Provence, Côte d'Azur, Corsica

First edition of the French translation, for which no deluxe paper copies were issued.

A handsome copy, complete with its photographic dust jacket showing a tiny tear at the head of the spine, with illustrations.

Inscribed and signed by Julio Cortázar to the writer Christiane Baroche: "Pour toi, Chirstiane, avec toute mon amitié. Julio."

Autograph letter signed by Albert Camus to his housekeeper or caretaker, "Chère Madame Quentin." One page on a single leaf written in black ink, on NRF letterhead, accompanied by its envelope bearing the autograph address of the recipient. Horizontal crease inherent to the folding of the letter for mailing.

Given that his own mother had been a housekeeper, the writer does not merely concern himself with domestic matters when addressing his employee. He also inquires after the wellbeing of his "Chère Madame Quentin" following her vacation: "I shall be in Paris on Monday or Tuesday at the latest (thus the 31st or the 1st). Could you ask Madame [...] (Pintres?), upon receipt of this letter, to stop forwarding my mail. I hope you were able to rest a little during the month of August and I send you my most faithful regards." (our own translation). 

Accompanied by a telegram once again to Mme "Quentin 86 Rue de Varennes," dated "5-59."

Autograph letters signed by Albert Camus are highly sought after today. This one bears witness to the considerate language the writer uses towards Madame Quentin, his housekeeper, a trade he knows intimately through his mother.

Handsome and uncommon album comprising 36 vintage silver-print photographs (18.5 × 23 cm, mounted and captioned by hand), depicting exterior views—façades, gardens, and architectural perspectives—of this English neo-Gothic estate built between 1868 and 1872 by Thomas Smith and the Cannes contractor Scavy for one Michael Hugh Scott, who never lived in it: the property quickly passed to the businessman Debionne, who resold it to Lord Wolverton after furnishing and decorating the interior.

Publisher’s blue percaline binding, smooth unlettered spine, blind-ruled frame on the boards, gilt-lettered title to the upper cover, marbled endpapers and pastedowns; contemporary binding.

A few black spots to the slightly warped upper board; pleasing internal condition.

Facing the first photograph, presentation inscription from the second owner, Alexandre-Louis Debionne, to his brother-in-law, dated 15 April 1878.

Very rare first edition, bilingual, quarto in format and printed on laid paper, of the Corsican cahier de doléances.

(Cf. Starace 4747. Not in Roland Bonaparte. Conlon, xxiv, 89:1617, who notes only the 32-page octavo edition. No copy located in CCF or Worldcat.)

Our copy is preserved in a plain grey paper wrapper, with minor internal flaws, a few discreet paper restorations to the lower right margin of the opening leaves, not affecting the text.

"Les cahiers des Tiers, en même temps que des mesures spécifiques, exigent les mêmes réformes que le reste du royaume. Cette imbrication du régional et du national est jalonnée d'événements illustrant la dynamique révolutionnaire: agitation lors des assemblées primaires, émeute de Bastia le 1er mai 1789, "révolution municipale" du mois d'août à l'annonce du 14 Juillet parisien et sous le signe de la cocarde tricolore..." Soboul, Dict. hist. de la Révolution française.

Among the specific measures requested are the following: authorisation for Corsican vessels to fly the Moor’s Head on the French white ensign (as several towns and provinces of the kingdom already displayed their own arms); establishment of a university at Corte funded by the former revenues of the Carthusians, Jacobins, and Olivetans; establishment of a lazaretto to facilitate trade with the Levant; creation of a free port; preference in appointments to be given to Corsicans or to French inhabitants established on the island, etc.

Light foxing to the lower and upper right corners of the leaves, not affecting the text.

A well-preserved and appealing copy.

Very rare first edition of the Japanese translation, accompanied by Taiichi Ogawa’s annotated commentary.

Illustrated with a frontispiece portrait of Alphonse Daudet.

Spine with two tears at head and foot, soiling to the wrappers, a few minor spots internally.

