The capital and its region: Parisian history, Île-de-France monuments, urban life and Francilian heritage

Fourth draft of the screenplay.

Printed wrappers worn, reinforced at the spine with adhesive tape, soiling, corner creases, small tear to the front cover, otherwise good internal condition. The mentions of the third draft printed on the front cover and title page are struck through and corrected in ink - "quatrième version" [fourth draft].
Newspaper clippings, brochures, and documents relating to the film and its screenings are laid in. A few pencil annotations on pages 22, 23, 105, and 108.

An intermediate draft of the screenplay for Louis Malle's classic film recounting a traumatic episode from his childhood during the Occupation.

Second edition, enlarged with the passages suppressed from the original edition of 1851.

Illustrated with a frontispiece portrait of the authors engraved by A. Descaves.

Contemporary red half shagreen, spine slightly faded, with five raised bands and black fillets, marbled-paper boards, upper board slightly and marginally faded along the left edge, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers preserved and mounted.

Signed presentation copy from Edmond de Goncourt to the journalist and writer Louis Ulbach.

First edition illustrated with drawings by Jean-Jacques Sempé.

A pleasing copy.

Presentation copy inscribed by Jean-Jacques Sempé to a woman named Bernadette, with an original drawing depicting a street corner and a traffic light turning green.

Dear Sempé, as in a sentence by Proust, one does not immediately see where your drawing is heading, until suddenly some microscopic detail becomes the most important thing on the page and illuminates the whole with a prodigious clarity. The mountains you scribble (traffic jams, crowds, buildings, shops) are placed at the disposal of mice (grandmothers...

Seventh edition, expanded with new annotations and an appendix containing descriptive and historical details on all the monuments recently erected in the capital by J.-L. Belin, avocat.

Bound in contemporary half midnight-blue Russian morocco, flat spines gilt with romantic arabesques, gilt fillet framing the marbled-paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns; one lower corner lightly rubbed, contemporary bindings.

Scattered foxing.

Illustrated with 58 plates (including 11 archaeological plates), together with 5 folding colour plans hors texte.

A handsomely preserved copy in a period romantic binding.

First edition, published anonymously by Delaporte,  secretary and prompter of the Comédie-Française.

Contemporary black cloth Bradel binding, smooth spine, red shagreen lettering-piece with some loss, marbled paper boards, upper corners slightly worn, 19th-century binding.

Copies recorded only at the BnF and in Rouen (CCFr).

Printed initials at the foot of the title page.

Rare summary, by the Comédie-Française secretary and prompter, of the grievances held by the Company against the actor Talma, focusing particularly on performances of Marie-Joseph Chénier’s play Charles IX.

The play, which achieved immense public success, drew criticism from...

Letter written by a secretary and signed by Louis XVI, addressed to Cardinal Ludovico Calini, in ink over eleven lines. The signature of Charles Gravier, Comte de Vergennes, appearing at the foot of the bifolium, accompanies that of the King for these New Year wishes. The recipient's name is inscribed on the verso: "Mon Cousin le Cardinal Calino".

A few waterstains, a small hole at "qu'il vous ait".

"My Cousin, I have seen with pleasure from your letter of October 1st the token of the sincerity of the wishes you express for me at the beginning of this year. Your good intentions are as well known to me as you must be certain of my desire to give you...

First edition of the French translation prepared by Michel Vaucaire, who would later write the lyrics to the famous song Non, je ne regrette rien, singed by Édith Piaf. One of the rare named copies printed on japon. 

Vertical creasing to spine, minor corner losses to spine and boards, traces of erasure to first two leaves, as issued.

Illustrated with 9 black-and-white photographs, including one on the cover.

Rare first edition of the catalogue for Picasso’s final exhibition at the Galerie Paul Rosenberg in Paris, held from 17 January to 18 February 1939 at 21 rue La Boétie. The front wrapper is illustrated with a black-and-white photograph of the exhibition’s centrepiece: La sculpture nègre devant la fenêtre, now known as Buste de Minotaure devant une fenêtre (Private Collection; see Zervos, vol. VIII, p. 360). Painted on 19 April 1937, the work is widely regarded as a precursor to the bull of Guernica, executed only a few weeks later.

An excellent, well-preserved copy.

The plaquette lists the 33 works exhibited, arranged by year of execution-...

First edition on ordinary paper.

