Celticism and Breton traditions: Armorican folklore, Celtic legends, maritime heritage and Loire culture

Album of postcards depicting the châteaux of the Loire, probably dating from the late 1930s. 

A precious and moving inscription by General de Gaulle, on the verso of the album's title page, containing seventeen views of châteaux in the Loire valley: "Offered by my dear niece Geneviève", signed with his initials. It is with these very words that he presented her his war memoirs: "To my dear niece Geneviève, who was, at once, to the very end, on the brink of death, a soldier of Free France, and whose example has served me."

First edition, of which no copies were issued on deluxe paper.

Publisher’s binding in full black cloth, smooth spine, a fine copy complete with its illustrated dust jacket.

Illustrations.

Inscribed and signed by Pierre Jakez Hélias to friends named Fanny and André.

First edition of this significant work on the customary law of Maine. Divided into sixteen parts, it also includes two valuable alphabetical indexes: one listing the main subjects covered in this Custom of Maine as well as in the revised Customs of Anjou and Paris, and the other listing key subjects found in the remarks and observations on this custom.

Marginal dampstaining to a few leaves, occasional foxing.

Contemporary ownership inscription on the title page: Berthereau.

Contemporary full mottled calf, spine with six raised bands, gilt double compartments with decorative tooling, red morocco title label, gilt rolls on somewhat faded caps, marbled endpapers and...

Album comprising 44 plates of Breton costumes, the first two drawn in pencil, the others delicately watercoloured, mounted on heavy paper, some with captions, unsigned.

Bound in contemporary half green sheep, spine decorated with gilt and black fillets, gilt garlands and fleurons, some rubbing to the spine, embossed cherry-red cloth boards, bumped corners, a few scuffs along the edges.

A handsome album of Breton costumes in the manner of Hippolyte Lalaisse and his Galerie armoricaine of 1848.

Particularly focused on the Breton-speaking departments (Western Morbihan and Finistère): 1. [Seated bagpipe player]. – 2. [Peasant dance]. – 3. Woman from the Auray area...

Rare first edition of this predominantly folkloric and literary work: the Forest of Bréchéliant, also known as the Forest of Paimpont, is traditionally identified in Breton folklore with the mythical Forest of Brocéliande from Arthurian legend.

Illustrated with 14 full-page plates in the first volume and 21 in the second.

Our copy was uniquely extra-illustrated at the time with 59 postcards and 2 original photographs mounted on thin cardboard and bound into the volumes.

Contemporary half black shagreen bindings, flat spines with gilt compartments and decorative gilt typographic motifs, marbled paper-covered boards, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns...

Autograph postcard signed and addressed to his friend Ariel Denis from his summer residence in Vendée, 22 lines in black ink.

The postcard shows a general view of the coastal cliffs of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez in Vendée.

Julien Gracq expresses his satisfaction with the advice he had given his friend, while lamenting the petty calculations of administrative life: "j'avais décidément raison de vous recommander une saine stratégie syndicale : faute ce cet appui je crains qu'il n'y ait plus de belle carrière dans l'enseignement ! J'espère tout de même que la stabilité au moins va venir couronner vos efforts (il y en a un de ma part sous le beau style ! malgré...

Scarce new edition, illustrated with a folding plate printed on a separate leaf.

According to the CCF, copies are recorded only under the date 1826.

Bound in full fawn marbled paper boards, smooth spine, unlettered; modern binding.

A rare edition, though not the first: the approval printed at the end of the volume is dated 30 August 1766 for the censor’s permission (yet no public holding records a copy earlier than 1799). Contemporary manuscript ex-libris of Gabory Dodin, dated 24 July 1817.

Important dossier of documents relating to a dispute between the bakers of Le Mans and the city’s mayor and aldermen, comprising the following items:

• Avis donné par le lieutenant général de la Senechaussée du Maine, en exécution de l'Arrest du 17 décembre 1749. Sur la confection, la qualité & le prix du pain, & autres choses en dépendante (sic). 4 pp.
• Mémoire dans la Cause indiquée au Samedi 24. Avril 1751. Pour les Boulangers du Mans, Demandeurs. Contre les Maire & Echevins de la même Ville, Deffendeurs. 12 pp. "Les Boulangers demandent la nullité d'un essai fait au Mans en conséquence d'un Arrêt de la cour du 17 Décembre 1749, dans lequel en...

Very scarce first edition, issued in a small printing, of this offprint from the Annales des Sciences naturelles for September 1828 (cf. Engelmann I, 315).

This paper is preceded by "Extrait du rapport fait à l’Académie royale des sciences sur le mémoire présenté par MM. Audouin et Milne-Edwards, par MM. Cuvier et Duméril".

The CCF records only two copies, in Paris (Muséum) and Montpellier.

The author of several entomological papers published from 1821 onwards, Victor Audouin also took an interest in marine biology: in 1826, 1828 and 1829 he undertook, together with Henri Milne-Edwards, three field trips to Brittany and Normandy.

The present...

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...

Very rare and highly sought-after first edition of Balzac's first novel signed by his name. Published a small number of copies, this first novel whose original title is inspired by the last of the Mohicans James Cooper, reappeared, reworked in 1834 under a new title: The Chouans .
This first important work of Balzac also marks the beginning of the comedy Humaine which she constitura since 1845 a scene of the military life .
Bindings in half red Russian leather, smooth backs adorned with gilt and black threads, gold friezes in heads and tails, marbled paper plates, Contemporary binding.
A restored bit and a flap sheet of the first volume changed, some...