Michel Strogoff. De Moscou à Irkoutsk, suivi de un drame au Mexique

New illustrated edition with numerous drawings by J. Ferat, as with other editions, and 8 polychrome plates. The first "Au portrait collé" publisher's boards from 1892 do not contain these chromotypographies. Catalogue D in fine.
Publisher's boards known as "Au portrait collé" signed Lenègre relieur. Second board of Lenègre type e. The particularity of this binding is that it is actually the portrait binding for L'île à helice whose red title cartouches on the first board and spine have been masked by new labels, as can be noticed by running one's finger over the cartouches where one feels a thickness. This type of alteration has been observed on other titles. The depletion of stock while the new chosen bindings would be those "Au globe doré" surely led to these small modifications, very rare and curious for the collector.
Beautiful first plate with fine gilt on red ground. Corners very lightly rubbed, quite rigid. Head slightly rubbed with a micro cut. A 0.5cm split at the lower joint at tail. Spine with a whitish stain above the medallion. Copy slightly warped. Some scattered foxing.
Handsome copy overall.
One of the author's most famous adventure novels in which Michel Strogoff, courier of the Tsar of Russia, from Moscow to Irkutsk (capital of eastern Siberia), must warn the Tsar's brother of the arrival of the Tartar hordes who have decided to invade Siberia.