Beautiful illustrated books of the Belle Époque, first edition engravings and lithographs, Art Nouveau and first print books

Copy of the large octavo illustrated edition, from the collection Les Voyages Extraordinaires, Les Mondes connus et inconnus, complete with its frontispiece with tissue guard and its three full-page chromotypograph plates, painted by Léon Benett.

Publisher's polychrome cloth binding known as the "aux feuilles d'acanthe" binding, with a gilt roundel, blue endpapers with minor and marginal discolouration as often, gilt edges. Binding by Magnier et ses fils.

Stamp bookplate reading: "G. Maréchal."

Headcaps very slightly softened.

A pleasing copy, with very little foxing.

First issue of the 250 wood-engraved compositions by Edmond Morin, one of 150 numbered copies on Holland paper.

The work is further illustrated with a frontispiece portrait of the author by Léopold Flameng.

Bound in half orange morocco over marbled boards with corners, spine with five raised bands ruled in gilt and richly tooled with double gilt compartments, covers framed with double gilt fillets, marbled endpapers, original wrappers preserved, top edge gilt, an elegant binding signed A. Bertrand.

A fine copy, impeccably presented.

First edition printed on laid paper and illustrated with numerous tables embellished with Chinese ideograms.
Contemporary full brown Russia morocco binding, spine slightly faded, with five raised bands decorated with triple black panels, a few rubs to the spine, gilt initials W. H. W. to the centre of the upper cover, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, triple gilt fillet border to the pastedowns, all edges gilt, double gilt fillets to the turn-ins, corners slightly bumped, unsigned period binding attributable to R. Petit.
Born in Poland, Michel-Alexandre Kleczkowski (1818–1886) served as Consul General of France, Minister Plenipotentiary in China, and Professor of vernacular Chinese at the École nationale des Langues orientales vivantes.

It was in the latter capacity that he began publication of this work, which remained unfinished. A fine copy.

On a flyleaf, autograph signed presentation inscription by Michel-Alexandre Kleczkowski to William Henry Waddington (1826–1894), industrialist and archaeologist, then Minister of Public Instruction in the Dufaure cabinet, who had his initials W. H. W. gilt-stamped at the centre of the upper cover.

A fine copy, handsomely bound at the time in a personalised monogram binding.

A probably unique copy, comprising pulls of proofs of Masonic illustrations containing 38 plates, the majority double-page, numbered in red pencil from 1 to 40 (discontinuous numbering, with bis plates).

Not recorded in Caillet or Dorbon.

Bound in full black cloth, smooth spine, no lettering, title label pasted onto the upper cover, modern binding.

A restored tear in the left margin of plate 10, two angular tears in the left margin of plate 12 without affecting the image. Published by the Masonic booksellers Teissier et Cie, lithographed by J. Rigal et Cie and, in some cases, by A. Appert.

A highly interesting document on nineteenth-century Freemasonry

Rare first edition of this uncommon atlas, featuring 9 maps printed in colour, either on single sheets, double-page, or folding.

Bound in modern half dark blue calf, smooth spine with gilt rules at head and tail, title in long, boards of handmade paper, marbled endpapers and pastedowns.

Minor foxing to the versos of some maps, three discreet repairs using small adhesive pieces to the margins of three maps and the title page.

Printed note on the verso of the title page: "Institut national de géographie, Bruxelles".

The maps depict: General View of the East Indies, Java and Madura (detached from the volume), Sumatra and the Riouw Archipelago, Banka and Billiton, Borneo, the Celebes, the Minhassa Islands, the Sunda Islands, and the Moluccas.

Exceptional collection of 49 original watercolours depicting daily life in Tonkin, most illustrating rural scenes.

These unsigned watercolours, each measuring approximately 20 x 15 cm (excluding margins), are finely executed in Indian ink and watercolour, with touches of gouache, on paper sheets—some bearing the watermark "Latune et Cie Blacons."

Contemporary half red cloth binding, smooth spine covered in red shagreen, some rubbing to the spine, boards of marbled paper, blue endpapers and pastedowns.

Minor foxing to the margins of some watercolours.

The scenes depict a variety of subjects: a military post guarded by four soldiers, one standing sentry at the entrance; a guard in white uniform holding a rifle with a long bayonet, his head covered by a salacco (the traditional headgear of Indochinese riflemen); an elderly man seated at a table, smoking a pipe while being fanned by a servant; a peasant ploughing with two oxen; a woman praying at a grave; another peasant tilling the soil; two villagers meeting near a small bridge; four people working in a paddy field; a man in formal dress before a temple; three peasants harvesting rice; a cockfight, and more.

Also depicted are villagers carrying goods or fishing, wrestlers performing before a dignitary, a child guiding a blind man, two labourers transporting stones in a wheelbarrow, a procession led by a mounted dignitary carrying a wild boar in a cage, a prisoner being flogged, another about to be beheaded, a hunting scene, musicians, a woman at a loom, villagers at play, and so on.

Western presence is alluded to only once: an Indochinese sailing vessel flies three tri-colour flags while a steamship, probably French, makes its way in the background…

Accompanied by a piece of light brown calfskin (4 x 32 cm) blind-stamped with the inscription "Souvenir du Tonkin 1885-90".

A rare and precious visual record of Tonkin at the beginning of the French protectorate.

First edition of this important work on former French Indochina, comprising:

• Geography and Travels. Volumes 1 to 7 (1901–1919), illustrated with 52 maps and portraits (40 in color), plus numerous plates and maps within the text or pagination.
• Miscellaneous Studies. Literature, History, Natural History. Volumes 1 to 3 (1898–1904), illustrated with 43 plates and maps (35 in color), plus numerous plates within the pagination.
• Atlas. Notices and Maps. 1 volume (1903), illustrated with 10 color maps.
• For 9 volumes (of 11) in the set: contemporary bindings in half green cloth with tips, smooth spines with some staining and fading, red morocco title labels (some with minor losses), red board covers with a checkered pattern, gray paper endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers bound in (some with minor angular losses, wrapper of volume 3 restored); for the remaining two volumes (Volumes 3 and 7): modern bindings in half green cloth with tips, matching the style of the other nine.

On the half-title page of Volume VI, signed autograph inscription by Auguste Pavie: "A l'ami Vitoux, hommage affectueux. A. Pavie."

Accompanying this set is: "Carte de l'Indo-Chine dressée par MM. les Capitaines Cupet, Friquegnon et de Malglaive membres de la Mission Pavie."

