19th century graphic art: symbolist lithographs, romantic engravings and Belle Epoque prints

First and only edition published of this remarkable set of 15 original lithographs from the post-impressionist painter George William Thornley, only 100 copies printed.
Publisher's portfolio bound in boards very skilfully restored.
14 of the 15 lithographs are printed in colour (black, blue, green, mauve and different browns) on broadside China paper laid on pale blue thick paper, one is directly printed on thick paper.
All except the last, bear the stamp of Thornley's signature with the words “Chez Mrs Boussod & Valadon – 19 Bd Montmartre” and “Imp. Becquet frères à Paris”.
“In 1888, George William Thornley was commissioned to produce a series of lithographs based on the...

Rare original lithograph printed in colour, by Louis John Rhead for L'Estampe Moderne, “Deuxième prime gratuite réservée aux abonnés d'un an de L'Estampe Moderne” [Second free gift reserved for the annual subscribers to L'Estampe Moderne].
One of the 50 grand luxe proofs printed on Japon paper with wide margins, artist's signature and date in the plate, publisher's embossed stamp showing a child's profile on the lower margin, a numbered stamp of the tirage de luxe on the back; engraving preceded by a protective tissue guard with the name of the artist, the title and a poem; as well as a blank protective tissue guard.
Lithograph inspired by a poem extract...

First edition of this beautifully lithographed album after various artists, alternating picturesque views with architectural details. (Not listed in the Ornamentstischsammlung catalogue, Berlin.)

This splendid album contains 51 lithographed plates outside the text, our copy with two additional duplicate plates bound in.

Contemporary binding in half black morocco, smooth spine decorated with gilt typographic motifs, original black moiré paper boards with gilt title on upper cover preserved, original delivery wrappers bound in, corners rubbed, some marginal tears and wear to board edges, modern binding.

Some occasional foxing.

First edition of this splendid theatre programme, with an introductory text by Raymond Blathwayt. Illustrated with six exquisite double-page colour plates by Yoshio Markino. The play was written by David Belasco.

Japanese-style accordion fold. Illustrated cover. Some foxing to the covers, otherwise a very well-preserved copy.

Original black and white lithograph for Le Charivari, printed on strong paper. Signed on the plate and numbered 7.
Delteil, 636
Good condition, trace of hinges on verso of plate

Rare suite of 21 lithographs, including the complete set of 18 engravings of the Maris Vengés [Avenged Husbands], including 3 in double state (the second state in colors), the third in two states with two different hand-colored printings. In total 8 hand-colored lithographs.
To assemble this complete collection of the series, the collector naturally took those published only in the periodical Le Charivari (nos. 13, 14 and 16). All engravings bear the same publisher's address 'Chez Aubert, Galerie Vero Dodat'. and are numbered from 1 to 18 (except one hand numbered, and the last bearing no number).
Modern binding, lovely imitation of a contemporary binding, in...

Work published by the Japanese Ministry of Railways, admirably illustrated with 166 illustrations. This new edition was entirely revised and the illustration is completely new. The Ministry of Railways published this collection from 1923 to 1928; from 1923 to 1925, the collection contained numerous bird's-eye view maps by Yoshida, which were replaced by photographs and now only adorn the pastedowns. This is the first collection to use photography with 126 black and white photographs and 18 hand-colored ones. 22 color prints by Hatsusaburo Yoshida. 7 folding color maps and several black and white maps in-text.
Cloth binding and cardboard slipcase. Pale green cloth covers. Smooth spine...

Rare collection of 16 hand-coloured engravings, comprising a frontispiece and 15 plates, illustrating the virtues of soldiers and young men during the Consulate period.

Contemporary half bronze calf binding, smooth spine decorated with gilt fillets, dotted tools and floral ornaments, minor rubbing to the spine, brown morocco title label, boards, endpapers and pastedowns of marbled paper, ex-libris pasted on the front pastedown.

An attractive copy.

Complete set of 13 original lithographs by Eugène Delacroix, in first edition, first issue with the letter, one of 20 copies on Chine paper pasted on laid paper:

"It was originally printed in a few proofs on Chine, the format of which exceeds the square line by one or two centimeters. They are highly sought-after, even though they bear the letter" (Robaut).

Bound in the original publisher's brown half-shagreen binding, title gilt stamped on first board, original first cover wrapper preserved. Small restored tear to the margin of the wrapper over 5 cm, sunned spine, joints and corners rubbed, scattered foxing and a dampstain to the lower part of the laid paper...

Set of 52 original plates, etched and enhanced with watercolours at the time, numbered 1 to 52, mounted in pairs under mats.
 
Leaves in red half calf slipcase (early 20th century), red shagreen boards.
The plates vary in size (10.8 x 17.6 cm to 28.1 x 18.8 cm) and paper stock, as was often the case with La Mésangère's publications. Unbound engraved title on a bifolium, printed separately, absent from most copies. It is replaced here by its identical reprint by Gosselin (1893-1903), on antique watermarked paper and bears the publisher's 'G' mark, characteristic of this reprint a century later. All the plates, however, are in their first edition, without the G...

