First edition.
Contemporary red cloth Bradel binding by Pierson, spine with gilt floral motif, date and double gilt fillet to foot, black shagreen title label.
A little light spotting, principally affecting the first and final few leaves.
Ex libris of Adolphe Racot on inside upper cover.
Concerning Victor Hugo, Alfred de Musset, George Sand, François-René de Chateaubriand, Théophile Gautier, Alexandre Dumas fils, and so on…
Autograph inscription from Emile Zola to Adolphe Racot.
First edition, one of 7 numbered copies on Hollande paper, the only large paper copies, this one no. 1, specially printed for Jean Cocteau's mother.
Contemporary vellum Bradel binding by Dupré, gilt date to foot of spine, brown shagreen title label, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, covers and spine preserved. Light worming, principally affecting the margins of some leaves.
A moving and exceptional autograph inscription signed and dated by Jean Cocteau to his mother, in Latin, quoting a verse of Virgils Bucolics: “Incipe, parve puer : cui non risere parentes, nec deus hunc mensa, dea nec dignita cubili est. / Virgile. / Jean”, which in English is: “Realise this, child:
HUGO Victor
La Pitié suprême [The Supreme Compassion] Calmann Lévy, Paris 1879, 150 x 240 mm (5 15/16 x 9 7/16 ”), half shagreen
First edition.
Elegant half dark blue shagreen over marbled paper boards by René Aussourd, spine in four compartments with gilt dots and double gilt compartments containing horizontal arabesques and gilt stars, date and “ex. de J. Drouet” in gilt at foot, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, covers and spine preserved (marginal repairs to covers), top edge gilt, ex-libris of Pierre Duché on one endpaper.
An exceptional presentation copy, inscribed by Victor Hugo to Juliette Drouet, the love of his life: “The first copy
First edition, one of the review copies.
Spine slightly sunned, minor marginal spots on the front cover.
Precious autograph inscription signed by Maurice de Vlaminck to his Montmartre friend Pierre Mac Orlan: "... son vieux copain..."
First edition on ordinary paper.
Contemporary half cloth adorned with arabesques over marbled paper boards, spine with gilt fillets and olive-green shagreen title-piece (repair to edges), marbled pastedowns and endpapers, one lower corner rubbed.
Autograph inscription from Guy de Maupassant to monsieur Caron.
First edition, an advance (service de presse) copy.
Handsome, fine autograph inscription from Maurice Blanchot to Gaston Gallimard on ffep: "On ne s'arrête plus aux tables des heureux, puisqu'on est mort. (Charles Cros) / A Gaston Gallimard, ce livre destiné à écarter tout lecteur [One doesn’t stop any more at the table of the joyous, for one is dead. (Charles Cros) / To Gaston Gallimard, this book destined to drive away every reader]."
Two repaired tears to head of spine (slightly sunned), one tiny scratch to head of upper cover, paper yellowed at edges of some pages as usual, ffep repaired with small lack at foot.
First edition, an advance (service de presse) copy.
Handsome and attractive autograph inscription from Maurice Blanchot to Gaston Gallimard : "... ce livre qui lui doit deux fois l'existence. / Quand je contemplai ceci, je soupirai et dis en moi-même : certainement l'homme est un balai. Swift […this book that owes him its existence doubly./ When I think about that, I sigh and say to myself: man truly is foolish.” Swift]"
Repaired tear to head of spine (lightly sunned), paper yellowed at edges of some pages, as usual.
First edition, one of 90 numbered copies on Hollande paper, the tirage de tête.
Elegant half red morocco binding over marbled paper boards by P. Goy & C. Vilaine, spine in six compartments, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, covers and spine preserved, top edge gilt.
A very good, well-margined copy in a handsome binding.
First edition, an advance (service de presse) copy. A handsome and moving autograph inscription from Maurice Blanchot to his brother, sister-in-law and nephews: "Qui m'a tué ma mort, c'est là ce que je demande. H. von Kleist ["Who killed my death, that is what I ask here. H. von Kleist”].
Covers and spine lightly sunned at edges (but not seriously).
