//Hardcover
  • Half-title: BARON MUNCHAUSEN Title: THE TRAVELS | AND | SURPRISING ADVENTURES | OF | BARON MUNCHAUSEN. | ILLUSTRATED WITH | THIRTY-SEVEN CURIOUS ENGRAVINGS, | FROM | THE BARON'S OWN DESIGNS, | AND FIVE WOODCUTS, | BY G. CRUIKSHANK. | [device] | LONDON : WILLIAM TEGG. | 1869.|| [RASPE, Rudolf Erich]. The Travels and Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen. / Illustrated with 37 curious engravings, from the Baron's own designs, and five woodcuts, by G. Cruikshank. — London: William Tegg, 1869. Pagination: xii + [10] + 268 pp, 23 plates: hand-coloured engraved frontispiece, 5 woodcuts by Cruikshank, other b/w etchings, two folding plates. Binding: 19 x 13 cm; hardbound, 8vo, early 20th century 3/4 dark plum morocco gilt-ruled, raised bands, title label, gilt lettering, gilt in compartments, top edge gilt. Catalogue raisonné: A. Cohn: #584, p. 172. This edition is an identical re-issue of the 1867 edition.
  • 3-volume set, 1st edition, with original wrappers. Vol. 1: Half-title: THE | INGLODSBY LEGENDS. Title (in black and red, emblematic, engraved): THE | Ingoldsby Legends | OR | MIRTH AND MARVELS | by | THOMAS INGOLDSBY | ESQUIRE | In frame: | LONDON. | RICHARD BENTLEY. | MDCCCXL. | Under the frame: J. S. GWILT. | INV. Pagination: ffl, [2] – blanks, [i, ii] – h.t./ colophon, [2] – t.p. / verso blank, [iii] iv-v [vi] – blank, contents / list of ill., blank / etching,  [1] 2-338 [339], [7] incl. orig. covers and spine bound in, bfl; 6 plates: 1 by Buss, 3 by Leech, 2 by Cruikshank. Vol. 2: Half-title: THE | INGLODSBY LEGENDS. |—| SECOND SERIES.|| Title (in black and red, emblematic, engraved): THE | Ingoldsby Legends | OR | MIRTH AND MARVELS | by | THOMAS INGOLDSBY | ESQUIRE | SECOND SERIES | In frame: | LONDON | RICHARD BENTLEY. | MDCCCXLII. | Under the frame: G. COOK SCULPo|| Pagination: ffl, [2] – blanks, [i, ii] – h.t. / colophon, [iii, iv] – t.p. / verso blank, [v] vi-vii [viii ] – blank, contents / blank, blank / etching, [1] 2-288 [6], incl. orig. covers and spine bound in, bfl; 7 plates: 3 by Leech, 4 by Cruikshank. Vol. 3: Half-title: THE | INGLODSBY LEGENDS. |—| THIRD SERIES.|| Title (in black and red, emblematic, engraved): THE | Ingoldsby Legends | OR | MIRTH AND MARVELS | by | THOMAS INGOLDSBY | ESQUIRE | THIRD SERIES | In frame: | LONDON | RICHARD BENTLEY. | MDCCCXLVII. | Under the frame: COOK || Pagination: ffl, [2] – blanks] [i, ii] – h.t. / colophon, [2] – t.p. / verso blank], [iii] iv-vi – contents / list of ill., blank / portrait, [1] 2-364 [6], incl. orig. covers and spine bound in, bfl; 6 plates: 2 portraits, 2 by Leech, 2 by Cruikshank. Binding: 3 volumes, 8vo, 20.5 x 13.5 cm, hardcover, full carmine morocco, triple ruled in gilt, top edge gilt, slightly raised bands, gilt lettering and double fillet gilt panels to spine by T. W. Morrell & Co. (London) for Brentano's bookstore in New York. 6, 7, and 6 (19 total) plates inset. The original brown figured cloth covers and spines preserved at the end of each volume. Catalogue raisonné: Albert M. Cohn, 1924: №50, p.20. Contrary to A. Cohn's description, the first etching in the first series is signed “Dalton del.” bottom left and “Buss sculp.” bottom right. It has been suggested that the name Dalton might refer to Richard Harris Dalton Barham (British, 1815-1886). Robert William Buss (1804 – 1875). Portrait (v.3, p.1): John William Cook (fl.1819 - 1862) after Richard James Lane (British, 1800 – 1872). Portrait (v.3, p.127): Henry Griffiths after Dalton. Seller's description: First editions, mixed states, in full crimson levant morocco by Morrel for Brentanos, New York. Vol.1, p. 236 is NOT blank, but unpaginated; Vol. 2 does NOT have a list of ill's on verso of contents; Vol. 3, p. 351 'to pot' NOT run together. Cloth spine and front cover bound in the back of each volume, all volumes have half-titles, with engraved titles and 19 plates by Cruikshank, Leech, et al. Conforms in the main to Sadlier 156b, 156e, and 156f.
