First edition of Les Hommes d'aujo­urd'hui (33 issues lacking out of 469). Five volumes bound in light blue half-cloth, smooth spines, blue morocco ti­tle labels decorated with double filets, marbled paper boards (4 volumes). The color title pages have been preserved and bound in. Marginal tears without damage to the text (no. 163; no. 165; no. 184, p. 2). Mar­ginal restorations without damage to text on 8 leaves be­tween nos. 214 and 223. Two leaves of no. 224 backed. Mar­ginal tear with some paper missing (no. 345, p.1). Format of quires in the first vol­ume varies; some are trimmed more than others.
First edition of Les Femmes du jour, very rare complete collection in 11 issues published between 1886 and 1892 (the last very rare Réjane issue appeared in 1892, six years after the other 10). Bound in half red cloth, smooth spine, mid­night-blue morocco title labels framed in gilt, gilt title length­wise, marbled paper boards.

An impressive gal­lery of prominent 19th century women and men carica­tured and described by the foremost avant-garde artists and writers of the time.

Created by writer Félicien Champsaur and illustrator André Gill in 1878, this exceptional literary and satirical review was later directed by Léon Vanier – the publisher of the Parnassiens poets – from 1885 to 1899.
Each issue is a portrait of a contem­porary figure in the world of arts and letters, politics, science, or technology.
The full set includes 469 monographs written by some of the most provoca­tive voices of the time: Jules Laforgue, Gustave Kahn, Joris-Karl Huysmans, Jean Moréas, Félix Fénéon. The only contributor Vanier ever paid for those written portraits was Paul Verlaine, fa­mously always short of money.
Each issue includes on the front page a large and fine color lithographed cari­cature by artists such as Manuel Luque, André Gill and Félix Régamey, but also world-renowned painters: Tou­louse-Lautrec, Steinlen, Pissarro, Seur­at, Signac, to name a few.
The actress Sarah Bernhardt was so famous, she appeared both in the men-issue (Hommes d'aujourd'hui) as well as one of the very rare women-is­sues (Femmes du jour)!
The literary issues cover every school and movement of the second half of the 19th century, including Buveurs d'eau, Vilains bonshommes, Hydropathes, Parnassiens, Naturalists, Decadents, Symbolists and Incohérents. There is also a number of avant-garde paint­ers belonging to the Pont Aven school (Schuffenecker, Pissarro, Emile Ber­nard, Maximilien Luce), the circle of the Montmartre Affichistes (Chéret, Willette, Caran d'Ache, Georges Auriol, Job, Steinlen), as well as Post-Impres­sionnists (Cézanne, Toulouse-Lautrec, Anquetin), Pointillists (Signac, Seurat), and Symbolists (Redon). Musicians are also featured, with fine portraits of Gounot, Massenet, Verdi, Ca­mille Saint-Saëns, Rubinstein and Reyer.
An exceptional and rare set bearing witness to the free spirit of 19th century French intellectuals and artists.