Half black long-grain morocco binding, smooth spine tooled in palladium with author, title, and date, anthracite-grey paper boards, original wrappers and spine preserved (the latter with two small stains at head and foot), endpapers and pastedowns of anthracite-grey paper, binding signed Thomas Boichot.

Precious and exceptional signed presentation inscription by Louis-Ferdinand Céline: "A Mac Orlan son admirateur et ami fidèle. LFerd"

Rare and luxurious invitation card for the exhibition organized by art critic André Warnod on "art nègre," a term he coined in 1910 in the journal Comœdia to originally designate African and Oceanic statuary. From January 20 to February 20, 1926, four painters were invited to exhibit at the art gallery of the Grande Maison de Blanc, Place de l'Opéra in Paris. These were most likely the French artists Marguerite Guy-Lemm (née Lemaire) and Luc-Albert Moreau, the Uruguayan Pedro Figari, and the Dutchman Kees van Dongen.

Fine...

First edition, one of 220 numbered copies printed on Vélin du Marais.

Rubbing to the slipcase and chemise, otherwise a clean and attractive copy.

Illustrated with 25 intaglio engravings by Elisabeth-Mary Burgin.

First edition and first issue of the suite of 24 color lithographs.

Publisher’s original soft illustrated folder, flat red cloth spine without lettering (expertly restored), red cloth framing on the boards, showing some soiling; original cloth ties intact and present.

Some occasional foxing.

Illustrated edition featuring 15 original lithographs by Jean-Louis Boussingault, printed in 170 numbered copies on Arches paper.
Some light marginal foxing on a few leaves, otherwise a pleasant copy.

The slipcase is missing.

Facsimile edition limited to 1,000 numbered copies of the exceedingly rare 1931 first edition published by Jeanne Walter.

Introduction by Fernand Léger.

Splendid volume illustrated with 80 photographs by Moï Ver.

A rare and desirable copy, complete with its original grey full cloth chemise and slipcase.

Rich photographic album comprising the title page and 65 oval silver prints mounted on heavy paper, all on tabs.

Full bottle-green morocco binding, spine without lettering, raised bands framed with black fillets, double blind-ruled frame on covers, gilt roll tooling on the caps, gilt title stamped at the center of the upper cover, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, wide gilt dentelle borders on pastedowns, all edges gilt, one upper corner slightly rubbed, gilt fillets on board edges, an elegant contemporary binding signed by Thouvenin fils.

Minor surface scuffing.

One of the most renowned works by the photographer Alophe (1811–1883). A commemorative album featuring...

First edition of this highly significant document on the state of Parisian hospitals at the end of Louis XVI's reign, written by Jacques Tenon (1724–1816), surgeon at the Salpêtrière, which remained an influential reference for French hospital policy through to the Third Republic.

The work is complete with its 17 folding plates (including 2 tables and 14 architectural plans and elevations of hospitals).

Some light foxing; the copy appears to have been rebound in this later binding.

Contemporary pastiche binding in half Havana sheep, flat spine with gilt fillets and the gilt cipher and arms of the Chodron de Courcel family, green paper-covered boards, marbled endpapers...

First edition, only one other copy recorded (BnF).

Full dark purple morocco binding, spine with five raised bands with gilt floral motifs, gilt date at foot, spine slightly faded, covers numerously framed in gilt, gilt-tooled corners each adorned with a blue onlaid morocco medallion stamped with a central gilt fleuron, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, pastedown bookplate of Ernest Stroehlin, inner gilt dentelle, spine-ends ruled in gilt, very light rubbing to corners, all edges gilt. A tiny restored lack of paper to the upper part of the title page, not affecting the text.

Very rare anti-Protestant satire in the form of a dialogue between the...

First edition, very difficult to find complete, as the third volume was published eight years after the first two.

Bound in full mottled bronze-green calf, smooth spines richly decorated with gilt floral compartments, red morocco labels for title and volume number, gilt rolls on the caps, joints slightly rubbed, gilt roll-tooled borders on the covers entirely adorned with oblong geometric patterns in blind, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt Greek-key borders framing the pastedowns, bookplate mounted on the pastedown of the first volume, gilt fillets on the edges, all edges gilt, contemporary bindings.

Contains anecdotes about Rousseau, Poivre, Turgot, Helvétius, Benjamin...

First edition on ordinary paper, bearing the correct colophon dated August 25, 1978.

With a printed stamp to the upper right corner of the half-title page; publisher's price sticker affixed to the foot of the lower cover.
A handsome copy.