First Japanese edition of Alphonse Daudet’s masterpiece. Harshly received in Provence upon its publication in 1872, despite the support of Frédéric Mistral, the novel soon came to be regarded as one of the landmarks of French literature, and the character of Tartarin became the emblem—and finest ambassador—of the city of Tarascon.

Rare first edition with bilingual text (French with facing Italian translation).

Our copy is preserved in its original state, uncut and unbound in temporary dominoté paper wrappers (with pen and black ink accounts and trials on the verso of the second cover). Minor foxing.

Only one copy recorded in the CCF (Avignon). Not listed in Starace.

A very rare collection documenting a little-known aspect of the famous "Miot decrees", which have given rise to much commentary, though only concerning their fiscal and customs provisions.

The regulatory activity of this unflinching State official extended into many other areas. When he disembarked from the Hirondelle on 25 March 1801 in Bastia, it was the second mission undertaken by Miot (1762–1841) in Corsica to implement continental legislation (the first had taken place in 1796–1797).

Settled in Ajaccio in the Bonaparte house, he exceptionally held full military, administrative, and judicial powers, tasked with bringing, as far as possible, the islanders under the French legal system, the constitutional regime having been temporarily suspended on the island by the First Consul.

The task was far from easy, hampered by numerous personal oppositions, and until his departure on 14 September 1802, he was often compelled to adapt the legal requirements to local customs and institutions.

New edition with hitherto unpublished material, printed three years after the first edition.
Contemporary full brown sheepskin binding, smooth spine with 7 gilt compartments decorated with friezes and classical vases, leather lettering piece, inscription "Lycée impérial de Marseille, prix de l'an XIII (1805)" gilt-stamped on upper cover, gilt rolls on board edges, tooled spine-ends, white pastedowns and endpapers, price label with the "Lycée's" header affixed to front pastedown. Usual wear to joints with a small hole, lower spine-end missing and leather loss at foot of spine, wormhole affecting several letters of the word "Marseille" on front cover, corners bumped, gilt tooling on board edges and spine-ends slightly faded, hole to half-title leaf not affecting text, and leaves throughout cockled.
Ink annotation on title page: "1ère Edition 1796".

Four further editions will follow the first two: 1808, 1813, 1824, and 1835 (the latter published posthumously).

First edition illustrated with 24 original lithographs by René Seyssaud, one of 70 copies printed on pure Arches wove paper, this one being among the first 20 enhanced with an additional suite of lithographs and an original drawing by René Seyssaud, signed in brown pencil.

The additional suite comprises only 8 lithographs, 5 in color and 3 in black and white.

Text by René-Jean and J. Tourette.

A well-preserved copy, complete with its original chemise and slipcase (spine sunned), a few scattered spots of foxing, notably on the covers.

First edition, one of 950 copies on Vélin Vidalon signed by André Marchand, the only printing following 49 copies on Vélin d'Arches.

Bound in black morocco-backed boards with corners, smooth spine, gilt fillet borders on cat's eye paper-covered boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved, all edges gilt. Slipcase edged in black morocco, marbled paper panels. Binding signed by D. Saporito.

Illustrated with 50 splendid original lithographs by André Marchand, printed by Mourlot.

Featuring previously unpublished texts by Georges Spyridaki, René Lacôte, Georges Hugnet, Gabriel Audisio, Raymond Queneau, David Herbert Lawrence, Pierre Emmanuel, Luc Decaunes, Léon-Marie Brest, Jean Grenier, Antonio Machado, Marie Mauron, Paul Eluard...

A handsome and finely bound copy.

First edition of the proceedings from the inaugural congress of the newly founded International Maritime Association, established on 16 January 1901.

Contemporary full black shagreen binding, spine with five raised bands framed by gilt fillets and adorned with triple gilt compartments, gilt roll tooling on the caps, covers framed with triple gilt fillets, large gilt armorial stamp and the inscription “A S.A.R. la princesse Waldemar” on the upper board, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt dentelle borders on pastedowns, all edges gilt.