  • Title page: PHROSINE | ET | MELIDORE, | POËME | EN QUATRE CHANTS. | A MESSINE, | Et se trouve A Paris, | Chez Le Jay, Libraire, au Grand Corneille, | rue S. Jacques. | M. DCC. LXXII. || Pagination : ffl, [2] – h.t. / blank, [2] t.p. / blank, [1] 2-55 [56 blank], bfl ; 4 copperplate engravings by Nicolas Ponce (French, 1746 – 1831) after Charles Eisen (French, 1720 – 1778), one before each chant. Collation: 8vo; π2 (h.t., t.p. ) A-C8 D4. Binding: 20.5 x 14 cm, full mottled calf, gilt-ruled with triple fillet, flat spine, gilt in compartments, black label with gilt lettering, printed on laid paper, all edges red. Catalogue raisonné: Cohen de Ricci p. 132; J. Lewine: p. 53. Contributors: Nicolas Ponce (French, 1746 – 1831) Jean Charles Baquoy (French, 1721–1777) Charles-Dominique-Joseph Eisen (French, 1720 – 1778) Pierre-Joseph Bernard [Gentil-Bernard] (French, 1708 – 1775).
  • One volume, 25.8 x 20.7 cm, laid paper 25.2 x 19.5 cm, platemark 13.3 x 7.7 cm, wide margins; bound in calf, ruled in gilt, rebacked, raised bands, blind-stamped flower lozenges in compartments, crimson label with gilt lettering, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt, gilt dentelle inside, engraved bookplate to front pastedown: lettered ribbon: “VINCTUS NON VICTUS”, chained Lion Passant in a collar, below “Maurice B. Worms. Title-page: MONUMENS | DU | CULTE SECRET | DES | DAMES ROMAINES , | POUR SERVIR DE SUITE | AUX MONUMENS DE LA VIE PRIVÉE | DES XII CÉSARS. | {VIGNETTE} | A CAPRÉE. | CHEZ SABELLUS. | M. DCC. LXXXIV. || Collation: [A]2 B-G2 2A-Z2 Aa2 Bb1, total 63 leaves, plus engraved title/frontispiece and 50 plates, all unsigned, first and last blanks. Pagination: [i-ii] iii-xxvii [xxviii] 1-98, ils., total 126 pages. Catalogue raisonné: Cohen-De Ricci: 475; Lewine: 233; Dutel (1650-1880) № A-729, p. 223; Pia (1978): col. 884-5, pp. 467-8. Author: Pierre-François Hugues d'Hancarville (French, 1719-1805) – author. Provenance: Maurice Benedict Worms (Austrian, 1805 – 1867), son of Benedikt Moses Worms (1769 – 1824) and Schönche Jeannette Rothschild (1771 – 1859), maternal grandson of Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744 – 1812), the founder of the House of Rothschild.
  • Two softcover volumes bound in one, 28.7 x 20.5 cm, quarter blue morocco over marbled boards, raised bands and gilt lettering to spine, top margin gilt, other untrimmed, marbled endpapers, original covers and spines preserved; 20 full-page etchings by Louis Berthommé Saint-André, incl. 2 frontispieces; vignettes, initials, head- and tailpieces in pink after André Collot. Title-page: TROIS FILLES | DE | LEUR MÈRE | {vignette} | TOME PREMIER (SECOND) | AUX DÉPENS D'UN AMATEUR | ET POUR SES AMIS || Collation: v.1 2ffl, front cover, [1-8] 2 blanks, h.t., t.p., pp. 9-94 [95, 96]; v.2 back cover, spine, front cover, 2 blanks, h.t., t.p., 97-201 [202-4] back cover, spine, 2ffl; plus 20 plates extraneous to collation. Limitation: A print run of 150 copies, of which this is copy № 76. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 2521. As per Dutel, pp: 96+106 (conforms), and the year of 2 vol. publication 1933; however, the etchings are dated to 1926 by many. Contributors: Pierre Louÿs (French, 1870 – 1925) – author. Louis Berthommé Saint-André (French, 1905 – 1977) – artist. André Collot (French, 1897 – 1976) – artist.
  • A three-volume unique copy of Louÿs’s poetical work ‘Pybrac’; edition published in 1928 by Marcel Vertès limited to 30 copies; contains 31 drypoints by Marcel Vertès, incl. frontispiece, nine full-page plates and twenty in-text vignettes; enriched with a volume of three suites of plates (first state b/w on Van Gelder paper, final state b/w on Japon nacré paper, final state hand-coloured on Van Gelder paper) plus 5 refused plates; and with a volume of one original watercolour, five ink drawings, three suites of plates (first state b/w on Van Gelder paper, final state b/w on Japon nacré paper, final state hand-coloured on Van Gelder paper) plus similar 5 refused plates, one b/w plate and one coloured plate, and a drypoint metal plate; two volumes of three are in a slipcase. Same edition in this collection: LIB-2919.2022. Details: (1) The ‘Texte’ volume, collated in-4to, 26 x 20.5 cm bound by Creuzevault (signed inside the front cover, in the bottom) in full tan