Chants et chansons populaires de la France

First edition of this richly and exquisitely illustrated collection of songs. It comprises 122 songs (originally published in 84 installments), each accompanied by four fully engraved pages. Every song is preceded by a short introduction written by various authors, including the Bibliophile Jacob, and is followed by two pages of musical score. The volume also includes three frontispieces by Trimolet. The steel engravings are truly magnificent and rank among the finest produced in the 19th century. Illustrations by Daubigny, Trimolet, Meissonier...

Contemporary half black shagreen binding with corners. Spine with raised bands, compartments and gilt tooling. Triple gilt fillet along the edges of the covers. Occasional light foxing, otherwise a clean and fresh copy. Minor rubbing. A handsome copy.

The extremely rare wrappers—among the scarcest of the Romantic period—are present. In the first volume, instead of being green, the wrappers are blue, representing an initial trial in this color. All the covers were printed on chamois paper and include engravings within gilt chromolithographed borders.

Carteret, *Le Trésor du bibliophile romantique et moderne*: "Admirable publication, printed on thick vellum paper, one of the most beautiful of the 19th century, it is rightly held in high esteem and may be compared to the finest illustrated books of the 18th century."

The collection features the greatest classics of the French popular songbook: Ah vous dirai-je maman... J'ai du bon tabac... Cadet Rousselle, etc.