First edition of this Roman missal. Each text page within an engraved border containing multiple vignettes that change throughout the pages, after French manuscripts of the 15th century. Engraved title and 10 engravings in borders. The 5 chromolithographs may have been added, as they are not part of most copies. A frontispiece is sometimes mentioned, but the presence of a chromolithographic title with Curmer's name suggests they were added.

Contemporary full chocolate morocco Jansenist binding signed L. Curmer, in gold letters at the top of the first endpaper. Decorative gilt board-edges. All edges gilt. Scarlet silk endpapers with a monogram on the first endpaper. Light...

First and only edition. This copy is one of the rare examples complete with the 64 full-page plates. The work is also illustrated with a title vignette depicting the artist Ambroise-Louis Garneray in a small boat, sketching the entrance to the port of Brest.

Contemporary binding of half tan sheep with corners, smooth spine richly decorated in gilt and blind with multiple large typographic tools, discreet restorations to the joints, marbled-paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns.

A magnificent work on the ports of France, and one of the finest collections ever...

Album of lithographed plates in third state, first cover printed in 3 tones, black, bistre with gradients and white highlights, followed by 24 lithographs in black on 12 double-sided pages.

Gray half calf binding, smooth spine, some foxing, original soft cover preserved, binding signed by Charles Septier.

Created in 1851, this youthful work influenced by Rodolphe Töppfer's style, is now considered an incunabulum of comic strips.

First collective edition of this complete series of 25 original lithographed plates printed on thick vellum.

Mounted engravings, preceded by a title page bringing together three series: Souvenirs de Carnaval (6 plates), Les bals masqués (7 plates), Costumes historiques (12 plates).

Each of these series first appeared in other journals: under the title 'Souvenirs de Carnaval' in Ritner et Goupil, 'Les bals masqués' in La Caricature and 'Costumes historiques' in Charivari.
Engravings in third state according to Vicaire.
Some foxing.

Red half straight-grained morocco Bradel binding...

Original colour lithographed poster depicting Jean Jaurès as an elephant sitting on a chair and holding a bottle of “water from the Jordan”. Until then portrayed as a dog – caricaturists mocking his aggressiveness – Jean Jaurès is here, for the first time, represented as an elephant. It is a question here of highlighting his potbelly and his pachyderm silhouette, but we can, nevertheless, highlight the great dignity of this massive personality with a high gaze. The water from the Jordan is held on one of his hoofs and alludes to the rumour that he had his son baptised in the scared river, thus acting against his anticlerical policy. Despite the caricaturist's desire to...

Original lithographed color poster depicting Théophile Delcassé as a circus poodle.
Transverse folds and minor marginal tears without loss.

Distributed between October 1899 and December 1900 in a France inflamed by the Dreyfus Affair, these immense color caricature portraits are the work of Victor Lenepveu who announced the publication of 150 then 200 drawings and ultimately produced only about fifty. Despite the 1881 press freedom law allowing the distribution of politically subversive imagery, the publication of this nightmarish pantheon was interrupted by order of the Ministry of the Interior.

The fragility of the paper and the imposing format of these...

Original color lithographed poster depicting Georges Leygues as a donkey.
Transverse folds and minute marginal tears without loss.

Distributed between October 1899 and December 1900 in a France inflamed by the Dreyfus Affair, these immense satirical color portraits are the work of Victor Lenepveu who announced the publication of 150 then 200 drawings and ultimately produced only about fifty. Despite the 1881 press freedom law allowing the distribution of politically subversive imagery, the publication of this nightmarish pantheon was interrupted by order of the Ministry of the Interior.

The fragility of the paper and the imposing format of these extremely violent...

Original color lithographed poster depicting Louis Lucipia as a dog wearing a masonic sash.
Transverse folds and minute marginal tears without loss.

Distributed between October 1899 and December 1900 in a France inflamed by the Dreyfus Affair, these immense satirical color portraits are the work of Victor Lenepveu who announced the publication of 150 then 200 drawings and ultimately produced only about fifty. Despite the 1881 press freedom law allowing the distribution of politically subversive imagery, the publication of this nightmarish pantheon was interrupted by order of the Ministry of the Interior.

The fragility of the paper and the imposing format of these...

Original color lithographed poster depicting Joseph Reinach in the guise of a king slumped on his throne.
Transverse folds and minute marginal tears without loss.

Distributed between October 1899 and December 1900 in a France inflamed by the Dreyfus Affair, these immense satirical color portraits are the work of Victor Lenepveu who announced the publication of 150 then 200 drawings and ultimately produced only about fifty. Despite the 1881 press freedom law allowing the distribution of politically subversive imagery, the publication of this nightmarish pantheon was interrupted by order of the Ministry of the Interior.

The fragility of the paper and the imposing...

Original color lithographed poster depicting Jude Philipp in the guise of a vulture nailed to a wall.
Transverse folds and minute marginal tears without loss.

Distributed between October 1899 and December 1900 in a France inflamed by the Dreyfus Affair, these immense satirical color portraits are the work of Victor Lenepveu who announced the publication of 150 then 200 drawings and ultimately produced only about fifty. Despite the 1881 press freedom law allowing the distribution of politically subversive imagery, the publication of this nightmarish pantheon was interrupted by order of the Ministry of the Interior.

The fragility of the paper and the imposing format...