First edition with a frontispiece by Félicien Rops. Original wrappers preserved. Posthumous edition. Mallarmé and Huysmans, executors of Villiers's estate, undertook to establish this edition with Léon Dierx, for the benefit of the writer's widow and their son Victor. Complete with the 2 leaves of the publisher's catalogue.
Publisher's inscription on the half-title: "A Eugène Marchal, en souvenir de notre bonne camaraderie. L'éditeur..." ["To Eugène Marchal, in memory of our good friendship. The publisher..."] (illegible signature, probably Léon Dierx).
Contemporary Bradel binding in half wine-red morocco. Smooth spine decorated with mirror tools. Gilt title. Top edge gilt. Spine uniformly faded. One corner slightly bumped.
Fantaisies, Pamphlet et souvenirs.
First collected edition, partly original, by far the most important and most sought-after (cf. Clouzot), with Chateaubriand having revised and reworked a large part of his writings.
This set also contains in first edition several texts including Les Natchez, Le Dernier Abencérage, Le Voyage en Amérique, and Moïse (placed at the end of vol. XXII and often lacking).
Each volume illustrated with a frontispiece by Charles Thompson.
Bound in contemporary navy blue half shagreen, spines with five raised bands, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns. A few spots of foxing.
Together with these collected works, uniformly bound: a volume entitled Œuvres diverses (collecting several political pamphlets in first edition); Le Congrès de Vérone (2 vols., Delloye, 1838); Essai sur la littérature anglaise and Milton’s Paradise Lost (both Gosselin, 1839).
In the volume Œuvres diverses, important presentation inscription signed by François-René de Chateaubriand to Monsieur (Henri) Bayart on the half-title of La nouvelle proposition relative au bannissement de Charles X et de sa famille.
This inscription, dating from the writer’s final years, is addressed to Henri Bayart (1825–1892), godson of the Duchesse de Berry and brother of Sophie-Josèphe Bayart, a close friend of François-René and his wife. The Chateaubriands and the Bayart family formed bonds of friendship and business during the Hundred Days and remained close until the end of their lives. As staunch legitimists devoted to the Bourbon cause, they even attempted the impossible in seeking to have the writer appointed governor to the young Comte de Chambord, claimant to the French throne. When writing this inscription, probably around 1843, Chateaubriand was at the twilight of his political and literary life; close to the Comte de Chambord, then exiled in England, the Bayarts once again tried to intercede on his behalf, sending Henri Bayart, without success, to persuade the last Bourbon heir to invite the ageing writer into his circle.
A rare and fine set in uniform bindings, containing numerous first editions and enriched with an important presentation inscription.
First editions, with no deluxe copies printed (except for No. 7) for each volume.
Our complete set comprises:
Cahiers Céline 1: Céline et l'actualité littéraire 1932-1957.
Cahiers Céline 2: Céline et l'actualité littéraire 1957-1961
Cahiers Céline 3: Semmelweis et autres écrits médicaux
Cahiers Céline 4: Lettres et premiers écrits d'Afrique 1916-1917
Cahiers Céline 5: Lettres à des amies
Cahiers Céline 6: Lettres à Albert Paraz 1947-1957
Cahiers Céline 7: Céline et l'actualité 1933-1961
Cahiers Céline 8: Progrès suivi de Oeuvres pour la scène et l'écran.
Iconography.
First endpaper of the first volume shadowed due to a press clipping.
Rare complete set.
First edition, one of 50 numbered copies printed on pure Lana vellum, the only large paper copies.
Fine copy.
Text established, presented and annotated by Anne Borrel and Jean-Pierre Halévy.
First edition, one of 30 numbered copies on vellum pur-fil paper Johannot, deluxe copies ("tirage de tête").
Rare and beautiful copy.
First edition, one of 65 numbered copies on vergé Ingres de Lana, only deluxe copies ("tirage de tête").
Very nice copy.
First edition, of which there were no grand papier (deluxe) copies, an advance (service de presse) copy.
Spine slightly bowed, with a few tears and lacks to plastic film cover. Slight foxing in the margins of a few pages.
Handsome autograph inscription signed by Michel Foucault, at the time a young teacher, to Jean-Charles Varennes.
A very rare advance copy, which could be said to have taken the place of the grand papier (deluxe) copies.
First edition of the French translation by Marie Canavaggia, one of 26 numbered copies on pur-fil paper, only deluxe copies ("tirage de tête").
Nice copy.
