Notre-Dame de Paris

Notre-Dame de Paris [The Hunchback of Notre Dame]

Eugène Renduel | Paris 1836 | 8vo (14 x 22.8 cm) | contemporary half sheep

The first, so-called Keepsake, illustrated edition, appeared a few months after this edition from the same publisher, in octavo format and is more rare (there is also an edition of 2 volumes dated 1836); with a title-frontispiece and 11 hors texte steel engravings on velin fort paper by Johannot, Boulanger, Raffet, Rogier & Rouargue engraved by Finden, Staines and so on. Clouzot (in his Guide du bibliophile français) points out that it is standard for this edition to be lacking the “De l'utilité des fenêtres” plate. It is nicely printed with finely spaced typography and broad margins, close to the first edition, which appeared in 1831. This edition in three volumes has more space between the lines than the one-volume edition and is therefore more readable.

Contemporary green half-sheep. Spine with reversed Restoration tools, roulettes to head. Gilt title in gothic letter. A little rubbing. Two tears to spine of volume 3. Scattered foxing, unevenly spread as always for this edition, sometimes insignificant, sometimes numerous and heavier.

A very good copy with nice decorative spines and good, wide margins.