Book history, typography, printing, bookbinding, ex-libris, catalogs and essays on bibliophilia

First edition, describing 829 entries.

Contemporary half calf, spine with five raised bands showing traces of rubbing, brown calf lettering-piece, marbled paper boards, two small blue spots on the upper cover, wear to the edges, corners softened, red edges, early shelf label pasted at the head of a pastedown.

A few marginal spots, not affecting the text.

Born in Antwerp to a family of Spanish origin, Jean-François de Los Rios (1727–1820) practised as a bookseller in Paris (1745), then in Lyon (1760), where—despite opposition—he was entrusted with the conduct of public book auctions. He was the one who purchased the Jesuit college library after the suppression of the Order.

He left Lyon only in 1812 and died in Mechelen, nearly a centenarian.

First edition, quite rare, published anonymously.

Contemporary full brown calf binding. Spine with raised bands richly decorated. Red morocco title-label. Roulette on edges. One lack at head. Upper joint worn with small lacks. 2 corners bumped. Rather fresh copy.

First edition printed in 700 numbered copies, ours being one of the 50 non-commercial copies.

Publisher's binding in full blue cloth, smooth spines, copies complete with their illustrated dust jackets.

Rich iconography.

Beautiful copy in two volumes, complete with its soft cardboard case.

First edition of the second orientalist bibliography compiled by Henri Cordier (1849–1925), following his Sinica (1878–1895).

The first four volumes are bound in full red cloth, smooth spines (spine of the first volume slightly faded), marbled endpapers and pastedowns, modern bindings.

The fifth and final volume, published in 1932, is in original wrappers.

Copy from the library of the Indologist Émile Sénart (1847–1928), with his printed ownership stamps on the title pages of volumes three and four.

Rare complete set in five volumes.

First edition of this work written in collaboration with Christian Funck-Brentano and Marcel Bousser.

"L'Institut des hautes études marocaines a cru opportun de faire réunir en volume les tirages à part de la Bibliographie marocaine, publiée régulièrement dans la revue Hespéris."

The archivist Pierre Hellouin de Cénival (1888–1937) had served as curator of the Archives and Library of the French Protectorate in Morocco, based in Rabat, from 1918 to 1927.

Spine slightly faded with minor tears skillfully repaired at head and foot; clean and attractive interior.

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.

Rare first edition, printed in a very small number of copies, of this extract from the Revue maritime et coloniale (cf. Cordier, Indosinica, 2385).

Contemporary Bradel binding in full marbled paper-covered boards, flat spine with red morocco label lettered lengthwise; modern binding.

Scattered foxing, two dampstains to the lower right corners of some leaves.

Handsome Greek printing of the Psalter according to the Septuagint, followed by traditional Biblical hymnology and a weekly recitation guide.

Illustrated with a charming woodcut depicting David.

Contemporary black cloth-backed marbled boards, spine unlettered and slightly faded, blue endpapers and pastedowns.

Occasional foxing, otherwise clean and well-preserved throughout.

First edition, one of the rare numbered copies printed on red papier bouffant, the only deluxe issue alongside 5 copies on Hollande.

Covers slightly and marginally soiled, two initials in red ink in the upper left corner of the front cover.
Illustrated with a "portrait de crotte de bique et couillandouille par eux-mêmes" [portrait of goat-dropping and dick-and-drumstick by themselves.]

Very famous work from the Dadaist canon, written by Pansaers one year before his untimely death — the personal copy of painter Theo van Doesburg, with his autograph signature. In 1917, Doesburg had co-founded the renowned De Stijl neoplasticist movement with Piet Mondrian.

Doesbourg had joined the Dada movement in 1921, and also became one of its theorists. As Marguerite Tuijn notes, “Van Doesburg was deeply impressed by Pansaers. This artist was one of the few Belgian Dadaists, a mysterious figure and a quintessential poète maudit. In early 1920, he also arrived in Paris, where he created a small number of Dadaist works. Among others, he wrote *Le Pan-Pan au cul du nu nègre* (1919) and *Bar Nicanor* (1920). In April 1921, he left the Dada movement. He died at the end of October 1922.” (Theo van Doesburg. A New Expression of Life, Art and Technology, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, 26 February – 29 May 2016, p. 72).

One of the most desirable copies of this "PAN-DADA" masterpiece, in  Pansaers' own words.

First edition.

Bradel binding in full brown roan, flat spine gilt-tooled, covers  with Alfred Piat's gilt monogram in the corners, central gilt stamp of his ex-libris, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, top edge gilt. Contemporary binding for Alfred Piat. Rubbing to corners and lower spine-end, some foxing.

