Traveling writers

Illustrated edition with 38 original engravings by Ling Chou, copper-engraved and hand-printed in sanguine, printed in 134 nominative and numbered copies on double Yu-Pan China paper.
The book, separated into two fascicles hand-sewn and covered in green moiré silk, is protected by two black lacquer plates and laces, work of the master lacquerer Tchou-Tze-Tsin.
The whole is contained in a moiré silk case closed by two ivory clasps, following the illustrator's design.
The case is partially and lightly discolored, with a light stain at the head of the first board of the case, handsome copy.
Signatures of Ling Chou, of the president and vice-president of the...

First edition of the French translation. First published in English in 1712 under the title A cruising voyage round the world. Illustrated with 2 engraved titles, 14 engraved plates and 7 maps including 2 large format (Paraguay and Chile - mainland Peru and Brazil and the Land of the Amazons) and a world map.
Bound in full brown sprinkled calf, spine elaborately gilt, gilt roulettes on the edges, all red speckled edges. Expertly restored (corners, upper and lower part of joints). Two small restored tears on the world map, not affecting the image.
Ex-libris in ink "Sr Remy" to the upper left margin of the title-page.
A tear to the world map, not affecting the...

First edition strictly hors-commerce, one of 200 copies printed on glassine vellum or European paper, only print after 81 imperial Korean paper.

Our copy is complete with its overlay cover (the colour and decorative motifs often vary) and the white glassine paper label bearing the title Stèles printed in Chinese on the first part of the cover, the latter being folded into three parts.

Our copy is presented in a blueish paper chemise and slipcase, navy blue morocco spine, name of the author, title and date in palladium, slipcase in blueish paper, all signed Devauchelle in palladium.

Autograph letter signed by Victor Segalen addressed to Emile Mignard. Four pages written in black ink and blue colored pencil on a double sheet. Cross fold inherent to the sending.

Emile Mignard (1878-1966), also a doctor from Brest, was one of Segalen's closest childhood friends whom he met at the Jesuit college of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours in Brest. The writer maintained an abundant and regular correspondence with this friend in which he described with humor and intimacy his daily life in the four corners of the globe. It was at Mignard's wedding, on February 15, 1905, that Segalen met his wife, Yvonne Hébert.

A mechanical problem prevents the...

Original color proof of a woodcut inspired by the work of Gauguin and engraved by George-Daniel de Monfreid for a frontispiece project, remaining unpublished, of Victor Segalen's Les Immémoriaux.

Only one other original color proof and one print run, in black and white (see below), are known to date.
Printed in two tones, green and brown, on old Japan and enhanced with gilt painting by the artist.

This engraved woodcut was to illustrate, as a frontispiece, the original edition of Segalen's Les Immémoriaux, an ethnographic novel, directly inspired by his trip to Polynesia following in Gauguin's footsteps. Segalen...

First edition which was not printed on deluxe paper (grand papier).
A beautiful copy, illustrations.
Publisher's binding with full black boards, photographic first board.
Sting's handwritten signature accompanied, underneath, with the printed stamp of the “Fondation Forêt Vierge” led by Sting and Jean-Pierre Dutilleux.

Three autograph letters signed by Gérard de Nerval (2 pages signed « Gérard »), Théophile Gautier (1 page), and a third, unsigned letter (1 page) penned by a certain « Robert » (cf. Nerval's letter)
 
Louis Desessart, Théophile Gautier's appointed publisher, co-published Nerval’s play Léo Burckart with Barba in 1839. Following financial difficulties, he was forced to take refuge « in that sad and charming city of Brussels ».
 
The three friends wrote this letter from Paris, where they had reunited following Nerval’s long journey to...

First collective edition, one of the 23 numbered copies on vélin pur fil Lafuma Navarre, the only deluxe copies ("grands papiers").
Rare and very nice copy.

First edition of the French translation, one of 75 numbered copies on Rives laid paper, the deluxe issue.
A fine copy.

First edition of the French translation, one of 20 numbered copies on pur fil paper, ours one of the few hors commerce, a deluxe issue. Endpapers lightly and entirely toned. A fine copy with full margins.

First edition, one of 1000 numbered copies on special paper called "Hôcho", the only printing along with 12 deluxe copies and 6 hors commerce copies.
Work illustrated with 14 drawings in the text by Audrey Parr engraved on wood by Bonkotsu Igami, "following the Japanese process", with a color composition by Keisen Tomita (on verso), engraved by Bonkotsu Igami, an autograph poem in facsimile, title page drawn by Noémi Pernessin.
Rare and very handsome copy without any foxing, spine of the blue percaline chemise slightly faded as usual.
Provenance: from the library of Doctor Lucien-Graux with his pasted bookplate.

First edition, one of 50 numbered copies on Japan, deluxe copies ("tirage de tête").
Two small tears in the head and foot of the spine, nice copy wide-margined.

First edition of Cendrars's second book, printed in 150 copies on handmade Hollande paper and offered to subscribers.

According to Sonia Delaunay, Séquences, Pâques à New York and theTranssibérien were published at the author's expense, thanks to a small inheritance. The address given - Éditions Hommes nouveaux - 4, rue de Savoie, was in fact the small attic room that Blaise Cendrars occupied at that time.

A precious copy of Blaise Cendrars's early poems, exceptionally rare and in remarkable condition.

First edition, printed by the Imprimerie Royale in Paris in 1753, illustrated with an engraved title vignette, six folding maps and two further folding plates devoted to astronomical observations (positions of the sun and moon, together with explanatory diagrams). The maps depict the coasts of Acadia and Île Royale, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the harbour of Canso, the south-eastern coast of Île Royale, the harbour of Chibouctou (Halifax), and the south-eastern extremity of Acadia.

Fine...

Scarce first French edition issued in Hetzel’s Bibliothèque d’éducation et de récréation series.

Translated and adapted by G. Lemaire, with a preface and postface by Bentzon.

Publisher’s red half morocco binding, signed Lenègre at foot, spine with false raised bands richly decorated in gilt and blind, white moiré endpapers, covers framed with blind fillets, light rubbing to edges and corners.
EK catalogue at end.

A few occasional foxing spots and faint browning. A few leaves slightly sprung, otherwise a very good copy.
King Solomon's Mines was first published in London in 1885. The novel recounts the adventures of a party of English explorers venturing into...