Autograph letter signed by Jean-Jacques Henner to his friend Castagnary, 18 lines in black ink on a bifolium.

The letter is almost entirely devoid of punctuation.

A date written in violet ink, likely indicating when the recipient received the letter.

"Mon cher ami,

votre très aimable invitation m'est arrivée malheureusement un peu en retard vous aviez l'adressé place Clichy au lieu de place Pigalle et à mon grand regret je ne suis pas libre j'en suis désolé vous savez tout le plaisir que j'ai a venir chez vous soyez donc mon interprète auprès de madame Castagnary et excusez moi. Votre tout  dévoué JJHenner."

First edition on ordinary paper.

Spine creased as often, otherwise a pleasant copy.

Illustrated.

Inscribed and signed by Jean Marais to Madame Romanini.

First edition of this rare and fragile promotional item for the Galeries Lafayette consisting of 47 cardboard pieces with an illustration in medallion drawn by Jack Roberts and a children's song of eight verses.

A handsome copy, complete with its original printed crystal paper envelope.
 

First edition.
Contemporary Bradel binding in full Empire-green cloth, smooth spine decorated with a gilt fleurion, date and double gilt fillet at foot, black morocco lettering-piece with a small marginal loss, original wrappers preserved, corners very slightly rubbed, without consequence, contemporary binding signed Durvand.

Precious signed presentation copy from Alphonse Daudet to the distinguished historian of the Napoleonic era and fellow member of the Académie française, Frédéric Masson.

Provenance: from the library of Émile Henriot, with his manuscript ex-libris beside the binder's name at the head of an endpaper ; on the facing page appears...

Autograph poem by Louis Aragon, signed and dated 31 March 1915. Fourteen lines written in pencil on a single leaf, with unpublished autograph calculations on the verso. Published in 2008 by Michel Apel-Muller in Le Continent Aragon, special issue of L’Humanité, 2008, p. 17, and reissued under the title “Poème” in Le Rayonnement international d’Aragon, Strasbourg, coll. “Recherches croisées Aragon / Elsa Triolet”, no. 16, 2018, p. 251. Numerous traces of handling, with vertical and horizontal folds that have caused minor paper losses, without affecting the text. 

A precious fragment of literary history...

First edition of the opera libretto.

Full red morocco binding, spine with five raised bands and panels stamped with fleurs-de-lys, boards framed three times in gilt, stamped at center with the arms of the Marquis de Louvois and de Courtenvaux, gilt roll-tooling to the edges, marbled paper endpapers and pastedowns, contemporary binding.

A few scuffs to the lower cover, binding with light spotting.

Illustrated with a superb frontispiece by Berin (Berain), who also designed the opera's sets, etched by Jean Dolivar, depicting the destruction of Armide's palace by the demons at the close of the work.

A superb copy of...

The first Paris edition, published simultaneously with the Brussels edition.

Most of the volumes bear a statement of fourth, seventh, or eighth edition.

Some foxing to several volumes.

Contemporary half tawny speckled sheep bindings, smooth spines decorated with double gilt fillets, red sheep lettering-pieces lettered "Oeuvres de V. Hugo", sky-blue sheep title and volume labels, volume label lacking from the fifth volume, three others partially lifting, marbled paper-covered boards, decorative endpapers and pastedowns.

Illustrated edition with 15 colour plates by Charles Jouas, one of 650 numbered copies printed on Imperial Japan paper.

Contemporary brown half morocco-grained shagreen over corners, spine with four raised bands ruled in black, moiré paper-covered boards, endleaves and pastedowns, wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt.

A handsome copy, attractively bound.

First edition, one of the press copies.

A few spots of foxing to the centre of the spine.

Presentation inscription signed by Raymond Queneau to Marcel Mithois.

Complete set of uncorrected galley proofs dating from August–September 1935, comprising 65 pages on as many leaves numbered in pencil from 1 to 65.

First set of galley proofs for Henri Calet's debut novel La Belle Lurette (Gallimard, October 1935), forwarded to the author by Gallimard in the summer of 1935.

"On 15 June 1935, in a small room on the rue Edgar-Poe, close to the Buttes-Chaumont, Calet completed the writing of his first book, La Belle Lurette, which appeared in November of that same year with Gallimard, with the support of Jean Paulhan. The book met with little commercial success, yet Calet earned the esteem of distinguished...

First edition, one of 33 numbered copies on white Rivoli wove paper, the only deluxe issue.