Printed in Paris by Augustin Challamel in 1893 (broadsheet, folded and linen-backed, with some foxing).

The map is housed in a modern half green cloth portfolio with tips, red oasis title label, red board covers, and a red full-cloth slipcase, designed to match the text volumes.

"A pioneer of new routes in Cambodia and Laos, and a key figure in French expansion in Indochina, Auguste Pavie (1847–1925) holds a privileged place among the explorers of this region. Born in Dinan, he joined the army at seventeen, served in Cochinchina with the Marine Infantry (1868), and was sent to Cambodia in 1875 (…). In 1876, he was commissioned by the Governor of Indochina to create a new map of Cambodia, taking advantage of the construction of a telegraph line between Phnom Penh and Bangkok (…). In 1885, Le Myre de Vilers, recognizing his abilities, appointed him to the delicate post of French Consul in Luang Prabang, where he was to defend the rights France had inherited from Annam over Laos (…). From Luang Prabang, Pavie undertook a series of journeys across Laos from 1887 to 1889, regions that Mouhot and F. Garnier had only briefly explored. His investigations focused on three main directions: east (Tran-Ninh, Plain of Jars); northeast (Hua-Panh); and north (Sip-Song-Chau). It was in this last area that Pavie concentrated his efforts, seeking safe routes to Tonkin in order to open up Laos and firmly link it to France's other Indochinese possessions (…). From 1888, Pavie was no longer alone. He surrounded himself with military collaborators—Cogniard, Cupet, Malglaive, Pennequin…—and civilians such as the young diplomat Lefèvre-Pontalis and the brilliant biologist Le Dantec. Within a few years, the Pavie Mission, a veritable geographical service, would number some forty members, not counting the many indigenous auxiliaries. Dispersed in small groups along different routes, the mission members multiplied the leader's efforts, covering considerable ground. Thus, in 1890–1891, surrounded by a large team of geographers, naturalists, doctors, ethnographers, and economists, Pavie successfully completed a vast territorial survey intended to establish the future borders between French Indochina, China, Siam, and Burma (…). The scientific results of this collective enterprise, unparalleled in the French Empire, were impressive. Extending far beyond Laos, the investigations covered Tonkin, Annam, Cambodia, and southern China. In total, some 600,000 km²—an area larger than France—were surveyed and partially mapped, and 70,000 km of land and river routes were recorded (…). Truly multidisciplinary, the Pavie Mission encompassed all fields of knowledge, neglecting neither history, nor literature, nor folklore…" (Cf. Numa Broc, Dictionnaire illustré des explorateurs français du XIXe siècle, Asie, pp. 366–368).

First edition and the inaugural volumes of this significant scientific periodical, whose publication continued until 1954.

Volumes 43, 4, 5, and 6 are illustrated with respectively 332 in-text figures, 392 figures, 138 in-text figures, and 179 in-text figures.

Contemporary half-sheep bindings in brown, smooth spines decorated with gilt fillets and garlands, spines rubbed, red lettering and volume labels with a few minor losses on some volumes, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, sprinkled edges, some volumes slightly rubbed at the extremities, the upper corner of the fourth volume lacking, a few snags to the board edges; period bindings.

The first three years include Claude Bernard’s experimental pathology lectures—on toxic and medicinal substances, bodily fluids, the nervous system, and related subjects—as well as contributions by Louis Pasteur, Étienne-Jules Marey, Gustave Flourens, Alfred Vulpian, Marcellin Berthelot, Virchow, and others.

First issue of the fifty large hors-texte lithographs drawn from life by Henry John Terry (cf. Vicaire, VII, 1164).

Publisher’s binding in full red cloth, smooth spine decorated with blind-ruled compartments and fillets, light rubbing to the head- and tailcaps, gilt-lettered title on the front board, yellow endpapers, trace of a removed bookplate on one pastedown, one lower corner softened, slight discoloration to the lower left corner of the rear board, occasional marginal foxing, a small loss to the foot of page 119, and minor wormholes at the foot of the last three leaves, not affecting the text.

The fifty striking black lithographs depict the most picturesque views of Haute-Savoie.

Henry John Terry, originally from England, studied in Geneva under Alexandre Calame, the foremost Swiss landscape painter of the nineteenth century, and later settled in the country.

A well-preserved copy in the publisher’s original cloth.

Very rare first edition.

This printing does not include the two maps later added by the publisher in the second issue, intended to illustrate the itinerary for readers who had not acquired the atlas (corresponding to plates XVIII and XXIV of the atlas), cf. Hage Chahine 3995. Röhricht 480-481. Chadenat 1712.

The text volume is largely unopened and includes one full-page plate.

The atlas volume, housed in a red full-cloth box and slipcase, is complete with all 27 plates (numbered I to XXVI, XVIII [bis]; plates XIX-XX are printed on a single sheet).

A very fine and rare copy in its original condition.

Second edition of this monumental work of historiography.

The collation of the text volumes (74 steel-engraved plates) conforms to the list of plates given in volume XX (with the exception of the plate depicting the French before Moscow, which is lacking), but does not match the plate count of the first edition, as certain plates were not reissued. The atlas corresponds to that of the first edition and is complete with its 66 maps.

Some foxing, mainly affecting the edges.

Handsome bindings of red half morocco with corners, the spines with five raised bands and triple blind-ruled compartments, a few minor abrasions without consequence to three spines, marbled paper sides, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt top edges, for the 21 text volumes; and a contemporary binding of red half sheep for the atlas, the smooth spine decorated with gilt fillets and tools, a few black marks to the spine, red paper-covered boards lightly soiled at the margins, corners rubbed.

First edition of this rare album illustrated with 18 lithographed plates, including the title-frontispiece (see Inventaire du Fonds Français, VII, 243, no. 21).

This unbound suite is housed in a grey cloth chemise and matching modern slipcase, spine unlettered with two tears at head and tail, plain boards, light soiling to the lower board.

Some scattered foxing.

Very rare first edition of this splendid photographic album, produced in Cairo in 1871, representing the first illustrated catalogue of the earliest museum devoted to Egyptology.

The photographs by Hippolyte Delié and Émile Béchard depict the rooms and antiquities of the Boulaq Museum, founded in Cairo in 1863 by the eminent Egyptologist Auguste Mariette (1821–1881).

