Le roman de la momie

First edition. Bibliothèque des chemins de fer. Quite rare. The novel had previously appeared as a serial in the Moniteur universel from March to May 1857.
Half brown morocco binding with corners signed Vermorel on the first endleaf, circa 1890. Original wrappers preserved. Top edge gilt. Spine slightly faded. Light rubbing. Blue stamp on title page: Ministère de l'intérieur. Colportage. Handsome copy, uncut and entirely free of foxing.
In a tomb in the Valley of the Kings, a young English lord and an archaeologist discover the mummy of a young girl of striking beauty. Near her, a papyrus tells her story... Gautier created, for the purposes of his novel, a new literary genre, the archaeological novel where the precision of descriptions takes the reader directly into ancient Egypt. This romantic vision would enjoy a brilliant future in cinema.