Description des fêtes populaires données à Valenciennes les 11, 12, 13 mai 1851, par la Société des Incas

Very rare first edition of this album comprising 24 plates engraved by the Valenciennes engraver William Marks.

Indeed, the large figure printed on two sheets counts as two engraved plates (nos. 8 and 9), Cf. Vicaire

Contemporary half tawny shagreen over corners, spine with five raised bands highlighted with gilt dotted tooling and decorated with double fillets and gilt fleurons, some rubbing to the spine and joints, one joint split and then reglued at the head, comb-marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original illustrated upper wrapper preserved, top edge gilt, engraved bookplate pasted to one pastedown, contemporary binding.

Texts by Jean-Baptiste Foucart and Victor Binois-Cambray.

Some foxing.

Vicaire (III, 270) describes the 1854 octavo edition (with 218 pp. of text) and notes: "En 1853, on avait mis en vente les 24 planches formant un album in-4 oblong". See also A. Dinaux, "Les sociétés badines, bachiques, littéraires et chantantes", 1867, pp. 414-415.

The highly curious engravings describe the processions that paraded through Valenciennes during the carnival festivities organised by this "société badine".

These allegorical compositions in costume symbolise the great civilisations, key periods in the history of the West, the most celebrated historical events, illustrious Frenchmen, etc.

The complete sequence is as follows: Genius of Civilisation - Ancient Egypt - Chariot of the Black People - Persia and Greece - The Roman Empire - Charlemagne - The Moors - The Crusades (double plate) - Discovery of Printing - America, Chariot of the Incas - Discovery of the East Indies - Confucius - Francis I - Louis XIII, Cardinal Richelieu - Minister Colbert - Louis XIV, Jean Bart - Volunteers of 1792, victors of Fontenoy - Imperial Guard, the French Empire - Chariot of the Ambassadors, Algeria - Chariot of Agriculture, commune of Ste Saulve - Coal-mining Industry, Compagnie d'Anzin - Valenciennes Celebrities.

The artist responsible for these very interesting engravings, somewhat in the manner of Callot, William Marks, was born in Valenciennes.</p>\n<p>Bénézit records that in 1850 he published Pièces choisies composées par Watteau, but does not mention this album of 1853, whose print run must have been very limited. "Incas (Société des), à Valenciennes. Les Incas de ce royaume du Pérou étaient une société badine qui se réunissait au carnaval, en de joyeux festins". Cf. Dinaux, op. cit., who gives the text of one of the patents issued by this society.

Rare.