The album comprises forty albumen prints (approx. 24.5 × 18 cm), mounted on thick card leaves set on guards, each accompanied by a letterpress commentary leaf (except plates 4 and 11, which each have two). The prints are mounted on the versos of the plates, the rectos bearing the printed captions.

Contemporary half brown shagreen, spine with five raised bands decorated with blind-tooled compartments and gilt floral tools, minor rubbing to spine and joints, headcaps slightly softened, blind-tooled interlaced borders on the boards, gilt title on upper board, endpapers and pastedowns in white moiré silk with a few light spots, all edges gilt.

Repairs to the spine and one joint at head, a few scattered internal spots.

Illustrated edition with compositions by Arthur Rackham, 13 in colour tipped in with captioned tissue guards, and 52 black-and-white illustrations in the text, one of 55 copies on Japon paper, signed by Arthur Rackham on the limitation page, deluxe issue. 
Publisher’s full vellum binding, smooth spine gilt-lettered with gilt-stamped animals, upper cover gilt-stamped with the title and an illustration of animals, top edge gilt, uncut, lower cover silk ties preserved.
A fine copy of the works of the most celebrated fabulist, illustrated by Arthur Rackham, one of the rare copies on Japon.

Provenance: manuscript ex-libris on the half-title of Maurice Feuillet, a renowned press illustrator, notably for major judicial cases, but also an art critic and founder of the Figaro artistique. Feuillet remains famous for his courtroom sketches at the trials of Émile Zola in 1898 and Alfred Dreyfus in 1899.

First and only Franco-Chinese edition, illustrated with six etchings reproduced by Frédéric Chevalier.

A single copy recorded in the CCFr (Bulac).

Sole edition of this contemporary curiosity born of the French vogue for all things Oriental: born in 1831, Tin-Tun-Ling (or Ding Dunling) was a Chinese scholar from Shanxi and a political exile in France. Théophile Gautier met him in Paris, grew fond of him, and hired him to teach Chinese to his daughter Judith. Steeped in Far Eastern culture, she delighted in presenting herself as the reincarnation of a Chinese princess. Tin-Tun-Ling then lived in a pavilion built in the Chinese style, set in the garden of the Pré aux Oiseaux – Judith’s home in Saint-Enogat. After Gautier’s death in 1872, Tin-Tun-Ling married a Frenchwoman, Caroline Julie Liégeois, who later accused him of bigamy (he was in all likelihood already married in China); following a trial in 1873, he was nevertheless acquitted. A triple photographic portrait of Tin-Tun-Ling by Nadar survives, taken in 1874, one year before the publication of this work.

This copy is preserved in its original state, in flexible yellow cloth wrappers showing small spots and, as often, minor marginal tears.

Rare first edition comprising a fine series of 40 two-tone lithographs by Yuko Watanabe depicting Japanese types, scenes of traditional life, costumes, and more: Ronin, hara-kiri, samurai, the attack on Shogun Nobunaga, a geisha’s visit, young women paying a call, a game of go...

Not in Colas, nor Hiler & Hiler; lacking from the Bn; not in Nipponalia or Cordier. Wenckstern, I, p. 228 (gives the Yokohama address, undated, and mentions two volumes, the second—of which no trace could be found—containing 25 plates).

Bound in full beige cloth, smooth spine without lettering, lithograph mounted on the upper cover; twentieth-century binding.

Minor tears affecting three remargined plates and the final leaf (backed); a few small spots of foxing; small green ink stain touching most of the prints in the margin only, not affecting the image.

First edition, of which there were no large paper copies.

Near contemporary red half morocco over marbled paper boards by P. Ruban, spine in six compartments, raised bands bounded by black fillets, date gilt at foot of spine, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, covers preserved, top edge gilt.

Attractive ex libris engraved by Provost-Blondel on pastedown, representing a helmet with a feather, medallion and a strip with the motto “Tojours en face.” The ex libris belonged to Victor Coué, a 2^nd Lieutenant killed in the First World War.
This copy has two frontispieces: one lithograph heightened by Félicien Rops showing a caricature of Barbey d'Aurevilly with the caption “Il n'a pour page que son ombre. TS [his page is none other than his shadow]” and a portrait of the author engraved by Paul-Adolphe Rajon (1843-1888).
This copy is further enriched with the eponymous series of engravings by Félicien Rops done between 1882 and 1886 with a view to a new edition by Alphonse Lemerre.

The meeting of these two major works of literature and history of art from the end of the 19^th century makes for an exceptional and unique copy, since – contrary to what is generally thought – Rops' prints never actually accompanied Barbey's text in a genuine illustrated edition.

The series is composed of three frontispiece plates: La Femme et la folie dominant le monde I et II [Woman and Madness Ruling the World I and II], Le Sphinx [The Sphinx], and six others referring respectively to six of Barbey's short stories and figuring at the beginning of each: Le Rideau Cramoisi [The Cramoisi Curtain], Le Plus Bel Amour de Don Juan [Don Juan's Finest Affair], Le Dessous de cartes d'une partie de whist [The Undersides of the Cards in a Game of Whist], à un dîner d'athées [At an Atheists' Dinner], Le Bonheur dans le Crime [The Joy of the Crime] and La Vengeance d'une femme [A Woman's Revenge].

A very good copy in a practically contemporary binding.

First edition of this issue of the review consisting of two folded sheets.
Marginal lacks very skillfully filled on the sheets.
On the first, a color woodcut representing Paul Signac by Georges Seurat.
On the following ones, text by Félix Fénéon in first edition entitled "Signac".
Very rare issue.

First octavo edition illustrated with 92 engravings by Benett, including one folding map in colour: this marks the very first use of polychromy in an illustration for a Jules Verne novel.
Publisher’s Hetzel binding "aux deux éléphants" in full red cloth, signed by Lenègre, type 3, upper cover signed by Souze, lower cover Lenègre type “e” as described by Jauzac, original blue endpapers, all edges gilt, publisher’s EL catalogue at rear.
Spine slightly faded as usual, small black marks along the hinges, spine-ends softened as often, a pleasant copy almost free of any foxing.
“Deux ans de vacances” is a Robinson Crusoe-like novel featuring fourteen schoolboys from New Zealand.
 

First edition of this album of caricatures by Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi which he numbered and initialled (copy no. 36, followed by his initial). Printed "in small numbers” (Bartholdi Museum), with only six located in institutions (Colmar Museum, BnF, Harvard, UPenn, NYPL, Rutgers University).