Our copy is complete with the accompanying CD featuring excerpts from Huit quartiers de roture, radio broadcasts adapted from the work and aired on the Programme parisien in 1952.

The wrapper is illustrated with the reproduction of two postcards depicting the 19th and 20th arrondissements by Joseph Porphyre Pinchon, creator of Bécassine, taken from the series entitled "Les arrondissements de Paris illustrés en 20 cartes postales."

We are also including with our copy the complete set of 20 postcards, lacking only the original protective sleeve.

A handsome...

American edition based on the 1929 translation by the poet William Carlos Williams of Philippe Soupault's 1928 post-Surrealist work, Les Dernières Nuits de Paris. Enriched with illustrations, an introduction by the author written in 1980, "William Carlos Williams in Paris. By Day and by Night," translated into English for the present edition by Ron Padgett, a publisher's note, and a reprinted epigraph.

Complete with its violet dust jacket, with the price indicated on the rear...

First edition on ordinary paper, bearing the correct imprint date of 25 August 1978.

Spine yellowed and creased as usual, internally in pleasing condition.

Rare signed autograph inscription from Georges Pérec to Chantal Labre.

Second edition, partly original, notably augmented with several additional pieces, complete with the caricature  woodcut portrait of the widow Oudot as frontispiece, printed in green, as is the title. According to Barbier, the burlesque portrait was engraved by one of the authors, the comte de Caylus himself.

Contemporary full mottled brown calf, smooth spine richly gilt with fleurons, palms and scrollwork, brown-red morocco lettering-piece, triple gilt fillet bordering the boards with fleurons at corners, gilt...

First edition of this work published by the Société du Bout-du-Banc, the celebrated literary salon presided over by Mademoiselle Jeanne-Françoise Quinault and the Comte de Caylus. This intimate circle, originally comprising eight members, would gather on Mondays at dinner to exchange ideas and to write; at the close of each meal, every distinguished guest was required to set down a few lines (whether in the coarse poissard style or in a more refined vein) on paper. It was in this context that Les Fêtes roulantes, ou les regrets des petites rues came into being, in the wake of the celebrations...

Booklet of the "Rabelaisian menu" offered on "diemenche 26 de oiteuvre 1952" [Sunday, 26 October 1952] on the menu of the Parisian restaurant Au Mouton de Panurge, gastronomic headquarters of the Amis de Rabelais et de La Devinière, whose walls were decorated by Albert Dubout, who is also the author of the illustrations featured here. On the final page appear several facsimile signatures of distinguished regulars of the establishment. Our booklet is enhanced by a gift inscription from one of these signatories, Albert Schweitzer: "to Andrée [Eekman, his goddaughter, also the niece of his close...

Illustrated edition with colour drawings by Chas Laborde, one of the numbered copies printed on wove paper.

A pleasing copy, despite a small tear to the upper right margin of the front free endpaper.

On the page following the title, a fine signed autograph inscription by Colette: "A monsieur F. Porlier. Nantes, février 1933. Colette. J'aime beaucoup "et autres" ! Colette.", Colette having ironically circled the words "et autres" appearing in a paragraph outlining her alleged collaboration with her former husband Willy in the writing of the work.

Illustrated edition with colour drawings by Chas Laborde, one of the numbered copies on wove paper.

A pleasing copy.

Autograph signed inscription by Colette: "A monsieur F. Porlier en souvenir d'une passante. Colette."

First edition printed in a small number of copies.
Half red morocco binding with corners, smooth spine decorated with a gilt panel and floral tools, enhanced with a grey mosaic morocco onlay, gilt date at foot, gilt fillet framing on the marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers preserved, gilt top edge, binding signed Charles Lanoë.
Illustrated with a fine frontispiece drawn and engraved by Félix Bracquemond.
An attractive copy, handsomely bound.

First quarto edition, complete with all volumes and plates, commonly referred to as the “Third Edition” of the Encyclopédie, and also known as the “Encyclopédie de Pellet” or “Encyclopédie de Lyon” or “Encyclopédie du Lac” by Simon-Nicolas-Henri Linguet.

Full marbled and polished brown sheepskin contemporary bindings, spines with five raised bands and four gilt compartments decorated with pomegranate gilt tools, two gilt decorative rolls at foot, title and volume lettering-pieces in red and green morocco, boards twice framed in blind, board edges gilt, all red edges, marbled pastedowns and...

Substantial compilation of these three texts setting forth the statutes of the Faculty of Medicine of Paris, together with the related legal instruments: royal declarations or edicts, rulings of the Parlement, and a judgment of the Châtelet of Paris. 