morocco, blind fillets and a brown strip in the bottom to boards, double gilt fillet and a brown label along the spine, gilt-lettered vertically “PYBRAC | TEXTE”; gilt on black faux marbled endpapers, printed on watermarked Van Gelder Zonen laid paper; collated as follows: [3] blank flyleaves, [1] wrapper ‘PYBRAC’, [5] leaves with pasted original ink drawings on white paper, [1] leaf with pasted original hand-coloured ink drawings on blue paper, [1] drypoint frontispiece, [2] blank leaves, [1] half-title/limitation, [1] t.p., [2] blank leaves, 1-104 (pp. 1-78 [2]), [4] blank leaves plus nine full-page drypoint plates; total 70 leaves. Title-page: PYBRAC | ILLUSTRE DE TRENTE POINT SÈCHES | D’UN | ARTISTE INCONNU | PARIS | AUX DÉPENS D’UN AMATEUR | — | M. CM. XXVIII || Limitation: Edition limited to 30 copies; 1 copy unique on Japon Nacré with 30 original sketches, one suite in colour, two suites in black and 5 cancelled plates; 29 copies on Hollande Van Gelder, with one original watercolour, four original sketches, one suite in colour, two suites in black and 5 cancelled plates. This is copy № 12. (2) The ‘Suites’ volume, 26 x 20.5 cm, uniformly bound in quarter tan morocco over faux marbled paper, blind fillets, horizontal brown strip in the bottom, a vertical brown strip along the border, double gilt fillet and a brown label along the spine, gilt-lettered vertically “PYBRAC | SUITES”; gilt on black faux marbled endpapers; collated as follows: [3] blank flyleaves, three suites of prints: first state on Van Gelder paper, the final state on ‘Japon nacré’ paper, and hand-coloured final state on Van Gelder (31 x 3 = 93 leaves) plus [5] refused plates and [3] blank leaves; total 104 leaves. ‘Texte’ and ‘Suites’ volumes are placed in a faux marbled slipcase. (3) The ‘Suites 2’ volume, 26 x 21.5 cm, bound similarly to the ‘Suites’ volume (quarter morocco), gilt-lettered vertically “PYBRAC | SUITES 2” to spine; front cover with a hollow placement with the drypoint metal plate inside (plate #3), [3] blank wove paper leaves, [1] section title (s.t.) ‘AQUARELLE ORIGINALE’, [1] ink and crayon drawing, [1] s.t. ‘CROQUIS ORIGINAUX’, [5] ink drawings, [1] s.t. ‘PREMIER ÉTAT DES PLANCHES’, [31] plates on Van Gelder, [1] s.t. ‘SUITE EN NOIR SUR JAPON NACRÉ’, [31] plates, s.t. ‘SUITE COLORIÉE A LA MAIN’, [31] plates, [1] s.t. ‘PLANCHES REFUSÉS’, [5] plates, [1] coloured plate #13, [1] uncoloured plate #10, [3] wove paper blank leaves; total 118 leaves. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel (1920-70) № 2279 ; Fekete № 216; Nordmann (I) № 235; Vokaer 23. Ref.: honesterotica.com Contributors: Pierre Louÿs (French, 1870 – 1925) – author. Marcel Vertès [Marcell Vértes] (Jewish-Hungarian-French, 1895 – 1961) – artist. Henri Creuzevault (French, 1905 – 1971) – bookbinder. Seller's description: [ENRICHI & HORS-COMMERCE NON JUSTIFIÉ] Pierre LOUŸS - Marcel VERTÈS. Pybrac, illustré de trente pointes sèches d’un artiste inconnu. Paris, aux dépens d’un amateur, 1928. 3 volumes in-4 de 79 pages, 98 et 76 feuillets. Le volume contenant le texte est relié d'un plein chagrin havane à dos lisse, une pièce de titre en long et un filet doré à froid en bas (Creuzevault). Les deux autres volumes sont reliés à l'identiques, demi chagrin havane, dos lisse, pièce de titre en long, filets dorés sur le dos et filet doré à froid sur le bas et le long du mors. Le cuivre est placé dans le plat intérieur du volume 3, les suites dans le 2. Les deux premiers volumes sont rassemblés dans un étui. Illustré de 31 gravures originales dont 11 hors-texte par Marcel Vertès pour l’une des premières publications obscènes de Pierre Louÿs. Tirage à 30 exemplaires. La justification indique : "Il a été tiré de ce livre 30 exemplaires : 1 exemplaire unique sur Japon nacré avec trente croquis originaux, une suite en couleur, deux suites en noir et une épreuve des cinq planches refusées ; 29 exemplaires sur grand papier de Hollande Van Gelder avec une aquarelle originale, quatre croquis originaux, une suite en couleur, deux suites en noir et une épreuve des cinq planches refusées.". Exemplaire n°12 (Volume 1 Texte). Cet exemplaire est