First Editions

First edition abundantly illustrated with wood engravings in text and plates.

Publisher's gilt red percale beveled binding signed Engel at tail. Smooth spine richly decorated with various ornaments inlaid in black. Large special plate with the arms of the city of Paris framed by 2 nude victories, 2 medals. Wide frieze of Greek keys and decorative border. Second board with succession of black frames. Brown endpapers. Gilt edges. Rubbing to headcaps, corners. Scattered foxing.
Handsome copy, quite solid and uniform, with sharp gilding.
Beyond the classic presentation of the exhibition, with its pavilions and the "wonders" of the Trocadero, this publication includes important chapters devoted to machines, mines, metallurgy, mechanics, railways and gas, but also lace, furniture, goldsmith's work, bronze, porcelain, and all the decorative arts.

Second Elzevir edition of Milton's first text, which was originally published in 1651 in Amsterdam. First edition of Milton's Second and Third Defences.
Full polished tobacco calf bindings, ca. 1820. Spines with raised bands, decorated with four floral tools, fillets and rolls. Chocolate morocco title and volume labels. Cold-stamped border on the boards with small corner fleurons. Inner roll-tooled border. All edges gilt. A handsome copy.


NB: This volume is available at the bookshop on request within 48 hours.

First edition of these two works.

Full marbled calf binding. Smooth spine decorated. Red morocco title label. One lack at head, same at foot. Upper joint open at head and foot. 3 corners slightly bumped. Lacking the lower margin of pages 97 to 128.

First edition, one of 220 numbered copies on vergé d'Arches paper, this copy one of 100 reserved for the "sélections Lardanchet".
A good, well-margined copy.

First edition, one of 400 numbered copies on alfa paper, the only large paper copies after 60 on Rives reserved for the "Amis des beaux livres".
A good copy.

First edition.
Bound in slightly later (ca. 1820) half navy sheep. Smooth spines decorated with four small tools and fillets. Some rubbing, particularly to the boards. A pleasing copy, relatively clean, printed on good laid paper.

Partly first edition, gathering the most famous speeches by Victor Hugo, including some of his most memorable addresses delivered at the tribune of the Legislative Assembly—most notably the speech on constitutional revision and the powerful plea he gave at the trial of his son, on 11 June 1851, before the Cour d'assises of the Seine, in defense of the inviolability of human life. Spurious mention of “eighth edition.”
Complete with the rare portrait of the author by Masson printed on China paper, as frontispiece.
Scattered occasional foxing.
Precious inscribed copy signed by Victor Hugo to Juliette Drouet : « à mon pauvre doux ange aimé. V. »
A treasured copy belonging to Victor Hugo’s muse and mistress. This moving and remorseful dedication is Hugo’s response to the tragedy Juliette endured that same year, having just discovered he had been unfaithful for seven years with Léonie Biard. In June 1851, Biard sent Juliette the letters Victor had written to her. In July, Hugo swore eternal fidelity to Juliette, and in August inscribed this plea for a more compassionate justice to her.
In the autumn, Juliette demanded that Hugo meet Madame Biard to formally end the affair—a meeting she choreographed in every detail, and to which Hugo complied.
Provenance: libraries of Pierre Duché (1972, no. 75) and Philippe Zoummeroff (2001, no. 71).

First edition.
Full marbled blonde calf binding. Smooth spine decorated with 4 acorn tools in compartments. One corner slightly bumped. Lacks at head of upper joint due to worming, same at foot, but over 4cm. Traces of rubbing. Good copy.
In the form of conversations, Mably details the necessary milestones for writing history and the goals it must set; The author posing the reader's interest as fundamental data for any successful historical work.