Publisher’s blue cloth binding, smooth spine gilt-lettered along its length, upper board numerously framed in black, anchors and stars stamped in black at the corners, title and date gilt-stamped; lower board numerously framed in black, black stars at the corners and a central anchor, red edges. Slight rubbing to joints, faint mottling to the lower part of the upper board, a few plate tabs slightly split at foot, not affecting the integrity of the binding.

Illustrated with an engraved title-frontispiece, a half-title featuring the head of the Statue of Liberty, and 30 full-page hand-coloured lithographs.

Exceptionally rare copy of Auguste Bartholdi’s caricature album created on board the steamship bound for the United States for the 1876 Philadelphia World’s Fair, where he exhibited part of the Statue of Liberty.

This curious album contains the only caricature of the Statue by Bartholdi ever published: a vignette on the half-title depicting the top of Lady Liberty’s crowned head with her amused eyes emerging above the Atlantic. Moreover, the profits from the album were donated to the Franco-American subscription fund for the statue's construction.

New "À la bannière" edition with bevelled boards, violet on a red background, illustrated with 154 drawings by Férat engraved by Barbant.

Publisher’s decorative cloth binding "à la bannière" of type 6 signed by Lenègre, upper cover plate signed by Souze, lower cover of type e1 with central medallion on a black ground, framed with geometric motifs.
Attractive upper cover, with glossy percaline and sharp gilt, small black spots on the spine, head- and tailcaps collapsed as usual, some occasional foxing, small dark and light stains on the lower cover.
L’Île mystérieuse is linked, though not a sequel, to two other novels by Jules Verne, Vingt mille lieues sous les mers and Les enfants du capitaine Grant.

The author notably drew inspiration from Robinson Crusoe for the castaways’ life on a deserted island.

This work, one of Jules Verne’s most celebrated, was adapted eight times for cinema and television.

First edition, large octavo, illustrated with 78 engravings together with 12 chromotypographic plates by George Roux and 2 coloured maps.
Publisher’s binding by Hetzel in full red cloth signed A. Lenègre, with the "portrait collé" design: the upper cover signed Souze, polychrome, depicting various means of transport (balloon, locomotive, ships), with a sepia-toned portrait of the author mounted at the centre, and various navigational instruments highlighted in gilt in the foreground; lower cover of type "e" as recorded by Jauzac; spine decorated with several gilt and coloured illustrations; original blue endpapers; one upper corner slightly crimped; all edges gilt. HF catalogue at the end.
Some light scattered foxing.
A maritime adventure recounting a treasure hunt, leading the hero from Tunisia to the Gulf of Guinea, then to Scotland, the island of Spitzbergen, and finally to Sicily.

Illustrated edition with 192 color plates of military uniforms, chiefly from the Revolutionary and Napoleonic eras, after watercolors by Job (see Colas I, 1549).

Texts by various members of La Sabretache.

Contemporary bindings in cherry red morocco-grain half shagreen, spines with five raised bands framed by black fillets, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt top edges, original wrappers preserved.

The illustrated plates are distributed as follows: in the first volume, 48 hand-colored plates numbered and captioned on their tissue guards; in the second, 48 unnumbered color plates; in the third, 48 unnumbered color plates; and in the fourth, 48 unnumbered color plates.

Complete set of all that appeared in La Sabretache, consisting of 48 issues each containing 4 color plates.

Themes of military life, patriotism, and even nationalism were the hallmark of Jacques Onfroy de Bréville (1858-1931), an illustrator whose vocation was initially thwarted.

A handsome set uniformly bound in contemporary bindings.

First edition, printed in 500 numbered copies, of this splendid archaeological album featuring 78 in-text illustrations and 13 full-page plates with tissue guards (including 7 double-page or folding plates).

Text by Henri Lechat.

Publisher’s Bradel binding in full forest green cloth, smooth spine, headcaps slightly crushed, one joint split at head, spine and boards ruled in ochre, corners slightly rubbed, bookplate affixed to the front pastedown.

Copy from the library of industrialist Anatole Descamps (1833–1907), with engraved ex-libris by Devambez mounted on the pastedown.

A handsome copy.

New edition from the rare Ottoman presses in 1888. Printed in the calligraphy of Mustafa Nazif Efendi. 77 engravings, including 4 full-page, the remainder half-page or in headpieces.

Ottoman binding (buffalo or gazelle) in contemporary full leather with reddish-brown flap. Smooth spine, renewed in the 20th century. Boards richly decorated with large framing panels of scrolls and flowers. Central medallion. Part of the upper board restored. Flap with small losses at headcaps and rubbing. Flap uniformly darkened to brown. Endpapers renewed. Paper perfectly fresh.

Illustrated edition by Grandville, engraved by Geoffroy, comprising 29 hand-coloured plates hors-texte in the first volume, and in the second, 23 hand-coloured plates hors-texte along with 2 black botanical plates illustrating the physiology of plants, "Horticulture des dames" and "Culture des fleurs." For this edition, the plates were re-coloured by Maubert, with fresher and more vivid tones, considered superior to the first edition. Accompanied by 3 pages of sheet music for the romance Le myosotis. 
Contemporary half blue shagreen bindings. Spines with raised bands decorated with three gilt panels. Some scattered foxing, title-page of volume 2 with spotting. A few leaves slightly protruding. Spines somewhat darkened. Signs of rubbing. Tip of one corner lacking. A good copy.

First edition printed in 51 copies numbered and initialled by the author on Whatman.
Playful and striking signed presentation inscription from Jean Ajalbert to Henry Fèvre: "... ex-écrevisse de rempart, ces vers de l'auteur des bastions..."
Illustrated with an original lithograph by Paul Signac as frontispiece.
Minor spots on the lower cover, a rare and handsome copy.

First edition illustrated with 81 engraved plates, drawn by Antoine-Marie Chenavard and engraved on steel by various artists, comprising: a route map, a plan of Athens, and 79 plates numbered I to LXXV, including plates XXVIIIbis, XLVIIIbis (these two not listed in the table), LVIbis, and LVIIbis.

Cf. Blackmer 334. Atabey 230. Brunet II, 1831.

Each plate is accompanied by a leaf of explanatory text.

Plates LIX and LX are transposed in this copy.

Bound in modern half green sheep with corners, spine with four raised bands decorated with black fillets, black sheep lettering-piece and author’s name, sides covered in almond-green felted paper, a scratch to the lower cover.

The leaves are mounted on cloth guards, the preliminary leaves with some marginal soiling, a few light dampstains in the margins of certain pages, all leaves with marginal sunning.

