Traveling writers

Edition with some parts in first edition, published at the author's expense.
Half black shagreen bindings, smooth spines decorated with blind fillets, marbled paper boards, marbled paper pastedowns and endpapers, green corners
Some occasional light rubbing, foxing. Contemporary bindings.
Author's inscription on the half-title page of volume 1: "Mémoire et reconnaissance".
A final volume appeared in 1866 which is often missing.
The most sought-after edition.

Illustrated edition of initials, colored vignettes and 8 plates inset by Georges Lepape, one of 36 numbered copies on Holland paper, head print.
Binding half turquoise shagreen corners, back with four nerves slightly discolored, paper plates with moiré effect, guards and contreplats of handmade paper, cover and back preserved, gilded head.
Nice copy.
Our copy, as it is stipulated in the justification of the draw, is full of the original etching of Georges Lepape that he signed.

The rare and sought-after French first edition. Translation from German by Dumas. The large folding map, placed at the end of volume II, is missing and has been replaced by a photocopy of the reduced map provided by the Bibliothèque Nationale de France on its Gallica website. It was drawn by French cartographer Jacques-Nicolas Bellin (1703-1772) and published by Abbé Prévost. This has been refolded to insert in place of the original map.
Contemporary full marbled calf bindings. Decorated smooth spines. Red morocco title and volume labels. One wormhole at the head of volume I. Evidence of rubbing to headcaps and corners. Lacking the half-title of the second volume. Handsome copy.
The first volume surveys all the voyages of discovery carried out in eastern Russia, Kamchatka, Siberia, and notably and especially that of Vitus Bering who in 1728 was the first to discover the northwest passage, leaving his name to the famous Bering Strait. The latter made a voyage by the same route to southern Alaska in 1741. The work relates numerous voyages, notably that of Simon Dejnev around the Chukchi Peninsula, that of Mikhail Gvozdev and Ivan Fedorov across the Bering Strait to Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, in 1732... The second volume deals with the history of the Amur River based on Witsen's work on northern and eastern Tartary. This history details the reports and relations between the Russians and Chinese, as well as Jesuit interventions.

New edition. 74 illustrations by Benett, including 13 photographs (Barbados, Saint Lucia...), and 12 polychrome plates and a map of the West Indies.
Publisher's binding known as "Au globe doré" type 4, with the upper plate signed Blancheland, bound by Engel. Second cover type i, with straight red letters on striped background.
Fine first plate with brilliant gilt with discreet soiling in the cartouche and in the sky. Corners turned in. Spine sunned, the gilt still quite brilliant. Soiling in the lighthouse vignette. Headcaps rubbed, the top one slightly depressed. Second cover with some fine scratches. A few leaves slightly proud. Rare scattered foxing, either in margins or on first leaves. Handsome copy overall.
Renowned English college, Antillian school only admits young men from the West Indies, 9 boarders are awarded travel scholarships. They experience a turbulent sea crossing to the West Indies archipelago, the captain and crew who welcome them being in fact criminals.

First collected illustrated edition, with 38 drawings by Georges Roux, 12 large color engravings. One map.
Publisher's binding known as "Au globe doré" type 3; second cover type Engel h. Spine with lighthouse.
Fine first plate, with brilliant gilt. Small soiling in the sky. Lower corner creased, 2 others slightly turned in. Spine sunned. Second cover good, but traces of white glue along the Greek key border. Text block slightly separated from binding. 2 signatures slightly proud. Pale scattered foxing.
Adventure novel set in central Africa, in which Verne cites Darwin's theory several times; the protagonists discovering a people living in trees, a sort of tailless ape-men. The stories of Jean-Marie Cabidoulin tells the journey of a whaler.

New edition, the first illustrated dating from 1872. 53 in-text illustrations by Ferat and 3 color chromolithographs hors-texte, and one map in black. Second issue of the "Aux feuilles d'acanthe" binding.
Publisher's binding called "Aux feuilles d'acanthe" with red medallion. Fine first plate with points of discoloration in the medallion. Second board clean but bearing on the upper part whitish traces of light discoloration. Some very skillful small restorations at the joints and headcaps. Fresh copy free from foxing, with paper uniformly slightly tinted. Good copy.
In southern Africa, three Russian scientists and three English scientists are tasked with measuring a meridional arc. Two enemy nations find themselves allied at the moment of the declaration of the Crimean War. One can distinguish in this novel a severe condemnation of slavery.

First edition of the French translation for which it was not drawn great papers.
Autograph signed by Jorge Amado to Jean Maheu.
Nice copy.

