Romanticism

| "the time for planting has come" |
Autograph letter signed by François-René de Chateaubriand, dated March 14, 1827. 3 1/2 pages in black ink on a bifolium, addressed to Michel-Augustin Varcollier.

Chateaubriand writes to the husband of his goddaughter, Atala Stamaty-Varcollier, the first to bear the name of the heroine of his famous novel that propelled him onto the literary scene in 1801. Head of the Fine Arts Division of the Seine Prefecture, Michel-Augustin Varcollier acted as Chateaubriand's intermediary in the development of the grounds of l'Infirmerie Marie-Thérèse, his wife Céleste's grand project to house elde

Autograph letter signed by Victor Hugo to his friend H. de Cambier, 20 lines written in black ink on a bifolium, autograph address on the verso of the final leaf.
Splendid and likely unpublished letter from Victor Hugo inviting his correspondent to the famed Romantic 'Cénacle' gatherings at the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal, a veritable literary institution in the 1830's.

"This Saturday the 6th,
I noticed the other evening, Sir, that you expressed, with some regret, not having a ball to attend on Sunday (tomorrow).
Now, I have managed to arrange my guard duty so as to be free tomorrow from nine o'clock to midnight (alas, I could not obtain

First 12^o edition published a year after the very rare first edition.
Light dampstains to the joins of the volumes, a small hole at foot of a joint on the first volume, slight rubbing to the spines, an upper corner of volume 1 rubbed, small part of leather lacking and a hole to a joint of the third volume.

Bound in half bronze sheep, smooth spines framed in gilt and cold-stamped fillets, modern black morocco title labels and volume labels, marbled paper boards, spotted edges, contemporary bindings.

Provenance: from the library of Michel Marie de Pomereu with his engraved bookplates pasted on the pastedowns.

Actes et paroles - Avant l'exil, 1841-1851 [Words and Deeds - Before the Exile, 1841-1851]
Michel Lévy frères, Paris 1875, 19,5x25cm, bound.
First edition, one of 20 numbered copies on chine, most limited deluxe edition of this important collection of speeches, public declarations, and political texts intended for French parliament (Chamber of Peers, Constituent Assembly and Legislative Assembly), all written - as stated in the title - prior to his exile. These important texts address freedom of the press, theater and education, as well as the abolition of the death penalty.
Half red shagreen binding, smooth spine decorated in gilt lengthwise, marbled paper board

Second edition with some parts in first edition as expanded with two new pieces: "L'occasion" and "Le carrosse du Saint Sacrement".

Half red straight-grained morocco binding with corners signed Blanchetière at the top of the first endpaper. Smooth spine decorated with a large mirror tool and roulettes. Separating fillets on the boards. Very fresh copy, uncut, however some brown spots on Le carrosse du saint sacrement.

Very handsome copy.

Provenance: from the library of Jacques Crépineau, famous collector of Romantic books, with his bookplate. Theater historian and director of the Michodière theater.

This is Prosper Mérimée's first work composed

Invitation card to the ball celebrating the centennial of Victor Hugo's birth, held at the Salle des Ingénieurs civils, rue Blanche in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, on Saturday, February 22nd, 1902.
A handsome and rare copy despite a very small stain in the upper left corner of the card.
The ball was organized by the committee of the "Société littéraire Victor Hugo" presided by P. Heuzey.

First edition published in 20 instalments, illustrated with wood-engraved vignettes in the text after Célestin Nanteuil, Français, Karl Girardet, Jules David, etc., and 20 copper-engraved or lithographed plates after Diaz, Decamps, Hazé, A. Guignet, E. Hedouin, Théodore Chasseriau, Alophe, Couture, etc. The original covers of all instalments are bound at the end. The covers erroneously announce 30 engravings instead of the 20 actually included.
Later binding in red Russian half morocco with corners, spine in five raised bands richly gilt, date in gilt at foot, gilt fillet frame on pasteboard covers. Considerable rubbing and bumped corners.