New edition printed on laid paper.
Some light foxing affecting mainly the endpapers.
Full marbled sheep binding, spine with five raised bands set with gilt garlands decorated with double compartments adorned with gilt typographical motifs, traces of rubbing on spine, gilt rolls on headcaps almost completely faded, triple gilt fillets framing the boards, some scratches on boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt edges on leading edges which show some rubbing.
The work consists of 12 parts each comprising 6 engraved plates plus three engraved plates: the half-title page, the title page with a portrait of Gille Marie Oppenort and, finally, a plate with the letter "B" represented three times.

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.

Very rare first edition, printed in only 80 copies (According to CCFr, copies are held only at the BnF and in Lille).

This edition was printed on August 27, 1867, in the presence of Emperor Napoleon III, during his visit to northern France with Empress Eugénie from August 26 to 30, 1867.

Publisher’s binding in full green grained cloth, flat spine decorated with blind fillets, panels framed with blind fillets, slightly bumped corners, pink edges.

Minor foxing mainly affecting the endpapers; a handsome copy.

On a blank endpaper, an autograph inscription signed by Léonard-Jean-Baptiste Danel (1818–1905), nephew and successor of Louis Danel since 1843, addressed to Auguste Ohnet, likely the paternal uncle of the novelist Georges Ohnet (1848–1918), in which case he lived from 1808 to 1882.

Laid in: a chromolithographed broadside (39 x 29 cm) presenting a copy to the Empress ("Offert à S.M. l'Impératrice Eugénie par le personnel de l'imprimerie Danel à Lille").

First edition, illustrated in the text and with 7 plates out of text, including two heliogravure views, one black-and-white map, and 4 folding maps in colour.

Contemporary half green morocco binding, spine with five raised bands decorated with gilt fleurons, marbled paper boards ("cat's eye" pattern), marbled endpapers and pastedowns, speckled edges. A fine period binding.

A few minor spots, mostly on the endpapers; a handsome copy.

Rare first edition, printed in five-column format and illustrated with 27 color maps.

According to the CCF, only the BnF holds copies of this edition.

Some light foxing.

Publisher’s binding in green half cloth, plain flat spine in canvas, soft vellum frame on the upper cover, lower cover in full soft vellum, gilt title on upper board; damage to the lower right corner of the upper cover, restored binding.

Candido Mendes de Almeida (1818–1881), lawyer and politician, took a particular interest in matters of education.

First edition of this rare album illustrated with 15 outline-engraved plates, each protected by a tissue guard and accompanied by a leaf of descriptive text, including a reproduction of the author's portrait drawn by Ingres in Rome in 1818 (cf. Castiglione, p. 226. Only three copies listed in the CCF: BnF, INHA, Lyon).

Contemporary green half sheepskin binding with corners, spine with four raised bands framed by dotted rolls, gilt double fillets and floral tools, triple gilt fillet border on green paper-covered boards, gilt title to upper board, marbled endpapers, contemporary binding.

Some rubbing to spine, corners restored.

A handsome copy.

Author's copy with inkstamp to the title-page.

First edition, illustrated with 22 full-page plates under tissue guards depicting 75 pieces.

Contemporary burgundy half shagreen binding, spine slightly sunned with five raised bands framed by black fillets, showing minor rubbing, marbled paper-covered boards, a scuff along the right edge of the rear board, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, lower corners bumped.

Pleasantly fresh internal condition.

First illustrated edition, featuring 82 drawings by Tiret-Bognet and a color map of the Saint Lawrence River. Publisher's 1890 EX catalogue bound in at rear.
Binding with the two elephants, Lenègre type 3. Rear cover Lenègre type e.
Spine lightly faded, internally clean and well preserved.
In Famille sans nom, Verne recounts the story of a French-Canadian family during the Patriote Rebellion (1837–1838) against British injustice.

First edition, one of 35 copies printed on Japan paper, the deluxe issue, complete with the four states of the etchings (pure etching with remarque, with remarque, before letters, final state), see Vicaire, VII, 534.

(Vicaire mentions a blank leaf and a dedication leaf which appear to be missing here, although the copy is otherwise perfectly complete.)

Contemporary binding in half Empire green morocco, spine with five raised bands framed by black fillets, minor rubbing to the spine, spine and boards slightly faded, black fillet border on marbled paper boards, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt on witnesses, binding signed by Pétrus Ruban.

Excellent internal condition.

First edition in book form, illustrated with 5 color plans of Kyoto, Osaka, Yedo, Asaksa, Imato, and Yokohama, a map of Japan, two plates depicting examples of Japanese syllabaries (Katakana and Hiragana), and 476 wood-engraved illustrations within the text (see Cordier, Japonica, 670; Wenckstern I, 5; Nipponalia I, 2036).

Contemporary red half shagreen bindings, spines with five raised bands decorated with blind-ruled fillets and gilt compartments; joints slightly split then discreetly restored at head and tail; boards covered in grained cloth with blind-stamped borders; endpapers and pastedowns of white moiré silk with minor, marginal spotting; all edges gilt.

A handsome copy of one of the first major travel accounts of Japan published in French.

First edition, illustrated with four plates bound at the end of the volume, as well as figures and tables within the text.

Bound in contemporary half bottle-green shagreen, spine with five raised bands framed by gilt fillets, gilt library stamp at foot of spine, some rubbing to spine, marbled paper-covered boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, upper corners slightly bumped.

Charles Edouard Guillaume [1861–1938], Swiss physicist, was the inventor of “invar”, a metal notable for its negligible thermal expansion; developed with Benoit and Carpentier.

A very good copy.

First edition of the French translation, illustrated with a frontispiece engraved by Lechard after Gibert [Constantine], and a folding map bound at the end (cf. Tailliart 58. Palau 328 502).

A few minor spots of foxing.

Publisher’s binding in full red cloth, spine with black and gilt oriental-inspired decorations, blind-stamped frames on covers, red endpapers slightly faded at the margins, all edges gilt.

Only French edition, highly regarded, of this epistolary account of a journey undertaken in 1878 by the Russian geologist and naturalist Tchihatcheff (1808–1890), whose main interest lay in the natural sciences but who also addressed economic matters, a field dear to his correspondent.

The work is also of particular importance for the traveller’s thoughtful and well-informed observations on the details of French colonial administration in the region.

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, gilt top edges, original wrappers preserved.