First edition, one of 106 numbered copies on pure thread Lafuma paper, the only deluxe copies after the 92 copies on bouffant sélect reserved for Éditions de Minuit.
A handsome copy.

First edition.
Bradel binding in half brown morocco with corners, spine with five raised bands set with gilt fillets and decorated with double gilt compartments decorated with gilt floral motifs, date and place gilt at foot, double gilt fillets on marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, covers preserved, top edge gilt.
Light foxing.
Provenance: from the library of Victor Hugo's beloved grandson, Georges-Victor Hugo, whom his grandfather, who took charge of his education after the death of his son Charles, affectionately nicknamed: "Monsieur le Petit Georges", with his monogram stamped in gilt at the head of the front board.

First edition, one of 13 numbered copies on Or Turner paper, large paper copy, the fewest copies.

Rare and nice copy with double cover.

First edition, one of 80 numbered copies on pure wove, one of the copies on deluxe paper.
Slight sunning at head and tail of the spine, which shows some creasing, otherwise a pleasing copy.

First edition, of which there were no large paper copies.
Early 20th century pastiche half brown calf over marbled paper boards, blindtooled fleurons and double gilt fillets to spine, marbled paper endpapers and pastedowns, covers preserved.
A very rare autograph inscription signed by Gérard de Nerval to Monsieur Ferdinand Langlé, the founder of the Pompes Funèbre in 1828, but also involved in literature, theatre and journalism under the pseudonyms of Ferdinand, Eusèbe and Charles Odry.
A little spotting.
Autograph inscriptions by Gérard de Nerval are of the utmost rarity.

First edition.
Handsome autograph inscription signed by Alphonse de Lamartine to the painter (Jean) Gigoux.
Small restored tears to head and foot of joints, spotting.

First edition of the French translation, one of 12 numbered copies on Japon, tirage de tête.
Small marginal tears, not serious, to foot of spine and covers, a very good copy with edges preserved.

CENDRARS Blaise. Le Panama ou les Aventures de mes sept oncles [Panama, or, the Adventures of my Seven Uncles]
éditions de la Sirène, Paris 1918, 19 x 23,5 cm, original wrappers
First edition, one of 500 numbered copies on vélin d'Arches paper.
Illustrated with 25 outlines of American railways.
The poem is presented folded like a pocket railway timetable.

First edition, one of 25 numbered copies on Japon, tirage de tête.
Repaired tears to the spine, otherwise a good copy.

Famous illustrated edition with nearly 450 wood-engraved vignettes, 29 plates printed on China paper, and 7 steel-engraved portraits after T. Johannot, Meissonnier, Iasbey, P. Huet.
Full bottle-green shagreen binding, smooth spine decorated with blind-ruled frame, gilt rocaille arabesque motifs and gilt bird and butterfly ornaments; gilt roulettes on headcaps; boards decorated with quadruple frame of gilt and blind fillets, gilt rocaille arabesque motifs and small gilt rose-branch ornaments applied in the corners; gilt roulette frame on pastedowns, central gilt bilobed cartouche enriched at angles with gilt romantic ornaments, gilt dentelle frame on pastedowns, white watered silk endpapers and pastedowns, gilt fillet on leading edges, all edges gilt, some minor scratches on leading edges, elegant contemporary romantic binding signed by Rivage.
Our copy is complete with its map of Ile-de-France by Dyonnet and the two so-called "English" portraits.
The title is in first printing with the address 25 rue Sainte-Anne, the portrait of the "Bonne femme" is not engraved on page 418.
Some foxing.
Handsome copy of this landmark book, one of the finest achievements of romantic illustration, in a perfect romantic binding by Laurent.

First edition, one of 40 numbered copies on Chine, tirage de tête.
Light foxing to some extended edges, a good copy with good margins.

First edition.
Contemporary Bradel binding of half purple cloth over marbled paper boards, spine (faded) with gold fillets, brown shagreen label with title and author.
Handsome autograph inscription signed by Pierre Loti to Alphonse Daudet : "... avec ma meilleure affection...[…with my best wishes…]"
Julia Daudet's library stamp to head of one endpaper.
A little spotting.

First edition
Contemporary red half Russia, the spine with double gilt fillets, corners very lightly rubbed
Handsome autograph inscription from Théophile Gautier to Monsieur Balquin des Essarts on half-title.

First edition, one of 20 numbered copies on Japan paper, the only deluxe copies.
Letters written by George Sand among others.
A small lack at head of spine, handsome copy with full margins.

First edition of which there were no large paper copies, one advance (service de presse) copy.
Handsome autograph inscription signed by Michel Leiris to Jeanine and Raymond (Queneau) : "... avec toute l'affection de leur ami..."
Spine and covers faded in the margins as usual.

