Remarkable autograph letter signed by Antoine Blondin, addressed to Roger Nimier at his Paris office at the N.R.F., in which he recounts—perhaps not entirely sober—his misadventures in “marital” cohabitation with a seminarian named Prébende Alexis.
29 lines on a folded sheet.
Envelope included.
Published in À mes prochains: lettres, 1943-1984, ed. Alain Cresciucci, 2009, p. 110.
In a highly humorous and irreverent tone, Antoine Blondin writes to his “dear friend” a list of edifying events from his Mayenne existence, enumerated, as “I believe the time has come to enlighten you about certain things that have happened to me.”
First edition, rare copy with no statement of print.
Full blue morocco binding, spine with raised bands in the Jansenist style, endpapers and pastedowns of combed marbled paper, gilt dentelle framing the pastedowns, double gilt fillets and gilt tooling to headcaps and board edges, top edge gilt with untrimmed margins preserved, original front wrapper bound in, binding signed by Marius Michel. Monogrammed bookplate mounted on the verso of the first endpaper.
This copy is enriched with four hors-texte plates by Louis Boulanger and Alfred Johannot.
Signed autograph inscription by Victor Hugo on the half-title: « À Monsieur Ch[arles] Mévil son bien cordialeme
First edition, one of the 25 numbered copies on vergé de Holland paper, the "tirage de tête" (first deluxe copies).
Very nice copy.
First edition illustrated with wood engravings in text by Gavarni, Daumier, D'Aubigny... The second volume published in 1843 contains texts by Balzac, Alexandre Dumas, Soulié, Edouard Ourliac, Eugène de Mirecourt... 29 illustrations by Daumier signed in volume 1, 10 in volume 2. 17 plates in the second volume.
Contemporary half dark green sheep binding. Smooth spine decorated with series of fillets. Blue cloth boards. Boards rubbed, corners slightly bumped. Scattered foxing.
Rare publication on the Paris of Louis-Philippe. The work proceeds by subject and articles: The wet nurses' bureau, flower sellers, baths, street lamps, sidewalks, theatre exits, beards and mous
Privately printed first edition, limited to 200 numbered copies.
Illustrated with 6 photographs.
A rare and appealing copy of this work entirely produced by the students of the prestigious École Estienne.