The author of this text had no particular intention of reinforcing the authority of a location now regarded as such—if one may speak of a myth layered upon a myth. Trained as a chemist, Félix Bellamy (1828–1907) of Rennes eventually abandoned retorts to embrace the arcane.

A handsome copy, remarkably enriched.

First edition, profusely illustrated with in-text figures.

Contemporary red half shagreen binding, spine with five raised bands decorated with gilt fillets and triple gilt compartments, gilt initials at the foot of the spine, some rubbing to the bands, boards framed with blind-stamped fillets, marbled endpapers and pastedowns. A binding of the period.

A rare and appealing copy.

Album of 50 full-page plates signed by Lange, each with captioned tissue guards (cf. Polak 6415).

Publisher's binding in red half shagreen, spine with five raised bands decorated with gilt dotted rolls and black fillets, gilt naval anchors, gilt title and naval anchor on the upper cover in red cloth, marbled endpapers and pastedowns.

Some minor foxing, a few faded spots along the edges of the covers, a well-preserved copy overall.

A fine visual survey of the French navy at the end of the 19th century, featuring 44 warships and 6 merchant vessels (from the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, Messageries Maritimes, Chargeurs Réunis, Albert Méniér, and Ant. Dom Bordes).

Edition established, annotated, and commented by Le Roux de Lincy and Anatole de Montaiglon. Deluxe printing limited to 395 copies on deluxe paper, this one of 40 on Whatman paper (No. 301), including three suites of the engravings: one in black on Japan paper, one in bistre, and one in sanguine.

Illustrated with a portrait by T. de Mare, a frontispiece by Dunker, and 76 figures after Freudenberg engraved by De Longueil, Eichler, Le Roy, among others. Includes head- and tailpieces. One chromolithographed plate depicting the arms of Marguerite de Navarre. All engravings are presented in three states, except the chromolithograph.

Contemporary full citron morocco binding signed by Allo. Spine with five raised bands, richly tooled with Marguerite de Navarre’s cipher repeated twice and fleur-de-lys motifs, framed in gilt compartments with various decorative tools and fillets. Her coat of arms stamped at the center of both covers, triple gilt fillet border. Lavish gilt dentelle turn-ins. A thin scratch to the lower board of volume II and a small surface crack along the lower joint of the same volume. A very well-preserved copy with only occasional light foxing. Edges untrimmed, causing the engravings to be slightly shorter than the text block.

A magnificent set in a masterly period binding.

First edition, illustrated with 59 drawings by L. Bennet and P. Philippoteaux, 35 facsimiles of antique engravings, and 20 maps or plans. Double volume, AB catalogue for 1880.
Publisher's brick-red cloth binding known as "à La sphère ptolémaïque" (one of the most harmonious designs among Souze's publisher's bindings), bound by Engel. Specially designed cover plaque by Souze. Striking front board with bright gilt. Minor splits at headcaps and rubbed spine ends. Spine in very good condition, with well-preserved gilt lettering.
Rear board of type b, with a central rosette and darkened corner palmettes. Brown endpapers characteristic of the first edition. Foxing on the title page due to the tissue guard, otherwise scattered foxing.
A very attractive copy overall.

First edition, very rare, of this album illustrated with 12 lithographic plates by Émile Verdier after drawings by the author (1 frontispiece and 11 plates, including one large folding plate depicting Pointe-à-Pitre) (cf. Sabin 8949).

Text and illustrations by Armand Budan.

Contemporary binding in brown quarter cloth with corners, smooth spine with long chocolate shagreen title-piece, boards covered with marbled paper framed by blind fillets, blue endpapers and pastedowns, sprinkled edges, early 20th-century binding.

The plates depict: Palmiste River. Heights of Petit-Bourg; Forest interior. Road to the Soufrière; View of the Soufrière from Versailles; The Yellow Baths near the Soufrière; Basse-Terre. View from the Empress’s Battery; Vauchelet Waterfall. Near Camp-Jacob; The Saut de Constantin. Near Basse-Terre; View of the port and the town of Le Moule; The village of Anse Bertrand. Grande-Terre; The Cow Hole (Anse-Bertrand); General view of the Port and the town of Pointe-à-Pitre taken from Morne-à-Caille.

The painter Armand Budan was born in Guadeloupe in 1827 and died in 1874. He painted the frescoes in the chapel of Saint-Pierre & Saint-Paul in Pointe-à-Pitre, rebuilt after the 1843 earthquake, as well as the decorative paintings of the municipal theatre.

Regarded as one of the first photographers in the Antilles, Budan launched a subscription for the publication of La Guadeloupe pittoresque in November 1862.

A few minor foxing spots, not affecting the overall condition.

A handsome and very rare copy.

Rare first edition, complete with its 17 plates, including 2 maps, 2 colored facsimiles of Japanese view and plan (view of Yedo, plan of Nagasaki), and 13 colored facsimiles of natural history drawings. (See Cordier, Japonica, 549 and Sinica, 2128. Numa Broc, Asie, 89-90.)

Some minor foxing, a faint dampstain on the final leaves, small restorations to the verso of the facsimiles.

Contemporary half green shagreen, spine slightly faded, with raised bands framed by gilt fillets, double gilt compartments with decorative tools, boards framed with a blind-stamped fillet, marbled paper boards slightly soiled, combed endpapers and pastedowns, painted edges.

A career diplomat, Charles de Chassiron (1818–1871) was part of Baron Gros’s diplomatic mission to Japan in 1858. He boarded the corvette *Laplace* with the other members of the mission in Shanghai on September 6, 1858, arrived at Shimoda on the 14th at 10 a.m., left during the night of September 19, landed in Edo (Tokyo) on the 26th, stayed until October 12, and departed the country from Nagasaki on October 22.

Chassiron’s *Notes* are a nearly verbatim transcription of the journal he kept during his stay; the appendix contains the text of the Franco-Japanese treaty signed on October 9. His travel journal thus represents an important milestone in the history of Franco-Japanese relations. His entries concerning Edo are particularly valuable for their care, precision, and integrity. Throughout Chassiron’s text runs a tension between the anxious caution of a disoriented diplomat and the observations of a traveler fascinated by Japan’s social order and industrial arts. The French, more perplexed than the British before Japanese reality, nonetheless allowed themselves to be charmed by it, bringing back the image of a feudal Japan rooted in espionage, and that of an artistic Japan. (Cf. Numa Broc.)