composé différemment soit : Volume 1, Texte : La couverture conservée, 5 dessins originaux à l'encre, 1 dessin sur papier bleu à l'estompe de couleur, le texte, les gravures in-texte et hors-texte. — Volume 2, Suites : les 31 planches en 3 états (1 en couleur et 2 en noir) et une épreuve des 5 planches refusées. — Volume 3, Suites 2 : 1 cuivre, 1 aquarelle, 5 dessins originaux à l'encre, 2 suites en noir, 1 suite coloriée à la main, 1 épreuve des 5 planches refusées, 1 dessin refusé à l'encre et à l'aquarelle et 1 dessin refusé à l'encre. Dutel précise : « Elle est ornée de 11 gravures originales hors-texte dont un titre et 20 gravures dans le texte par Marcel Vertès qui fut aussi l’éditeur de cet ouvrage. Il s’agit d’une des plus belles et des plus rares productions bibliophiliques de l’artiste. » Et surtout la plus rare… (Dutel 2279, pas à l’Enfer de la BnF).
  • Pictorial album 31 x 22.8 cm, bound in quarter red calf over marbled boards with gilt lettering “SCÈNES | DE | LA VIE | PRIVÉE” and gilt ornament to spine; marbled endpapers, flyleaf, blue original wrapper (title-page) lettered SCÈNES | DE LA VIE PRIVÉE. | {vignette} | SIX DESSINS || «Six dessins» struck out, ms inscription beneath “Douze”. Twelve hand-coloured lithographs, some inscribed with letters and/or numbers in reverse, each in a double-rule frame 22 x 16.5 cm, images 18 x 14.5 cm (approx.); series title “Scènes de la vie intime” printed above the frame, image title printed in the lower compartment; ms numbers above the upper-right corner of the frame (state before sequential numbers, ms numbers do not correspond with artist numbering). Flyleaf at the end. Two bookplates to front pastedown: “EX-LIBRIS PAUL GAVAULT” and armorial “IN ROBORE ROBUR | Ex Libris Bourlon de Rouvre”. Content (Roman numerals in parenthesis are publisher's numbers; numerals in italic are Armelhault-Bocher reference numbers):
    1. Titre de la couverture (Title-page) – 2001
    2. (III) Un nid dans les blés (A nest in the wheat) – 2004
    3. (II) Amitié de pension (Friendship in the pension) – 2003
    4. (XI) Bras dessus, bras dessous (Arm up, arm down) – 2012
    5. (I) Causerie (Chat) – 2002
    6. (VI) Prélude (Prelude) – 2007
    7. (IX) Le guet-apens (Ambush) – 2010
    8. (V) Le cabinet noir (The dark chamber) – 2006
    9. (IV) Distraction (Entertainment) – 2005
    10. (X) Leçon de paysage (Landscape lesson) – 2011
    11. (VII) Avant le péché (Before sin) – 2008
    12. (VIII) Après le péché (After sin) – 2009
    13. (XII) La femme du peintre (The painter's wife) – 2013
    Catalogue raisonné: Armelhault-Bocher (2004) p. 478-80, №№ 2001-2013, all marked ‘RRR’ – extremely rare. Ref.: J. Armelhault & E. Bocher. Gavarni: Catalogue raisonné of the graphic work / A revision of the 1873 edition, with essays by Gordon N. Ray and Robert J. Wickenden, and 61 new plates. — San Francisco: Alan Wofsy Fine Arts, 2004 [LIB-1581.2018]. Artist: Paul Gavarni [Sulpice Guillaume Chevalier] (French, 1804 – 1866) Provenance: Charles Bourlon de Rouvre (French, 1850 – 1924) and Paul Armand Marcel Gavault (French, 1866 – 1951).    
  • Title: THE IDEALS OF THE EAST | WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE | TO THE ART OF JAPAN | BY KAKASU OKAKURA | LONDON | JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET | 1903 || Collation: 8vo; ffl, [2] (t.p., prep. note) [a]4 b4, A-P8 Q4. Pagination: ffl, [I, ii] – h.t. / blank, [iii, iv] – t.p. / blank, [v, vi] – preparatory note / blank, vii-xxii, [1] 2-244, [1] 2-4 (Works for art lovers). Binding: Burgundy cloth, red flowers and lettering to cover, gilt lettering to spine. Size: 19.5 x 13 cm Contributors: Author: Okakura Kakuzō [岡倉 覚三] (1863 – 1913). Publisher: Murray, Sir John IV (1851–1928); John Murray (publishing house). Printer: Ballantyne, Hanson & Co., Edinburgh, London.
