20th century art books by great masters of modern art: Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Dufy...

A collection of twelve issues of L'Amour de l'art for the year 1931, bound together in one volume, richly illustrated.

Half shagreen brown binding with corners, marbled paper boards, spine with four raised bands, gilt-lettered title and date on spine, marbled paper endpapers, gilt top edge, original Art Deco wrappers preserved. A few minor rubs and spots of soiling to the binding, some leaves lightly browned at the margins, otherwise a fine copy.

Contributions by Elie Faure, René Huyghe, Claude Roger-Marx, Germain Bazin, Jean Cassou, Paul Fierens, Raymond Cogniat, Charles Léger, Pierre Prat, Charles Sterling, Tristan Klingsor, Raymond...

First edition, with no deluxe copies issued, of this children’s book designed in the form of a tourist postcard from the Baladar Islands to be sent to friends.

Publisher’s pictorial boards.
Illustrated with drawings by André François.

Inevitable rubbing to the spine, owing to Jacques Prévert’s practice of sending inscribed copies of this work through the post; a small dampstain to the right-hand margin of a few leaves.

Signed and dated presentation inscription in felt-tip pen by Jacques Prévert: "Vive l'amitié Jacques Prévert Paris de printemps 1958" enhanced with an original drawing in green, yellow and red coloured pencil depicting a flower accompanied by...

A substantially posthumous publication, prepared by Ayres de Sá from the notes and papers of the second Viscount of Santarém (1791–1856), who, in addition to his diplomatic and political roles amid the turbulent struggle between Marianist and Miguelist factions in Portugal, was the first historian to develop the study of cartography in a methodical manner.

The work is illustrated with 97 plates in the first volume and 40 plates in the second.

Cherry half-shagreen bindings with corners, spines with five raised bands framed by black fillets and showing some rubbing, marbled paper sides, a scratch to the left margin of the upper cover of the first volume, endpapers and pastedowns...

Edition illustrated with 36 watercolours by Pierre Laprade, one of 30 hors commerce copies printed on Arches laid paper and issued in special wrappers for the 30 private subscribers to all of Paul Valéry's works.

A fine copy.

Precious signed presentation copy from Paul Valéry to his friend, the bookseller, publisher and bibliophile Ronald Davis : "Exemplaire de Ronald Davis, the only man in the world who possesses all that has published. Paul Valéry."

Edition illustrated with 159 original illustrations by Louis Jou, printed in a single issue of 135 named and numbered copies on Rives laid paper.
A shadow from newspaper clippings to the left margin of the front free endpaper.

Fine copy housed in a brown full-board chemise and slipcase.

First edition, one of 50 numbered copies on Marais Crèvecoeur paper, issued as part of the publisher’s deluxe limitation.

Spine and boards faintly sunned and toned as usual, with a small spot to the lower outer corner of the front board.

As stated in the limitation, this copy includes its original etching by Jacques Villon, signed in the plate.

First edition of the catalogue published for the exhibition of works by Max Ernst, held from 15 November to the end of December 1961.

A fine copy.

Illustrated, with a foreword by Alain Bosquet.

Signed autograph inscription by Max Ernst to Madame de Harting.

Complete first edition, in eleven bound volumes (ten text volumes and one atlas) of Auguste Pavie’s monumental work on former French Indochina, enriched with an autograph inscription signed by the author and accompanied by the large map of the Mission.

Published in Paris by Ernest Leroux, with the assistance of Augustin Challamel for the Atlas, between 1898 and 1919, the work appeared under the auspices of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Colonies, Public Instruction, and Fine Arts.

The set comprises the section Géographie et voyages, volumes I to VII, published between 1901 and 1919, illustrated with 52 maps and portraits hors texte...

First French edition, illustrated by Arthur Rackham with 40 mounted colour plates on thick brown paper, each protected by a captioned tissue guard, along with 30 black-and-white line drawings within the text, one of the extremely rare 30 copies printed on japon, signed by Arthur Rackham on the limitation page; the deluxe issue.

Publisher’s Bradel binding in full vellum-style boards, smooth gilt-titled spine, upper board gilt-stamped with title and a tree design, top edge gilt; the silk tie on the lower board is lacking.

...

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, signed by Arthur Rackham on the limitation page, deluxe issue.

Publisher’s full vellum binding, flat 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...

First edition, complete in 23 instalments, of the second series of this magic periodical (cf. Fechner, p. 503).

Text in two columns; each instalment, richly illustrated, comprises between 12 and 16 pages (20 for the final one).

Contemporary half-sheep bindings: the first volume in brown, the second in tan, the spines with four raised bands tooled with gilt ornaments, moiré-patterned paper sides, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, sprinkled edges; one original wrapper preserved. Bindings from the period, though mismatched in tone between the two volumes.