The second part sets out in detail the conditions governing the conferral of degrees, while the final section comprises several discourses on medicine.

Bound after the principal work are Hyacinthe Théodore Baron’s "Ritus usus et laudabiles Facultatis medicinae parisiensis consuetudines" and Gabriel Naudé’s "De Antiquitate et dignitate Scolae medicae parisiensis panegyris", published in  Paris by G.F...

First edition illustrated with 19 lithographed plates in colour or printed on tinted grounds (including a plan), with captioned tissue guards.

Only two copies recorded in the CCF (BnF and Musée de l'Homme).

The sole edition of this report, in fact written by the duke’s secretary, A. Gory.

La Butte-Ronde lies near the Luynes family estate at Dampierre (though in fact within the commune of Saint-Forget): the learned archaeologist who was the eighth duke (1802-1867) could hardly fail to take an interest in excavations carried out on the site, which brought to light a Gallo-Roman fanum. The pamphlet enjoyed only confidential circulation, and the duke’s death, in that same...

Collective first edition issued by subscription (cf. Le Quillec 524.)

Contemporary red half-shagreen binding, spine with five raised bands ruled in black, minor rubbing to spine and joints, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, speckled edges, wrappers preserved.

Scattered foxing, trace of a removed bookplate at the upper left corner of a pastedown, small marginal tears to the right margins of several leaves.

The celebrated "Le Temps des cerises", anthem of the Paris Commune, appears on page 243.

Programme for the Ballets Russes, for the Paris season in May-June 1912 at the Théâtre du Châtelet and the Hungarian tour of March 1912. It includes the argument of Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, the programme for Saturday 8 June 1912 with cast list and the argument of Daphnis et Chloé, Sheherazade, The Rite of Spring, The Firebird (L’Oiseu [sic] de feu), followed by a page with the argument and cast list for Carnaval and Narcissus, and two pages in Hungarian announcing the programme of the March 1912 tour at the Royal Hungarian Opera.

First edition, limited to 1,100 copies, divided into four fictitious editions within the same year, in order to create the illusion of commercial success. These were subsequently reissued with a new title-page bearing an edition statement and the author’s name, together with a volume designation on the half-titles (cf. Clouzot). Our copy carries the designation “third edition.” Contemporary bookplate traces on the upper pastedowns. Expert restorations to headcaps and joints, with a tiny loss at the foot of the lower joint of vol. I. A clean copy, entirely free of foxing.

Contemporary half chocolate calf bindings...

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 edition of this rare and fragile advertising object for the Galeries Lafayette consisting of 47 cardboard pieces with a medallion illustration designed by Jack Roberts and a children's song of four verses.

Handsome copy complete with its original crystal paper envelope.
 

"It's war!" we shouted that night, over and over again. The terrible word brought us bad luck... It was 1913: the following year, we were packing our kits again. This time, for real. And not all the guests came back." p. 335

First edition, one of only 6 copies printed on Hollande, this being copy no. 1 of the deluxe issue.
Bound in navy blue morocco backed boards with corners, spine very lightly sunned with raised bands, gilt date at foot, marbled paper-covered boards and endpapers, edges untrimmed, top edge gilt, covers and spine preserved. Binding signed Lavaux.
A fine copy with wide margins, attractively bound.
Bookplate...

Original autograph manuscript, 8 pages on 4 squared leaves, extensively revised and signed by Boris Vian. Subtle horizontal folds.
This short story, written on 7 June 1948 according to Noël Arnaud, was first published in issue no. 2 of the magazine Dans le train, and later included in the collection Le Loup Garou. The manuscript differs slightly from the printed versions.

Original autograph manuscript of a short story by Boris Vian, written in 1945 and published posthumously in the collection Le Loup-Garou in 1970.
Highly dense manuscript of 17 pages on 9 sheets, written in black ink with deletions and corrections, on perforated graph paper, dated “25.10.45” at the end of the text. One of the very rare manuscripts dated by the author.

Exceptional manuscript of Boris Vian’s first short story, written at the age of 25, just a few months after the Liberation.

Original autograph manuscript of Boris Vian's short story, first published in the magazine Une bouteille à la Mer, no.72, in 1952, then included in Vercoquin et le plancton and republished posthumously in the 1970 collection Le Loup-Garou.
Heavily revised manuscript, written in blue ink on the recto of each sheet, with corrections in purple ink and black pencil.