  • Hardcover volume, 12mo, 125 x 85 mm, two parts in one, bound and gilded by Cuzin and Maillard, respectively, between 1876 and 1881, in crimson crushed morocco with raised bands and gilt lettering to spine, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt, gilt dentelle, signed 'Cuzin' to foot of front turn-in and 'Maillard dor.' to rear. Adorned with engraved frontispiece and 12 plates by Elluin after Borel. Text printed on a slightly bluish paper. Title-page: LE | MEURSIUS FRANÇOIS, | OU | ENTRETIENS GALANS | D'ALOYSIA. | ORNÉ | DE FIGURES. | — | TOME PREMIER (SECOND) | — | ✵ | A CYTHERE | — | M. DCC. LXXXII. || Collation: 12mo, π4 (2 blanks) A-Z6 χ1,+ π2 A-S6 (4 blanks) χ1, total 254 leaves; pagination: [8] [1] 2-277 [278 blank], [4] [1] 2-210 [8 blanks], total 508 pages, plus 13 engraved plates, incl. frontispiece. Catalogue raisonné: Cohen-de Ricci 240; Eros invaincu 17; Fekete 51; Nordmann (I) 91. Contributors: Nicolas Chorier (French, 1612 – 1692) – author. Antoine Borel (French, 1743 – 1810) – artist. François-Rolland Elluin (French, 1745 – c. 1822) – engraver. Hubert-Martin Cazin (French, 1724 – 1795) – publisher. Francisque Cuzin (French, 1836 – 1890) – bookbinder. Seller’s description: Erotica.- [Chorier (Nicolas)]Le Meursius François, ou Entretiens galans d'Aloysia, 2 parts in 1, half-title to each part, engraved frontispiece and 12 plates [by Elluin after Borel], handsomely bound in crimson crushed morocco by Cuzin, spine with gilt lettering and five raised bands, gilt tooled turn-ins by Maillard, signed 'Cuzin' to foot of front turn-in and 'Maillard dor.' to rear, marbled endpapers, g.e., fractional rubbing to extremities, an excellent copy, 12mo, Cythere [but Paris], [Cazin], 1782.
  • A set of two volumes, one with the text (1) and another with the plates (2), cased in a red ‘romantic’ fitting box of red morocco, lavishly tooled in gilt, c. 1840, more recently adapted to house two books of different size. Vol.1: Hardcover volume, 22.4 x 14 cm, 8vo, bound in half black polished calf (late 19th century) over marbled boards, spine and corners gilt-tooled, raised bands, gilt lozenges in compartments, gilt-lettered red morocco label; marbled endpapers; Francis M. G. Mauleverer armorial bookplate (motto “Deus Providebit”) to front pastedown. Printed on laid paper, Collation: 1 blank, engraved frontis., engraved t.p., A-Cc8 Dd2, 1 blank; pagination:[1] 2-420. Vol. 2: Hardcover volume, 21 x 14 cm, bound in green straight-grain morocco (early 19th century), boards with a roll-tooled palmette border, spine decorated in gilt, blue moiré endpapers, yellow feps, additional blank leaves: 2 in the front and 4 in the back, unpaginated; engraved frontis. and t.p. as in vol. 2, plus 35 plates now attributed to Delcroche printed on India paper, pasted on thicker leaves and bound in numerical order, but pl. 34 after pl. 35; As per Christie’s “The prints, sometimes attributed to de Hooghe, are actually by Delcroche, who illustrated a number of classics in the 1770s and 1780s, including Fanny Hill. AE and ABPC record only three copies of this edition at auction, including the Nordmann and Hayoit copies. Apollinaire Enfer, 277; Dutel A-15; Eros invaincu 16; Foxon Libertine Literature, NY: 1965, p.38; Gay-Lemonnyer I, 10; Pia Enfer, 346.” Contributors: Delcroche (Dutch, 17th century), “artiste hollandaise”, nothing else is known. Dutel and Nordmann attribute the plates to Romeyn de Hooghe (Dutch, 1645 – 1708). Nicolas Chorier (French, 1612 –  1692) – author. Francis M. G. Mauleverer (British, 1918 – 1962) – provenance. Seller’s description: 2 vols in 8vo (215x125 and 204x117 mm), a complete but composite set, the text volume in late 19th c. half black morocco, with corners, gilt spine tooled in gold, the plate volume in a nice early 19th-century green morocco binding, the spine gilt-tooled in compartments, the sides with a roll-tooled palmette border, pale blue moiré style endpapers (hinges repaired). Text vol.: engraved frontispiece, engr. title, pp. 420. Plates vol. comprising: the engraved title, frontispiece, and 35 engraved plates, probably by Delcroche. Both volumes cased in a ‘romantic’ fitting box binding, c. 1840, more recently adapted.
  • Title page: DIALOGUE AUX ENFERS | ENTRE | MACHIAVEL | ET MONTESQUIEU | OU LA POLITIQUE DE MACHIAVEL | AU XIXe SIÈCLE, | PAR UN CONTEMPORAIN. | {6 lines of citations} | ~ | BRUXELLES, | IMPRIMERIE DE A. MERTENS ET FILS, | RUE DE L’ESCALIER, 22. | 1864 ||