Illustrated with two portraits of Hugo as frontispieces.

The finest copy of this biography of Victor Hugo published during his lifetime, bearing the supralibros of the great bibliophile Alfred Piat.

Five compositions in Indian ink signed and dated 1923 by George Barbier on a leaf of thick paper. Traces of paper pasted down at the four corners on the back, a few very faint traces of previous pencil inscriptions on the front.

An exceptional ink drawing by the eminent fashion illustrator George Barbier for the “Elegances” section of the newspaper La Vie Parisienne, featuring four silhouettes at the height of 1920s fashion, with boyish haircuts, dressed in flowing, low-waisted tube dresses or wrapped in luxurious furs.

Third edition, the second issued by Simon de Colines (cf. Renouard, Bibliogr. de Finé, 357-358. Brun, 189. Mortimer, French, 228 (not this ed.). Schreiber, 188. Not in Fairfax Murray.)

This edition constitutes a revised and improved reissue of the 1535 edition, with a newly cut woodcut architectural border to the title ("Quadrivium II").

Full vellum binding, smooth spine, manuscript title at the head of the spine, modern binding in the style of early vellum bindings,

A small tear to the title-page restored, a date inscribed in ink beside the printed date of publication.

A pleasing copy of one of Simon de Colines’ typographical masterpieces.

First edition, no copy recorded in the CCF.

Modern bradel binding in full burgundy cloth, spine ruled in gilt.

First leaf restored to the right margin with an adhesive repair, some light foxing, dampstain to the upper margin of the opening leaves.

A native of the Briançonnais (Villeneuve-la-Salle), like many booksellers who settled beyond the Alps, Yves Gravier established himself in Genoa in the second half of the eighteenth century, first in partnership with Louis Fantin, and subsequently on his own.

His parents Jean, Thomas and Simon Gravier were likewise active in Italy (Thomas in Rome itself).

In 1839, the firm was placed into liquidation.

Bound in at the end are three further lists issued by the same bookseller:

I. Catalogue des livres de mathématique, marine, physique, minéralogie, et sciences, et arts qui en dépendent, etc., qui se trouvent chez Yves Gravier (..). S.l.n.d. [Genoa], 28 pp.

II. Catalogue des livres de jurisprudence, de droit public, et d'économie politique. S.l.n.d. [Genoa], 8 pp.

III. Médecine, chirurgie, botanique, physique et histoire naturelle. S.l.n.d. [Genoa], 8 pp.

First edition of each volume, one of 15 numbered copies on chine, deluxe issue after 2 copies on peau de vélin.

Contemporary half blue morocco over marbled boards with corners, spine in five raised bands ruled in gilt and tooled with double gilt compartments, date gilt at foot, covers framed with gilt fillets, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, ex-libris mounted on a pastedown, corners slightly rubbed, top edge gilt, signed contemporary binding.

A few minor spots of foxing, chiefly to the edges, a small nick to one band, light rubbing to the headcap.

First edition, printed in 300 copies on wove vellum.

Contemporary full caramel calf binding, smooth spine lavishly gilt with decorative tools, upper joint split at the head, upper cap shaved, brown morocco title label, gilt roll tooling to the caps, triple gilt fillet frame with gilt corner fleurons on the boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt roll tooling to the board edges, rubbed corners; binding of the period.

Bookseller’s description label pasted onto a flyleaf, a few pencil annotations in the margins of certain paragraphs, occasional foxing.

First edition describing 1,539 entries.

Bound in modern brown half shagreen over marbled paper boards, smooth spine lettered in blind, corners rubbed, bookplate pasted to the front pastedown; a modest modern binding.

Occasional light foxing.

Provenance: copy from the library of the Canadian bookseller G. S. Terence Cavanagh (1923–2005), also librarian of the Trent Collection, with his bookplate pasted to the front pastedown.

A very rare Brescia imprint, dedicated to Prince Eugène and celebrating Napoleon’s successes in the German campaign of 1805.

No copy recorded in the CCF.

A dampstain to the upper right corner of the leaves.

Contemporary cream paper-covered boards, smooth spine without lettering with tears,  boards soiled, title within a black frame on the upper board and address likewise on the lower board, tears with losses on the lower board, contemporary binding. 

