Illustrated edition by George Roux featuring 12 large chromotypographs, 2 maps, and numerous photographic views.
Publisher’s decorative binding by Hetzel, signed Engel, known as “au globe,” type 4, spine with the lighthouse design, lower cover of Engel type "h" as per Jauzac; all edges gilt.
Headcaps very slightly pushed without consequence, original blue endpapers faintly faded as often, a few occasional spots of foxing.
Les Frères Kip is a detective and adventure novel, likely inspired by a late 19th-century criminal case: the Rorique brothers.
Copy not recorded by Jauzac.
First edition on ordinary paper.
Autograph inscription signed, in pencil, by Sacha Guitry to madame Simone Gerbert.
First edition, of which there were no deluxe copies.
Autograph inscription signed by Henri Charrière to journalist and historian Gilbert Guilleminault.
Henri Charrière, known as Papillon, ward of the state and petty criminal, had been sentenced to the penal colony in 1931 for a murder he always denied. More than thirty years later, he recounts his terrible experience in this autobiographical text. He describes the violence, injustice, diseases and escape attempts, crowned by years of exile in South America: « Pure of all contact, his publisher noted, and of all literary ambition, what he writes is "as he tells it to you", you see it, you feel it, you live it [...]. » The book met with immense success before being adapted for cinema with Steve McQueen in the leading role.
Original autograph manuscript, 8 pages on 4 squared leaves, extensively revised and signed by Boris Vian. Subtle horizontal folds.
This short story, written on 7 June 1948 according to Noël Arnaud, was first published in issue no. 2 of the magazine Dans le train, and later included in the collection Le Loup Garou. The manuscript differs slightly from the printed versions.
Autograph letter dated and signed by Jacques Mesrine, dated Saturday September 22, 1976, 67 lines in blue ink on one page recto verso addressed to his love of the time, Jeanne Schneider, thanks to whom the manuscript of Instinct de mort was discreetly smuggled out of prison.
Jacques Mesrine, then incarcerated at Fleury-Mérogis prison and deprived of human warmth, is enthusiastic about all the visits he receives in the visiting room, thus dispelling the myth of the antisocial bandit devoid of human feelings: "And after that they'll say I'm a savage! No, quite the contrary, and people who have had contact with me want to see me again. This gave me immense pleasure and do you know what happened next... she's also going to ask to see you. Apparently I'm missed by the nurses 'mister smile' that's the secret."
He particularly appreciated the visit from the nurse at La Santé prison who would also be their wedding witness with Jeanne Schneider and whom he praises: "... an enormous surprise! You'll never guess who came to see me! My nurse from La Santé... yes my darling... that charming lady with white hair whom you had seen in the visiting room at La Santé and who is to be our witness at our wedding [...] She's an exceptional woman, a former military nurse and quite well-placed in the ministry. During my 2 and a half years at La Santé I considered her like a mother, this woman is so devoted it's unthinkable. Woe to anyone who would touch a single hair on her head."
Public enemy No. 1 takes the opportunity again to break this reputation as a bloodthirsty beast that sticks to him: "If journalists knew that all the nurses entered my cell alone and with complete confidence, we'd be far from the 'beast' and hostage-taking à la Buffet. Nurses have always been sacred to me. They are untouchable like quite a few other people, but those journalist faggots don't know that; because they're not in my thoughts and that's regrettable sometimes."
Jacques Mesrine the rebel is surprised to find himself appreciating his prison solitude: "Do you know that I'm beginning to like it here... What calm you know manou, my isolation, I bear it insofar as I have peace. In detention it's not proven that I would have it. It's my reactions I'm afraid of... and the mentality of so-called crooks is increasingly disgusting! [...] in my isolation, there's good and bad... but personally, I don't want to complain... because there's no reason to do so." and ends his letter with paternal considerations for his daughter who is not very assiduous at school and for whom he worries: "I'm going to find out if Sabrina has been regularly attending her classes... I hope so because if the opposite were the case... no mercy this time... But what worry this kid can represent and what powerlessness I have to control her being here!"
Rare and very fine letter from Jacques Mesrine overflowing with reverence for the nursing profession and regrettable detestation for that of journalists.
Autograph letter dated and signed by Henri II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé and father of the Grand Condé, 2 pages on one sheet, 27 lines in black ink.
Minor restorations and dampstain to left margin of the sheet. Discreet annotation by a former owner at head of verso of the letter.