    Description: 17.9 x 12 cm, quarter red morocco over marbled boards, spine with raised bands, gilt bees in compartments, gilt lettering,  marbled endpapers, ffep cut out top 1/4, ffep and h.t. loose.

    Collation: 12mo; fep, π4 1-2712, 292, fep.; total 174 leaves. Pagination: [2 h.t] [2 t.p.] [i] ii-iii [iv] [1] 2-337 [338] [2 errata].

    Inscriptions and markings: "Hommage respectueux offert à M. Bourdais par son très humble serviteur, 5 Janvier 1881". Signature: E. Rouger (?) "Vu et approuvé". "Valatte". Ink stamp: "M<aîtr>e E. Brouard - Notaire a Laon Aisne".

    Other copies: LIB-1034.2016 and LIB-2913.2021. Other related objects: SVVP-0062.2021. The publication was funded by the author and smuggled into France. Contributors: Maurice Joly (French, 1829 – 1878)
  • Title page: DIALOGUE AUX ENFERS | ENTRE | MACHIAVEL | ET MONTESQUIEU | OU LA POLITIQUE DE MACHIAVEL | AU XIXe SIÈCLE, | PAR UN CONTEMPORAIN. | {6 lines of citations} | ~ | BRUXELLES, | IMPRIMERIE DE A. MERTENS ET FILS, | RUE DE L’ESCALIER, 22. | 1864 ||