First edition, one of 3000 copies numbered on "bouffant" paper calypso.
Precious autograph dedication signed by Henri Michaux to Raymond Queneau: "... homage of a friend who is lost in many ways ..."
Nice copy.

First edition, one of 30 numbered copies on Hollande paper, deluxe issue.
A fine copy.

BIET Antoine
Voyage de la France equinoxiale en l'isle de Cayenne, entrepris par les François en l'année MDCLII
Chez François Clouzier, Paris 1664, in-4 (17 x 24 cm), (24) 432 pp.,contemporary calf
First edition.
Contemporary brown calf, spine in six compartments with blind-ruled compartments and gilt fleurons, remains of a manuscript title label. All edges speckled red, binding skillfully restored. Tear to lower margin of title skillfully restored, a few tiny stains.
The work is divided into three parts: the first relates the establishment of the colony and its journey to Cayenne, the second is a collection of observations on the 15 months spent there by the author and the last is concerned with the country's climate, the fertility of the soil, and the customs and dress of the indigenous peoples. A last part is made up of a Franco-Amerindian dictionary, which is the very first appearance of a lexicon of the Galibi language. Some chapters also refer to Guadeloupe, Barbados and Martinique.
Chaplain to the 700 colonists of the expedition sent to Guyana on the 18th May 1652, Antoine Biet gives a precise account of the second attempt at colonization. The attempt failed, and the hundred surviving colonists were forced to flee Cayenne for Surinam in January 1654 (and from there to Barbados), having suffered tropical illness and fierce resistance from the Galibi Indians. According to Boucher de La Richarderie, “no account other than Biet's sheds so much light on the natives of Guyana; he describes them in all their primitive simplicity.” (Bibliothèque universelle des voyages, 1808).
Manuscript ex-libris on front endpaper: “Ce livre appartient à Mr. Adam de Saron [This book belongs to Mr Adam de Saron].”

First edition on ordinary paper.
Handsome autograph inscription from Blaise Cendrars to Jules supervielle : " à supervielle, voleur d'enfants."
A tiny marginal lack, not serious, on the first free endpaper, lacks to head of a leave (less than skillfully cut), small traces of folding to lower cover.
A handsome and rare copy.

First collected edition, an advance (service de presse) copy.
Elegant half green morocco over marbled paper boards by P. Goy & C. Vilaine, spine in six compartments, gilt date at foot, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, covers and spine (sunned) preserved, top edge gilt.
Handsome autograph inscription from Henri Michaux to Maurice Blanchot.
A very good copy in a perfectly suited binding.

The first edition, of which there were no deluxe copies.
Half hazelnut calf binding, smooth spine decorated with double gilt fillets, marbled paper boards, original covers mounted on guards and preserved, speckled top edge, modern pastiche binding unsigned by Goy & Vilaine.
Work decorated with original illustrations by L. Benett.
Very rare signed autograph inscription from Jules Verne to [Achille] Tournier, then Prefect of the Somme.
Jules Verne settled in Amiens, his wife's birthplace, in 1871: "At my wife's wish I settled in Amiens, a wise city, polished, of even temper, where society is cordial and learned. One is close to Paris, close enough to have its reflection, without the unbearable noise and sterile agitation. And to say everything, my Saint-Michel remains moored at Le Crotoy." His affection for the region would continue to grow and he would never leave the Picard capital, actively participating in local political life. Appointed director of the Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts, in 1875 he delivered on this occasion a speech that remained famous: "An Ideal City: Amiens in the Year 2000." In 1888 he was elected to the municipal council of Amiens where he served until 1903. It was the prefect of the Somme who presented him with his decoration when he was promoted to officer of the Legion of Honor in 1892. "People often ask me why I reside in Amiens, I who am so completely Parisian by instinct. Well, because, as I told you, I have Breton blood, and I love tranquility, and I could not be happier than in a cloister. A calm life of study and work brings me joy." (June 1893, in Mac Clure's magazine).
Work decorated with original illustrations by L. Benett.
Fine copy.

First edition, one of 230 numbered copies on Alfa paper. Handwritten inscription signed by the author. A tiny marginal tear on the front cover, ex-libris pasted on the first blank endpaper.

First edition on ordinary paper.
Autograph inscription from Henry de Monfreid.
Two ex-dono to foot of endpapers, tiny spots to first free endpaper.

New edition.
Small occasional foxing, otherwise a good copy.

First edition, one of 500 numbered copies on alfa, the only printing with 35 Hollande.
A very good copy.