Rare work illustrated with 199 in-text full-page costume plates, as stated in the table (not recorded by Colas. Hilaire p. 14).

Contemporary binding in red half shagreen, spine with four raised bands, triple panels ruled in blind and decorated with gilt central floral tools, some rubbing to the spine, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers, a few small tears to the edges; period binding.

Two leaves have been restored (pages 51 and 147), one marginal tear, otherwise clean and fresh throughout.

A sweeping illustrated survey of the peoples of the world, featuring a substantial section on Oceania.

Among others, it depicts Russians from the Tver region, inhabitants of Siberia, Native Americans, Eskimos, and natives of various Oceanic islands, with their hunting or war weapons, ritual objects, and, for some, their tattoos.

Notable illustrations include a striking plate of a Sandwich Islands warrior and one of a tattooed man from Noukahiwa.

Rare first French edition of the travel impressions of Prince Soltykoff, more an adaptation than a strict translation (cf. Vicaire, VII, 575. Schwab, 544. Only two copies listed in the CCF).

Illustrated with a two-tone lithographed frontispiece and 20 tinted lithographic plates by Trayer and Émile Beau after drawings by the author.

Contemporary green half-shagreen binding, flat spine decorated with double gilt fillets and broad blind-stamped fillets, dark green paper-covered boards, minor restorations and rubbing to head and foot of joints, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, period binding.

Some superficial wear and very faint foxing, otherwise a pleasant copy in contemporary binding.

Prince Alexei Soltykoff (1806–1859), a member of one of the most prominent Russian families, was sent on a diplomatic mission to Tehran in 1838 under the reign of Muhammad Shah. He spent nearly a year in Persia. Having no real calling for diplomacy, he abandoned the career soon after his return and settled in Paris to prepare for further travels in India.

A singular and even eccentric figure, Soltykoff had been fascinated with travel since childhood, and this mission provided him with his long-awaited opportunity to explore the Orient. Arriving via the Caucasus, he remained in Tehran until May 1839, which he observed and described extensively, particularly through the everyday lives of its inhabitants. The plates are of particular interest for their depiction of costumes (Saba, Bibliographie Française de l’Iran, p. 187 no. 211).

First edition. (See Perret 2404. Not listed in Sabin.)

A handsome copy.

Contemporary midnight blue half shagreen bindings, spines with four raised bands adorned with gilt dotted rules and triple gilt panels with decorative tools, minor rubbing to the tail of the spine of the first volume, blind-stamped borders on the boards covered in midnight blue paper, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, two corners slightly bumped, the others very lightly worn, all edges gilt.

The first volume includes 28 plates out of text (2 in colour), 1 leaf of legend, 4 double-page coloured maps; the second volume contains 14 plates out of text (1 in colour) and 4 double-page coloured maps.

Major study of the respiratory effects of natural depressions and elevations in atmospheric pressure. Chapter III explores the altitudes of South America, Chapter IV focuses on Mexico. A particularly significant chapter details the experiments conducted by the author with Paul Bert. Denis Jourdanet practised medicine in Central America, especially in Mexico, where he studied the medical implications of altitude. As early as 1861, he published the results of his initial observations. In the mid-19th century, early high-altitude mountain ascents and balloon ascents gave rise to the need for in-depth research into the physiological impact of altitude. Jourdanet and Paul Bert collaborated on this topic: thanks to Jourdanet’s generous support, Paul Bert was able to equip his Sorbonne laboratory with two large cylindrical chambers in which air pressure could be raised or lowered at will. For a time, the two scientists considered publishing their findings together, "mais la réflexion nous fit bientôt voir que l'exécution de ce projet serait impossible (…) Il n'en est pas moins vrai qu'il reste encore entre nous deux, sinon dans les opinions intimes, du moins dans l'ensemble de l'œuvre, comme une solidarité qui ne permet pas qu'on nous sépare d'une manière absolue" (Appendix, vol. II, p. 293). Jourdanet's work offers the medical perspective, grounded in "longue pratique médicale au milieu de conditions exceptionnelles de pressions barométriques", whereas Paul Bert would go on to publish the experimental results and consequences of extreme barometric pressures in "La pression barométrique. Recherches de physiologie expérimentale", 1878.

Rare first edition illustrated with 10 splendid full-page colour plates by John Gerrard Keulemans, lithographed, hand-coloured and gum-finished (cf. Not in Gay. Nissen, Illustrierten Vogelbücher, 74. Anker, Bird Books, p. 69. Unrecorded by Ronsil, Bibliographie ornithologique française. Zimmer, p. 39).

Contemporary half brown morocco over marbled boards, spine with five raised bands, slightly faded, gilt lettering with date and place at foot, corners in morocco, orange endpapers and pastedowns. Minor rubbing to spine.

"Portugal too, has contibuted to the knowledge of african avifauna, for instance in the work 'Ornithologie d'Angola' […] an important monograph on the birds inhabiting the Portuguese possessions of Central and West Africa" (Anker, p. 69).

José Vincente Barboza du Bocage (1823–1907), Portuguese politician and zoologist, served as director of the National Museum of Zoology in Lisbon. He was unrelated to the French geographers of the Barbier du Bocage family.

John Gerrard Keulemans (1842–1912) was "one of the greatest foreign wildlife artists, illustrator of many of the finest English works" (Ronsil, L'Art français dans le livre d'oiseaux).

The title page of the first instalment (1877) has been preserved and bound in before the final title page (1881).

Autograph dedication by José Vincente Barboza du Bocage on the title page: "British Ornithologists' Union hommage de l'auteur". Old pencil annotations to the list of plates. A handsome copy.

First complete edition of this major work in Africanist literature (cf. Bibliography of Côte d'Ivoire, 286. Not listed in Bruel, Bibliography of French Equatorial Africa. Lorentz, XIV, 215.)

This book contains an overall map, numerous detailed sketches, and one hundred and seventy-six wood engravings based on the drawings of Riou. Bindings in half cherry morocco with corners, spine with five raised bands decorated with cold-tooling, a small tear at the top of one joint, paper-covered boards, some light rubbing to the boards, endpapers and pastedowns made of marbled paper, corners slightly bumped, gilt edges, period bindings.

This exploration mission ordered by Faidherbe left Bamako in August 1887, passed through the states of Samory and Tiéba, then made a wide loop from Kong between the Comoé and Volta rivers, passing through the previously unexplored Mossi country. Returning to Kong in January 1889, Binger met Treich-Laplène there and together they made their way back to the coast (Grand-Bassam). Côte d'Ivoire would officially become a French colony on March 10, 1893.