    Description:18.7 x 11.8 cm, quarter red morocco over marbled boards, spine with raised bands ruled in gilt, gilt lettering, marbled endpapers.

    Collation: 12mo; fep, 1 blank, π4 1-2712, 292, 1 blank, fep.; total 176 leaves. Pagination: [2] [2 h.t] [2 t.p.] [i] ii-iii [iv] [1] 2-337 [338] [2 errata] [2]. Other copies: LIB-0460.2015 and LIB-1034.2016. Other related objects: SVVP-0062.2021. The publication was funded by the author and smuggled into France. Contributors: Maurice Joly (French, 1829 – 1878)
  • Title page: DIALOGUE AUX ENFERS | ENTRE | MACHIAVEL | ET MONTESQUIEU | OU LA POLITIQUE DE MACHIAVEL | AU XIXe SIÈCLE, | PAR UN CONTEMPORAIN. | {6 lines of citations} | ~ | BRUXELLES, | IMPRIMERIE DE A. MERTENS ET FILS, | RUE DE L’ESCALIER, 22. | 1864 ||

    Description: 18.5 x 12 cm, quarter red morocco over marbled boards, spine with raised bands ruled blind, gilt lettering, marbled endpapers.

    Collation: 12mo; fep, 3 blanks, π4 1-2712, 292, 3 blanks, fep.; total 180 leaves. Pagination: [6] [2 h.t] [2 t.p.] [i] ii-iii [iv] [1] 2-337 [338] [2 errata] [6]. Bookplate to front pastedown: “Le Mis de Biencourt” (probably Mademoiselle Anna Charles de Biencourt). See other copies: LIB-2913.2021 and LIB-0460.2015. Other related objects: SVVP-0062.2021. The publication was funded by the author and smuggled into France. Contributors: Maurice Joly (French, 1829 – 1878)  
  • Title page: DIALOGUE AUX ENFERS | ENTRE | MACHIAVEL | ET MONTESQUIEU | OU LA POLITIQUE DE MACHIAVEL | AU XIXe SIÈCLE, | PAR UN CONTEMPORAIN. | {6 lines of citations} | ~ | BRUXELLES, | IMPRIMERIE DE A. MERTENS ET FILS, | RUE DE L’ESCALIER, 22. | – | 1864 || Description: 19 x 12.7 cm, quarter green morocco over blue marbled boards, spine with raised bands ruled in gilt, gilt fleurons in compartments, gilt lettering, marbled endpapers; three paper clippings laid in. Collation: 12mo; π5 1-2712 292; total 175 leaves. Pagination: [2] blank,  [2] h.t, [2] t.p. [i] ii-iii [iv] [1] 2-337 [338] blank [2] errata]; total 350 pages. Contributors: Maurice Joly (French, 1829 – 1878) – author. Characters: Niccolò Machiavelli (Italian, 1469 – 1527) Charles Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (French, 1689 – 1755) The publication was funded by the author and smuggled into France. See other copies: LIB-2913.2021, LIB-1034.2016 and LIB-0460.2015. Other related objects: SVVP-0062.2021. Seller's description: [JOLY (Maurice)]: Dialogue aux enfers entre Machiavel et Montesquieu. Bruxelles, Mertens et fils, 1864 ; un volume in 12, demi-chagrin vert orné de l'époque. C'est dans ce livre que Joly écrit, au prétexte d'une discussion philosophique et politique, comment Napoléon III, selon lui, a manipulé les milieux économiques, la presse, l'opinion publique, les syndicats, les milieux ouvriers, le peuple, etc., pour établir un pouvoir politique fort, ce qui lui valut un séjour de 15 mois à la prison Sainte-Pélagie à Paris.
  • Description: Three volumes 20.5 x 13 cm each, collated 8vo, uniformly bound in quarter calf over marbled boards, with raised bands, gilt in compartments and black and brown gilt-lettered labels to spine; bookplate “Ex libris Jacques Laget” pasted on to front pastedown. Printed on laid paper, with tall “s”. Title-page: L'AN | DEUX MILLE | QUATRE CENT QUARANTE. | Rêve s'il en fût jamais; | SUIVI DE | L'HOMME DE FER, | SONGE. | — | Le présent est gros l’avenir. / Leibnitz. (O utinam !; Le plaisir sans égal seroit de fonder la félicité publique.) | — | NOUVELLE ÉDITION | Avec Figures. | TOME PREMIER (SECOND; TROISIEME). | {device} | — | 1786. || Vol 1: fep a8 A-Z8 2A8; total 201 leaves plus engraved frontispiece by Ghendt after Marillier; pp: ff [i-v] vi-xvi, 1-380 [4]; total 402 pages. Vol. 2: fep π2, A-Z8 2A8 fep; total 196 leaves plus engraved frontispiece by Ghendt after Marillier; pp: [6] 1-381 [5]; total 392 pages. Vol. 3: fep π2, A-T8 V5 fep; total 161 leaves plus engraved frontispiece by Ghendt after Marillier; pp: [6] 1-312 [4]; total 322 pages. Catalogue raisonné: Cohen-DeRicci 701; Lewine 353 ProvenanceJacques Laget (French, 1821 – 1884). Contributors: Louis-Sébastien Mercier (French, 1740 – 1814) – author. Clément Pierre Marillier (French, 1740 – 1808) – artist Emmanuel Jean Nepomucène de Ghendt (Flemish, worked in France, 1738 – 1815) – engraver.   See also: LIB-0979.2016 and LIB-2695.2021.
  • Description: Hardcover, 19 x 13 cm, contemporary binding, ¾ carrot morocco with raised bands over patterned cloth, similarly patterned endpapers, original pink wrappers preserved, gilt lettering to spine, Japanese previous owner’s stamp フィリップ (Firippu or Philippe) to verso front endpaper. Title-page: EXAMEN | DE | FLORA | à l’effet d’obtenir | son diplôme de putain | PARIS || Collation/pagination: blank flyleaf, original front wrapper with vignette, [1] blank, original watercolour 13.5 x 11 cm bound in, [2] blank, [3] h.t. / frontispiece, [4] t.p., 5-45 [46] [2] limitation / blank, back wrapper, blank flyleaf, with 14 stencil-coloured photogravures (au pochoir), two of them full-page, incl. frontispiece, after Feodor Rojankovsky [Rojan]. Limitation: 15 copies on Japon and 300 copies on Vélin, this is copy № 7. Edition: 1st edition thus, illustrated with 14 coloured photogravures, 2 of them full-page after Feodor Rojankovsky [Rojan], enriched with an original watercolour by the same artist. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel (1920-1970): 1532, p. 160 (same copy); honesterotica.com Provenance: J.-P. Dutel Note: J.-P. Dutel dates the edition as “vers 1935”; however, based on the edition of Le théâtre érotique de la rue de la Santé / [illustré par Rojan]. — Paris: s.n., 1932 [LIB-2816.2021] in this collection, which contains some of the same illustrations, we attribute it to 1932. Contributors: Feodor Rojankovsky [Rojan, Фёдор Степанович Рожанковский] (Russian-American, 1891 – 1970) – artist. Louis Protat (French, 1819 – 1881) – author. Illustrations:

