say at the head of the title page.

Autograph letter dated and signed by André Frénaud addressed to art critic Georges Raillard (12 lines in blue ballpoint pen) regarding the publication of his latest work L'étape dans la clairière.
Fold marks inherent to the letter's envelope placement, envelope included.
André Frénaud expresses his discontent at being so poorly perceived in the literary world and, in an effort to be better regarded, he appeals to Georges Raillard regarding his latest work L'étape dans la clairière: "... je vous l'adresse comme une approche par l'auteur, très subjective donc et unilatérale, pas du tout une interprétation officielle et complète !!! mais...

First edition on ordinary paper, laid paper.

Modern half orange morocco slipcase binding. Smooth spine with title and author in black. Contemporary peacock-eye paper boards. Orange suede pastedowns and morocco spine. Work in original wrappers as issued with restorations to spine and lining of covers with period paper. Very fresh copy.
Handsome set.

Autograph poem signed by symbolist poet Adolphe Retté in alexandrine quatrains entitled "Nocturne au parc".
Crease marks inherent to postal folding.
The poem, 34 lines in black ink on two leaves and dedicated to Octave Uzanne, will appear in the collection entitled "L'archipel en fleurs" published in 1895 by "La bibliothèque artistique et littéraire":
"Nocturne au parc
A Octave Uzanne
Le parc, que le printemps vêt de feuilles nouvelles,
S'ensommeille aux chansons qui passent dans la brise
Et des roses en fleurs, pareilles à des belles,
Parfument les massifs dont la lune est éprise.
L'Avril tiède languit sous les...

Autograph poem signed by Swiss poet Charles Fuster in alexandrine quatrains and tercets entitled "Au temps de Jeanne".
Crease marks inherent to postal folding.
The poem, 15 lines in black ink on one leaf, will appear in the Swiss French-language review "Le semeur" of June 25, 1889, of which Charles Fuster was editor-in-chief:
"Au temps de Jeanne
Quand la bonne Lorraine, en son pays de France,
Rythmait sa rêverie au bas des destriers,
Quand elle s'en allait aux combats meurtriers,
Vierge de flêtrissure et ferme d'espérance,
Quand les rameaux moussus et de calme apparence
Regardaient passer Jeanne auprès de leurs foeyrs,
Plus d'une...

Poem in Alexandrine quatrain and tercet, autograph signed by Swiss poet Charles Fuster, entitled "Au temps de Jeanne".
At the top of the poem, pencil annotations by an editor from Mercure de France.
The poem, 15 lines in black ink on a sheet, would appear in the "Mercure de France" review of September 1890 with a variant in the first stanza (: "la grâce de son visage" becoming in the final state "la peau de son visage")
"Aquarelle
C'est d'un grain de satin la grâce de son visage
Bleue à croire qu'un bleu reflet de lune y joue
Et le nez qui nuement fait ombre sur la joue
La grâce en a modelé tous les cartilages !
Le cold-cream obligeant fixe...

Unpublished poem in Alexandrine quatrain, autograph signed by Gustave Téry, entitled "Silencieux".
Fold marks inherent to postal handling.
The poem, 14 lines in black ink on a sheet, is unpublished:
"Silencieux
Mes regards vous ont dit que je vous adorais.
Vous avez entendu leur prière muette,
[...]
Vous ne m'entretenez que de choses frivoles ;
Mais je lis, dans vos yeux, ce que vous me taisez.
Ne dites rien. Gardez vos lèvres aux baisers.
Et parlez à mon coeur la langue sans paroles.
[...]
Qu'il reste enseveli le secret de nos âmes !
Votre rêve est le mien. Ne parlez pas : j'entends.
G.T.."
Fold...

Autograph signed poem quatrain by poet Franc-Nohain entitled "Du pays tourangeau".
Fold marks inherent to postal handling.
The signed poem, 31 lines in black ink on one leaf, was included in the collection "Inattentions et sollicitudes" published in 1894 under the same title with some variants:
"Du pays tourangeau
Lai médiévite.
Du pays tourangeau
La belle châtelaine
Garnit de blanche laine
Son agile fuseau.
C'est Yette qu'on l'appelle,
Et Yette est la plus belle...
A tourné, pour se voir,
Les yeux vers son miroir :
Rajuste sa cornette,
Et se voit si proprette
Dedans ses, beaux atours,

Autograph signed alexandrine quatrain poem by the symbolist poet Adolphe Retté entitled "Les femmes au bord de la mer".
The poem, 19 lines in black ink on one leaf and dedicated to the painter Puvis de Chavannes, would appear in issue No.1 of January 1895 of the symbolist review 'L'ermitage' with some variants:
"Les femmes au bord de la mer
A Puvis de Chavannes
Calyste, Noémie et la triste Négère
Eprises des flots purs dont le chant les câline,
Sur le roc où languit une flore marine
Rêvent d'amour étrange et de grève étrangère.
Calyste est toute grave et pleure Noémie,
Ouit l'hymne fuyant de plaintives sirènes,
La brise les adule et soupire leurs...

A collection of twelve volumes comprising the complete eight-volume Collection des petits classiques françois, published under the direction of Charles Nodier and Nicolas Delangle, together with four contemporary works belonging to the same literary and publishing milieu. The original series was dedicated to the Duchesse de Berry and printed using the types of Jules Didot the Elder. The present set is numbered 17 and is one of 25 copies on Dutch paper, following 6 copies on Chinese paper and preceding 500 copies on extra-fine paper.

The second édition originale on ordinary paper. Fifteen hundred copies had been printed, plus 4 on chine paper, a few copies on hollande and on vélin.
Complete with the portrait of the author by Félix Bracquemond (often missing), here in first state on papier chine pasted on the page (before letters, i.e. “L'Artiste” on top of the portrait).
Orange half cloth Bradel binding, smooth spine double ruled in gilt, gilt date at foot, slightly scratched brown shagreen title-label, marbled paper boards, slightly later 19th-century binding.

Mistakenly considered as “partly original”, this edition was entirely...