However, dated 26 November of that year, it could not yet include the victory of Austerlitz. Niccolo Bettoni (1770-1842) was a prominent figure of Italian typography at the beginning of the nineteenth century, and was nicknamed the "Italian Didot" by his Parisian admirers: having developed a passion for the art following a meeting with Bodoni, he first acquired the Tipografia dipartimentale di Mella (in Brescia, which became the finest printing house in Lombardy), before opening four further workshops in Padua (1808-1819), in Alvisopoli (1810-1813) and finally in Milan and Portogruaro (1819-1832).

In 1835 he secretly departed for Paris, where he died, somewhat forgotten and pursued by his creditors.

Autograph note signed to his friend and publisher Felia Léal, concerning in particular a political meeting on the situation in Algeria; 17 lines in black ink on a small sheet.

A well-preserved example. A date pencilled in by Felia Léal: the day she received the autograph note (“Reçu le 21 juin 56”).

"Jeudi,

Bien chère amie. Vous devriez bien aller à cette conférence algérienne, qui vous donnerait d'excellentes idées, jeune perfide. Ci-joint les épreuves. Faut-il maintenir l'épigraphe ? Ce n'est pas très necéssaire. Il me semble aussi qu'en petites italiques ce serait mieux. Mais vous déciderez. Jean P. vous embrasse et à qui ne vous préférerait-il pas ? J'ajoute deux ligres et même, si vous le voulez, trois."

Autograph note signed by Jean Paulhan, 20 lines in black ink addressed to Felia Leal, publisher of "Paroles transparentes," a work by Jean Paulhan illustrated with 14 original lithographs by Georges Braque.

Paperclip marks to the upper left corner.

The note refers to a planned collaboration with Marc Chagall:
"Saturday,

Dear Felia
well, Chagall approves of the short summary. He even seems delighted with it. He says he has had many such ideas. But we are to discuss it in a few days, when he passes through Paris. (He is attending the Rembrandt anniversary celebrations, to which he has been invited by the Netherlands – something he appears quite proud of). Jean P. sends his love."

Autograph postcard signed by Jean Paulhan, 22 lines written in black ink addressed to Felia Leal the publisher of "Paroles transparentes", a work by Jean Paulhan decorated with 14 original lithographs by Georges Braque.
Central fold mark on the card which represents the painting by Georges Braque entitled: Cliffs and Boat.
Jean Paulhan asks for news of his correspondent: "Are you completely cured? What if it were me instead who came to your place?" and is amazed by the smallness of Parisian taxis: "These taxis for dwarf people are dreadful..."
From the narrowness of taxis, Jean Paulhan shifts to Gallimard's editorial timidity: "Imagine that G.G. keeps neither Blanchot, nor Noël Devaulx, nor... nor... [...] Basically G.G. is becoming Hachette and all the experience of the (young) nrf has to start over."

One of 100 copies of the magazine printed on China paper for issues 1 to 11. The specimen issue and no. 12 are on laid paper. Our copy is complete with the spine and covers of the general binding, and the twelve illustrated covers.
First edition of the complete collection of L'image, published between 1896 and 1897.
All issues of the magazine are bound together under a half sheep binding with corners, spine with five raised bands titled in gilt, marbled paper boards. Some rubbing.
Scattered foxing and marginal tears.
Complete copy of this magazine founded by the young French corporation of wood engravers, and published by the publisher of Toulouse-Lautrec's lithographs (Au pied du Sinaï, Histoires naturelles, Café-Concert).

New edition. Frontispiece portrait of Baillet engraved by Edelinck. Title pages printed in red and black.
Contemporary full marbled brown calf. Spine with raised bands adorned with four gilt-stamped sunflower motifs in panel compartments. Red morocco title label, tan morocco volume label. The volume label for volume II is missing, but the impressed characters remain legible. Scuffing and scratches to several covers, notably volume I. Worming in volume I, affecting preliminary leaves 1 to lxiii, from the inner margin toward the text with some loss of letters, and a wormhole running through. One gallery to the lower board of volume I. In volume III, two wormholes from the beginning to p. 180, then a diminishing gallery up to p. 267. A clean and well-preserved set overall, though the paper in volume II is slightly toned.

First edition of this exhibition catalogue held at 32, place Saint Georges in November–December 1903.
Bound in contemporary chocolate brown morocco-backed marbled boards, spine plain, corners in matching morocco, marbled endpapers, gilt top edge, original wrappers and spine preserved; signed binding by Lortic.
Pasted on the rear pastedown is the invitation card to the exhibition, illustrated by Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen.
Preface by Anatole France.
A handsome copy finely bound by Lortic, son of Charles Baudelaire’s bookbinder.