Although he acknowledges the full atrocity of the crime perpetrated by sieur Cardinet against the person of the son of one of the most important magistrates of the city of Bourges, Henri II undertakes to intervene in favor of the assassin: "... l'action qui sest passee a Bourges est très méchante estant un assassinat très inhumain fait en plein jour contre le fils dun des principaus magistras de la ville. Japorteray pour vostre respect tout mon pouvoir pour ledit Cardinet et espère pour lamour de vous et pour lobeissance que je vous veus rendre le tirer daffaire..." ["... the action that took place at Bourges is very wicked being a very inhuman assassination done in broad daylight against the son of one of the principal magistrates of the city. I will bring for your respect all my power for the said Cardinet and hope for love of you and for the obedience that I wish to render you to get him out of trouble..."] but in no case for his accomplices: "Je dis lui seul car pour les autres complices je tiens la chose impossible sans une abolition du Roy principalement estants tous prisonniers presentement je despescheray à Bourges a cet effet est en ceste petite occasion que je voudrois estre plus grande..." ["I say him alone for as for the other accomplices I hold the thing impossible without an abolition from the King principally being all prisoners presently I will dispatch to Bourges to this effect and in this small occasion that I would wish to be greater..."]
"Ce soir je suis très mal foutu... il est 19 heures et je me couche juste après la fin de ta lettre... de rien de grave... juste une grande fatigue (à rien faire)" ["Tonight I feel really awful... it's 7 PM and I'm going to bed just after finishing your letter... nothing serious... just very tired (from doing nothing)"]
"Comme cela la puce veut prendre la religion juive... encore une idée à elle... oui je sais elle a fait croire à ses copains qu'elle était juive... car eux l'étaient...si cela l'amuse je la laisse libre... mais ça démontre aussi un dédoublement de personnalité..." ["So the little one wants to take up the Jewish religion... another one of her ideas... yes I know she made her friends believe she was Jewish... because they were... if it amuses her I leave her free... but it also shows a split personality..."]
"Aujourd'hui j'ai eu la visite du juge Madre. Tu aurais rigolé, car il a eu droit à tout mon vocabulaire... il en perdait la parole (j'ai pris mon pied (sic)) A un moment il me dit "mais c'est quand même moi qui commande... Réponse de ton bibi : "Ici pédé" c'est moi ton patron". Il était vert et les flics se marraient comme des perdus." ["Today I had a visit from Judge Madre. You would have laughed, because he got my full vocabulary... he was speechless (I had a ball) At one point he tells me 'but I'm still the one in charge... Your boy's response: 'Here, faggot, I'm your boss.' He was green and the cops were laughing like crazy."]
and against all submission to any form of power or violence:
"Le pire que l'on puisse faire à un juge, c'est lui enlever toute autorité devant les autres et crois moi il l'a bien compris. Il était venu avec 5 anti-commandos... L'un avait la bombe de gaz à la main... au cas où? Loin d'être impressionné... cela me rend con..." ["The worst thing you can do to a judge is to remove all his authority in front of others and believe me he understood it well. He had come with 5 anti-commandos... One had the gas canister in his hand... just in case? Far from being impressed... it makes me crazy..."]
"Là ma puce je vais prendre mon lit en marche...Ton vieux voyou pose ses lèvres sur le tiennes en une douce caresse d'amour. je t'adore petite fille... car nous sommes réellement le "couple" et plus encore. Bonne nuit chaton." ["There my little one I'm going to take to my bed... Your old rogue places his lips on yours in a sweet caress of love. I adore you little girl... because we are truly the 'couple' and even more. Good night kitten."]
First edition, one of 100 numbered copies on pure linen thread paper, the only deluxe copies.
Rare and handsome copy complete with its illustrated dust jacket which shows minor scuffs to head and foot of spine.
The work was adapted for cinema in 1957 by Phil Karlson with Dianne Foster and Richard Conte in the principal roles.
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,
- se fait une risette...
Ris, Yette,
Ris, Yette de Tours !
Un chant mélodieux
Chante sous sa fenêtre,
Et puis voici paraître,
Gentil page aux doux yeux.
- Oh ! dit-il, ô ma Dame,
Moult (1) amour ai dans l'âme ;
Si ne m'écoutez pas,
Pour moi c'est le trépas ! -
Mais point ne s'inquiète
La cruelle coquette :
Et rit de ses amours...
- Il s'est coupé la tête...
Ris, Yette,
Ris, Yette de Tours !
Franc-Nohain."
(1) moult (underlined word), beaucoup
New edition of the French translation based on the latest English edition, with some parts in first edition.
Half brown sheep bindings, smooth spines decorated with black and gilt fillets, gilt friezes at head and foot of spines, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, marbled edges, Romantic bindings.
Some surface scratches on the boards and minor rubbing to the spines, headcaps of the first two volumes with small losses.
A rare and handsome copy of this work which serves as the first detective novel in literary history.
William Golding is considered one of the most important precursors of anarchist and utilitarian thought, he is the father of Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, better known as Mary Shelley.