The congress, held in Monaco from 12 to 15 April under the high patronage of Prince Albert I, featured some thirty presentations on topics such as seafarers’ welfare, oceanography, maritime rescue, coastal lighting, yachting, and free ports. A sumptuous presentation copy for Princess Waldemar of Denmark.

Illustrated with in-text figures.

A rare and attractive copy, handsomely bound.

First edition, no deluxe copies on fine paper were issued.

Spine and rear cover slightly soiled; a clean and attractive copy internally.

Illustrations.

Valuable signed presentation copy from General Gambiez: "A monsieur J. Debu-Bridel en bien cordial hommage cet envoi de synthèse sur la libération de la Corse cette île qui nous est si chère. Château de Vincennes 26 septembre 1974."

A moving relic of the Resistance and Gaullist legacy.

First edition, one of 330 numbered copies on alfa paper.
Pleasant copy.

First edition printed in Marseille and illustrated with 20 steel engravings. Contemporary half hazel sheep binding. Smooth spine decorated with gilt fillets. Gilt title and volume numbers. Spine slightly faded. Minor rubbing. A well-preserved copy, with only occasional light foxing.

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 produced on the subject.

The author of these highly precise engravings joined the navy at the age of thirteen and thereby witnessed numerous naval battles. From 1806 he was imprisoned for eight years in Portsmouth, using his captivity to study drawing and painting and to record the scenes he had observed during his voyages. Upon his return from the United Kingdom, Garneray became painter to the Duke of Angoulême, then Grand Admiral of France, later serving as director of the Rouen museum, and entering the Sèvres manufactory where he executed numerous maritime subjects.

His work, of remarkable delicacy and realism, was praised by Melville in Moby-Dick: "Who Garneray the painter is, or was, I know not. But my life for it he was either practically conversant with his subject, or else marvellously tutored by some experienced whaleman. The French are the lads for painting action." 

Autograph letter dated and signed (25 lines in black ink) from the illustrator and caricaturist Sennep, addressed to his friend the Provençal writer, caricaturist and filmmaker Carlo Rim, thanking him while teasing him after having been decorated with the Legion of Honor: "Merci, gros jaloux ! mais, d'abord, je n'ai pas les cheveux aussi blancs ! ensuite, ma cravate est d'un bleu de ciel, qui évoque le ruban des "Enfants de Marie", beaucoup plus que l'ordre du Saint-Esprit..." ["Thank you, big jealous one! but, first, I don't have hair that white! then, my tie is sky blue, which evokes the ribbon of the "Children of Mary", much more than the order of the Holy Spirit..."]

A self-portrait in black felt-tip pen and heightened with blue pencil represents the illustrator, freshly honored, with his decoration around his neck.

Fold inherent to mailing.

Carlo Rim was a Provençal writer, author of "Ma belle Marseille", a caricaturist, a filmmaker and was notably the friend of Fernandel, Raimu and Marcel Pagnol but also of Max Jacob and André Salmon whom he met in Sanary.

Very rare and highly sought-after first edition according to Clouzot, for which no copies on large paper were issued.

Full red morocco binding, spine with five raised bands, gilt rolls on headcaps, inner dentelle border on off-white morocco pastedowns enhanced with a red morocco mosaic fillet and quintuple gilt fillets, the fillet and quintuple gilt fillets interlacing at corners, gilt fillet border on turn-ins, ivory watered silk endpapers, iron-grey wrappers and spine preserved (Clouzot notes two states of wrappers: iron-grey - the rarer - and bluish-grey), all edges gilt, double gilt fillets on board edges, half red morocco slipcase with bands, spine with five raised bands, pebbled paper boards, red morocco-edged box, beige leather interior, pebbled paper boards, magnificent binding signed Huser. Provenances: from the libraries of Raoul Simonson and José Peraya with their bookplates pasted on a pastedown.

A superb copy, complete with its rare iron-grey wrappers and the publisher's catalogue which is very often lacking, bound in a splendid full morocco binding with morocco pastedowns and mosaic work by Huser.