Complete collection of the second series of this Swiss periodical, whose first publication appeared in 1941–42 as the...

Illustrated edition with 13 colour plates on brown paper by Arthur Rackham tipped in with captioned tissue guards, together with 14 black-and-white illustrations in the text by Rackham, including a frontispiece portrait of Alice, one of the very rare 20 copies on japon, signed by Arthur Rackham on the limitation page, copy from the deluxe issue. A few name copies on the same paper were also issued.

Publisher’s full vellum binding, flat spine lettered in gilt with a gilt illustration of the Cheshire Cat, upper cover stamped in gilt with the title and an illustration of two fantastic...

Illustrated edition with 24 colour plates by Arthur Rackham tipped in with captioned tissue guards, 8 full-page black-and-white illustrations, together with numerous ornaments and vignettes in the text by Arthur Rackham, one of 300 copies printed on vélin à la forme, signed by Arthur Rackham on the limitation page.
Publisher’s Bradel binding in full bright white vellum, smooth spine lettered in gilt, upper cover gilt-stamped with the title and a design of fantastic animals within a vertical gilt rule, illustrated endpapers and pastedowns, top edge gilt, untrimmed edges preserved. 
A very well-preserved copy of Milton's baroque and Dionysian...

First French edition of the 50 colour plates by Arthur Rackham, tipped in with captioned tissue guards, a black vignette on the title page, and a further black vignette hors texte by Arthur Rackham, one of 200 copies on Whatman paper.
Publisher’s full vellum, smooth spine gilt-lettered, upper cover gilt-stamped with the title and a gilt illustration of Rip Van Winkle, illustrated endpapers, top edge gilt, uncut, original silk ties preserved. Occasional light foxing.

A splendid copy, remarkably fresh, of Washington Irving’s fantastical tale profusely illustrated by Arthur Rackham.

New edition, illustrated with drawings by Ferat, engraved by Brabant and with 6 full-color hors-texte plates, and 2 maps. A portrait of Jules Verne as frontispiece.
Publisher's binding "with an elephant, title in the fan" signed at bottom of the plate Engel, spine with lighthouse, second cover of type "i" according to Jauzac.
Superb first cover, with gleaming gilt. Spine very fresh but lighthouse vignette slightly soiled. Corners very straight and sharp. Second cover very good, but a small white mark of one cm along a black fillet. Some foxing on an otherwise fresh set. Internal hinge slightly opened 5 cm at top, without mechanical problem or fragility.

Very handsome copy...

First edition, one of 42 numbered copies on Japon paper, the leading copies after 8 hors commerce on Chine paper.
Elegant Bradel binding in half black calf over floral paper boards by P. Goy & C. Vilaine, covers preserved (lightly soiled at edges), top edge gilt.
With a frontispiece portrait of the author on Chine paper by Jean-Louis Forain.
One tiny foxing as well as a small, clear marginal dampstain touching frontispiece.
A very good copy nicely bound.

Illustrated edition, limited to 68 copies. The illustrations comprise a title-frontispiece, 28 colored vignettes in the text and numerous colored wood-engraved tailpieces by Daragnès after pastels by Anna de Noailles, accompanied by the complete suite of thirty progressive states of a single plate, showing the color breakdown. 

Bound in full lemon morocco, mosaic boards composed of a border of brown morocco fillets in the form of stylized hearts, surrounding two concentric undulating gilt fillet frames, with hearts in brown and teal morocco fillets at the center of the boards, smooth spine with mosaic of...

First edition.

Illustrated with 16 drawings by Georges Adam.

A superb copy of this rare booklet by Louis Aragon, a true "anti-clerical, anti-capitalist, anti-colonialist, anti-patriotic" (Pierre Juquin) catechism for the children of the exploited working masses.

"On June 25, 1932, the Imprimerie centrale completed printing for the Bureau des éditions et de diffusion, 132, Faubourg Saint-Denis, Paris, a beautiful pamphlet, now a bibliophilic rarity [...] On the cover, a large red star - an important and recurrent image in Aragon's work - appears imprinted on children's brains. Sixteen quatrains, droll and didactic, punctuated for ease of...

First edition, with a frontispiece photograph depicting Gustave Eiffel in his laboratory, and 28 plates outside the text, some folding (an additional copy of plate 26 is included).

Publisher’s binding in white cloth-backed boards with corners, flat spine showing some soiling and small tears at head and foot, printed paper label mounted on spine, printed title on upper board, corners slightly rubbed.

Pleasant internal condition.

A light water stain in the left margin of the frontispiece and at the foot of the lower cover, some soiling to the bottom of the upper cover, and a few pencil annotations in the margins.

The author presents the results of experiments...