Louis-Gustave Binger (1856-1936, incidentally the grandfather of Roland Barthes) would become its first governor; Grand-Bassam was chosen as the capital. He negotiated border treaties with the United Kingdom and later began a campaign against Samory Touré, the Guinean Malinke warrior chief, which lasted until 1898. At that time, he was in favor of modern colonization, and concluded his book with this note: 'We believe that direct state intervention will always be detrimental...'

A fine copy.

First edition, first issue, illustrated with 21 original etchings by Jules Lalauze. Printed in a limited edition following 220 copies on deluxe paper. One of 20 copies on Wattman paper, no. 40. Title pages printed in red and black. A fine impression. An exceptional copy with the engravings in four states (sometimes bound further within the volume), whereas even the copies on Japan paper contain only three states, two of which are proofs on Japan paper. Volume IV is unfortunately lacking in this set. Original wrappers and spines preserved.
Contemporary half orange morocco binding, signed by Canaps on the upper flyleaf. Spine with raised bands, tooled with four crosses composed of four tulips and circles in the corners. Gilt title, volume number and date. Double gilt fillets on covers. Untrimmed copy, with full margins, of pristine whiteness. Some traces of rubbing. Darker areas on certain boards.

A superb copy.

New edition, illustrated with drawings by de Neuville and Benett.
Publisher’s gilt-pictorial cloth binding known as “à un éléphant, titre dans l’éventail”, with Engel’s signature at the foot of the front cover plaque, spine featuring a lighthouse, rear cover of type “i” as defined by Jauzac, all edges gilt.
Headcaps very slightly compressed, faint trace of a removed label to the verso of the front board.
A handsome copy.
Le Tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours is an adventure novel. It tells the story of an English gentleman, Phileas Fogg, who wagers he can travel around the world_

First edition, one of 515 copies.

The set of 8 issues is housed under two half-oasis black folders, smooth spines, gilt dates at foot, decorative paper boards, lined in green paper, set signed by Atelier Laurenchet.
Minor lacks of paper and tears to some spines and boards, some spines with slight restorations. The eighth issue has marginally soiled boards and a detached engraving, occasional foxing mainly affecting the sixth issue, part of the first issue being almost detached, some rare lacks of paper in the margins due to its innate fragility.

Exceptional illuminated manuscript of 35 poems by Stéphane Mallarmé, probably copied by Joris-Karl Huysmans on watermarked Hollande laid paper, after pre-first editions of the poems published in journals. Most of the poems are preceded by a separate title-page noting the source from which it is taken.

The manuscript includes a fine charcoal portrait of Mallarmé as a frontispiece by Charles Tichon, after a photographic portrait by Van Bosch. The portrait was published in the Mallarmé issue of Empreintes (Bruxelles, L’Écran du Monde, n° 10-11). Another version was published in 1889 (Caprice Revue, 2e année, n° 60). 

 two floral compositions in gouache and watercolor illustrating the poems Les Fleurs and Apparition, as well the calligraphed author's name as a title-page. Although unsigned, the illutrations are attributed to Louise or Marie Danse.

Bradel binding, contemporary cream silk boards with floral motif, two embroidered green silk markers with floral motif, gilt semis patternerd flyleaves and pastedowns, slightly faded red edges. Dampstains on the lower part of the lower board, rubbed corners, a few silk threads loosened on the spine, rubbed boards. 

Outstanding manuscript of 35 poems by Stéphane Mallarmé, written shortly before the first collected edition of his poetry of which only 47 copies were ever printed (Poésies, photolithographed, Revue indépendante, 1887). This carefully calligraphed collection is attributed to the hand of writer Joris-Karl Huysmans, a great admirer of the poet who is said to have given the manuscripts to his friend Jules Destrée.

First printing of this edition illustrated with drawings by Delort engraved by Mongin. Small print run on vélin after 150 copies on deluxe paper. 14 plates on papier hollande. A frontispiece portrait. Preface by Judith Gautier.
Full bordeaux roan binding signed Bonleu (bottom of pastedown) with unidentified initials stamped in gilt, 2 interlaced English letters AC. Spine uniformly sunned, now light brown. Numerous gilt-tooled motifs on spine, ruled in gilt at head and foot of spine. Large inner dentelle numerously ruled and tooled in gilt. Traces of rubbing at heads of spine, joints and corners. Some scuffing along the joints. Some leaves protruding in volume II.
Handsome copy, very fresh with almost no foxing (except for 3 pages in volume 3 with small spots).

First edition illustrated with 2 frontispiece portraits and 100 hors-texte plates by Gustave Doré engraved by Bellanger, Pannemaker, Pisan...

Publisher's binding in full vermillion percaline cloth signed Magnier. Smooth spine decorated with 6 richly ornamented compartments. Large plate on the upper cover with a cross with pointed ends at center, 4 swords, 4 blazoned shields and 4 crescents in the corners. The second cover repeats the central part of the decoration of the first cover. Spine slightly sunned. Minor cuts at head and tail. Some foxing on otherwise white paper. Corners slightly turned.
Fine copy of this capital text, the fruit of 30 years of research, which profoundly renewed the vision of the Middle Ages and Middle East. Published in 1821, this new historical manner transformed narration with a concern for greater objectivity. Doré's penultimate work, "The artist's capacity to transform facts into myths, to transcend reality, finds in this work terrain as fertile as in Perrault's Tales or the Divine Comedy", Margot Renard, «The siege and assault in Joseph-François Michaud's History of the Crusades illustrated by Gustave Doré (1877)» In Michaud's text, Doré chooses emblematic episodes that nourish the text with his own dark and baroque, visionary and Christlike vision.

Edition illustrated by Julien Le Blant with 7 hors-texte etchings and a portrait of the author as frontispiece. Small print run on vellum. Fine engravings engraved by Champollion. Ornaments (initials, headpieces...) by Giacomelli.

Copy with the monogram G. A., unidentified. Interlaced English initials.

Contemporary full tender green morocco binding signed at bottom of front pastedown Bonleu. Smooth spine decorated with a fleuron at head and a special tool, the whole within elegant frames. Triple fillet frame on boards. Monogram at center of upper board. Wide inner decorative border. Top edge gilt. Light traces of rubbing. Spine having turned uniformly to light brown. Copy very fresh, except for 2 pages with scattered micro spotting.

Handsome copy.