Edition adorned with 65 original pochoir coloured illustrations by George Barbier, one of 877 numbered copies on Rives.
Bound in half navy blue morocco, spine in four compartments, gilt date at the foot, marbled paper boards, iridescent effect paper endpapers, wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, binding signed Semet & Plumelle.
Pleasant, attractively set copy.

First edition, one of 25 copies on handmade laid paper, numbered and justified by the publisher, the only deluxe issue.
 
Bradel binding in half chocolate-brown morocco with corners, smooth spine, gilt date at foot, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, illustrated wrappers by Manuel Orazi and backstrip preserved.
Work illustrated with 136 black and colour drawings, in- and out-of-text, by Georges Bottini.
 
Bookplate mounted.
 
Our copy is enriched with a full-page original drawing, signed by Georges Bottini and heightened in black ink, depicting Jacques Beaudarmon wearing a bowler hat and conversing with the « môme...

Edition illustrated with 16 original watercolours by Auguste Leroux, engraved on copper by Delzers and Feltesse, one of 90 numbered copies on Imperial Japan paper.
Bound in navy blue half morocco with corners, spine with four raised bands decorated with gilt pointillé and triple gilt panels with typographic motifs, gilt date at foot, gilt fillet borders on marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved, gilt edges, contemporary binding signed by Bernasconi. 
As stated in the justification of the print run for the copies on Imperial Japan paper, our copy is complete with its two suites: one in colour with remarques and the other in...

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"...

First edition, illustrated with 67 full-page color plates, as well as 2 maps and a full-page sketch.

A rare and significant work.

Small loss to the foot of the spine on the first volume, spines lightly marked and cracked in places; otherwise a pleasing complete set in 4 volumes.

First edition (the work was reissued several times up to 1954), illustrated with a double map as frontispiece and numerous black-and-white in-text illustrations (cf. Hage Chahine 1925).

Contemporary binding in black half shagreen with corners, spine with five raised bands decorated with gilt floral motifs, gilt fillet framing on marbled paper boards, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, all edges gilt, original illustrated wrappers preserved in color.

The title is somewhat misleading: the book is not a history of the cult of the Virgin Mary in Lebanon, but rather a richly illustrated travelogue across the country from one sanctuary to the next, featuring nearly 660...

Illustrated edition with 10 drawings, decorative headers and ornaments by Frans Masereel, one of 60 numbered copies on Lafuma paper.
Minor losses and small tears without loss to the head and tail of the upper cover, stains to the rear endpaper.

First edition, one of 800 numbered copies on Montgolfier paper.

Illustrated with two original hors-texte drypoints and in-text drawings by Jean Lurçat.

Spine and covers slightly and marginally faded, as usual; a well-preserved copy overall.

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.

Illustrated edition featuring color compositions by Léon Lebègue, as well as a black-and-white frontispiece, one of the numbered copies printed on tinted Arches wove paper.
Bradel binding in red half morocco, smooth spine, black fillet framing on the gilt-effect paper-covered boards, endpapers and pastedowns of matching paper, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, a refined period binding signed A. Lavaux.

A handsome copy in an attractive binding.

First edition, illustrated with drawings by the author.

Minor foxing to the upper cover, slight creasing to the upper outer corners of the final leaves.

A survey of various aerial navigation devices, their construction, the history of aviation, microlights, gliders, flying bicycles, and toy airplanes.

A rare work by Henry de Graffigny, who inspired the character of Roger-Marin Courtial des Pereires—an eccentric genius inventor—in *Mort à Crédit* by Louis-Ferdinand Céline.

First edition, with no deluxe copies printed.
Publisher's full illustrated boards.
Illustrated with drawings by André François.
Joints slightly rubbed and darkened at head and foot, as often; discreet blue ballpoint pen note at the top of the lower cover; a pleasant copy.

First edition, illustrated with a frontispiece, 6 folding maps, 24 plates out of text, and 95 in-text reproductions.

Bradel binding in full blue cloth, cherry shagreen title label, original wrappers and spine preserved.

The botanist and biologist Auguste Chevalier (1873–1956) undertook numerous expeditions to Africa, Asia, and South America after earning his doctorate in 1901.

A handsome copy.

Inscribed and signed by Auguste-Jean-Baptiste Chevalier to Madame P. Lemoine at the head of the title page.

First edition, published in Paris in 1933 by Jules Meynial under the direction of Jacques de Brunhoff. Limited to 500 numbered copies on Arches paper. Illustrated with 48 drawings in black in the text and 32 hors-texte plates after Alexandre Iacovleff, printed in bistre and black.

Original printed wrappers with flaps. Small losses at head and foot of spine, with a restored tear at head; small tears and stains to the lower wrapper. Final endpaper lightly shadowed in places, with a few marginal spots of foxing. An attractive copy.

By the time...

New edition, the most comprehensive to date, illustrated with 300 engravings, several maps, and followed by 18 appendices (cf. Cordier, Japonica, 694).

The original edition was published in 1899.

Contemporary half havana sheep binding, corners tipped with the same, smooth spine sunned and rubbed, decorated with blind fillets and floral tools, blind-tooled garland framing the bordeaux cloth boards, black paper endpapers and pastedowns, marbled edges.

Some minor foxing mainly affecting the endpapers, otherwise a clean and well-preserved copy.

Our copy lacks the atlas of 11 maps, which was not ready in time for printing, as stated on a slip mounted on the first...

First edition, one of 15 copies printed on japon impérial, most limited deluxe issue.

Bradel binding with grey box spine, front board in plexiglass revealing the original cover, back board in grey box, original wrappers and spine preserved, housed in a soft grey paper chemise lined with light grey felt; unsigned binding by Mercher.

Illustrated with three original lithographs, including the original colour illustration on the cover.

Discreet repairs to...

Rare first edition of this highly practical manual intended for sanitary inspection, each of the 90 plates featuring detailed explanatory text alongside corresponding illustrations.

The foreword is missing from our copy.

Publisher's binding in grey cloth-backed boards, plain spine showing some rubbing, illustrated upper cover, light dampstain to lower right corner of the upper board, minor rubbing to the lower cover.

Eugène Aureggio (1844–1924), a military veterinarian trained at Alfort, was then in charge of inspecting butcher’s meat.

First edition (a reprint was issued in 1963) of one of the two major works by Marcel Sarrazin, known as Vassal, now considered one of the leading French-speaking 'mentalists'—a modern term borrowed from English (cf. Fechner, p. 554). Only 2 copies listed in the CCF (BnF and Sainte-Geneviève).

Small stains to the lower right corner of the title page, otherwise a well-preserved copy.

Contemporary half tawny sheep binding, spine with four raised bands and gilt fleurons, minor rubbing to spine, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original front wrapper preserved, sprinkled edges, very slight rubbing to corners.

Illustrated with in-text figures after...

Deluxe issue, enhanced by a remarkable original drawing presented to Léon Werth.

First edition under this title with illustrations by Saint-Exupéry, one of 20 numbered copies on Madagascar paper, a deluxe issue. Published just days after the original edition without illustrations, issued by Gallimard (Lettres de jeunesse 1923–1931).

The work features 10 colour illustrations by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, as well as a cover vignette after a drawing by the author.

This copy is further enhanced by an exceptional blue and red pencil drawing by Saint-Exupéry on watermarked paper, inscribed in pencil on the verso: “Given to Léon Werth...

First edition, printed in 105 copies on Rives wove paper, this copy being one of the 60 with an original etching signed in pencil by Annie Proszynska.

Colophon signed in pencil by both Guy Rohou and Annie Proszynska.

Illustrated with 15 original etchings by Annie Proszynska, including a frontispiece, a full-page plate, a double-page plate, and 12 in-text illustrations.

A fine copy, complete with its original Siena moiré cloth chemise and slipcase.

First deluxe large octavo edition illustrated by George Roux.
Publisher’s pictorial binding by Hetzel signed Engel, known as "type 4 globe" design, with "lighthouse" spine and lower cover of Engel "i" type as per Jauzac, all edges gilt.
Original blue endpapers marginally faded, as usual; headcaps very slightly compressed; some foxing at the beginning and end of the volume.
Sequel to Robur le conquérant, Maître du monde recounts Robur’s return to civilization aboard an amphibious vehicle.
Un drame en Livonie is a detective novel centred on the story of an innocent man accused of a murder he did not commit in Livonia.

Illustrated edition comprising 68 illustrations by George Roux, including 20 large plates in chromotypography and a map.
Y catalogue at rear.
Publisher’s binding by Hetzel signed Engel, known as “au globe”, type 4, spine with lighthouse motif, lower cover type Engel “i” as per Jauzac, all edges gilt.
Headcaps slightly pushed and frayed, some foxing, offsetting from adhesive paper to the head and tail of the blue endpapers.
Le Sphinx des glaces is a fantastical novel intended as a sequel to Edgar Poe’s The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, to which it is dedicated.
Copy not recorded by Jauzac.

New edition and first printing of the su­perb illustrations by Pierre Bonnard, one of 20 numbered copies on japon, the only deluxe paper issue.
Half blue percaline bradel binding with corners, smooth spine adorned with a central gilt fleuron and double gilt fillet at the foot, chocolate brown shagreen ti­tle label with minor scuffing, french curl on Turkish patterned paper boards, cov­ers and spine preserved, contemporary binding signed Carayon. Spine slightly browned, corners slightly dulled.
Our copy is housed under a half moroc­co chemise with five raised bands, “ill. de P. Bonnard” stamped in gilt at foot of spine, boards of tiger patterned paper, and a slipcase bordered with...

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.