    Le théâtre érotique / Original

    Examen de Flora / Original

    Le théâtre érotique / Original

    Le théâtre érotique / Original

    Examen de Flora / Print

    Examen de Flora / Print

    Examen de Flora / Print

    Examen de Flora / Print

  • Two volumes, 168 x 106 mm each, uniformly bound in faux mottled calf ruled in gilt, marbled endpapers. Vol. 1: 3 blank leaves of wove paper, 3 blank leaves of laid paper, half-title/blank, blank/frontispiece, ‘engraved’ t.p./blank, both printed on laid paper watermarked “ARCHES A LA | MAIN”; ‘letterpress’ t.p.,/blank, pp.: [1] 2-115 [116 blank], 3 blank leaves of laid paper, 3 blank leaves of wove paper; collated 12mo: π2 A-I6 K4; total 60 leaves plus 16 ‘engraved’ plates, incl. t.p. and frontis. Vol. 2: 3 blank leaves of wove paper, 3 blank leaves of laid paper, half-title/blank, blank/frontispiece, ‘engraved’ t.p./blank, no watermark, ‘letterpress’ t.p.,/blank, pp.: 1-77 [78 blank], 2 blank leaves of laid paper, 3 blank leaves of wove paper; collated 12mo: π2 A-F6 G3; total 41 leaves plus 24 ‘engraved’ plates, incl. t.p. and frontis. Dutel (I): A-1089, p. 325: in-8 (probably by size only, no formula suggested), pagination 115 and 77 as here, 2 frontispieces, 2 engraved titles dated 1873, “et 36 belles gravures de Binet”. Cohen-DeRicci: p. 734 bottom: in-12, no pagination, no formula. "Thérèse" was offered by a French seller user-75d14f4 on the online auction platform CATAWIKI in December 2021. The seller's description of this two-volume set was: "Re-edition, the date of which I was unable to determine. (London, no name, 1782) 2 duodecimo volumes of 115 and 77 pp., very lovely marbled sheepskin pastiche bindings, gilded triple fillets, adorned spines, black title labels. This classic of 18th-century clandestine erotica was written in 1748 by an author who has remained anonymous, attributed at the time to Montigny, which led to his internment in the Bastille. It is now attributed to the Jean-Baptiste de Boyer, Marquis d'Argens. Edition illustrated with 37 very unrestrained figures, engraved in intaglio after Borel, unsigned." I should have paid more attention to the first phase, about the re-edition, but I didn't. After a few bidding rounds, I won the book when the hammer price was 2,200 Euros. On the 28th of December, 2021, I paid for this little beauty $2,760. The book arrived a few days later.  The paper's quality and texture, the watermark, the absence of the platemark, and the lack of embossing on the back (text and plates) made me suspect it was a fake. The pages were absolutely flat to the touch!  I established clear evidence of a high-resolution 'xerox' copy using Celestron Micro Capture Pro micro-photography.  I wrote to the seller and the auction platform, explaining my doubts regarding its authenticity. To prove my point, I include a few micro photos of the "Thérèse" and some books printed at the end of the 18th century. I explained why I considered it a fake and requested a return/refund. After two months of email exchanges, the seller and the platform refused to pay me back. Today is the 2nd anniversary of the purchase. I still have the book. To celebrate my carelessness, I included it in my library to warn fellow book collectors about buying from an unknown dealer via certain online auction platforms. Ref.: Bamber Gascoigne. How to Identify Prints: A Complete Guide to Manual and Mechanical Processes from Woodcut to Ink. — Thames and Hudson, 1995.

    Thérèse philosophe, 1783.

    Late 18th century books

    Books used for comparison: [LIB-2743.2021] Restif de la Bretonne. Les parisiennes, ou XL caractères généraux pris dans les mœurs actuelles, propres à servir à l’instruction des personnes-du-sexe / 4 vol. — Neufchâtel, et Paris: Guillot, 1787. [LIB-3027.2022] [Héliodore d’Emèse]. Amours de Théagènes et Chariclée: Histoire Éthiopique / 2 vol. — Londres [i.e. Paris]: [s.n.], 1743. [LIB-3252.2023] [Nicolas Chorier.] Le Meursius françois, ou entretiens galans d’Aloysia, orné de figures. — Cythere [i.e. Paris: Cazin], 1782. Below is a Xerox copy for comparison.    
  • Vol. 1: THE | POEMS | OF | OSSIAN. | TRANSLATED | By JAMES MACPHERSON, Esq; | IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. | A NEW EDITION. | LONDON: | PRINTED FOR W. STRAHAN ; AND T. CADELL, | IN THE STRAND. | M DCC XC.|| Pagination: 2 blank leaves, [2] - t.p. / blank, [v] vi-xiv, [2] - contents / cont., [1, 2] 3-404, one blank leaf. Collation: 8vo; π1 A-Z8 Aa-Cc8 Dd2 Vol. 2: THE | POEMS | OF | OSSIAN. | TRANSLATED | By JAMES MACPHERSON, Esq; |  VOL. II. | A NEW EDITION. | LONDON: | PRINTED FOR W. STRAHAN ; AND T. CADELL, | IN THE STRAND. |M DCC XC.|| Pagination: 2 blank leaves, [2] - t.p. / blank, [2] - contents / blank, [1, 2] 3-436, [2] advert. / advert., two blank leaves. Collation: 8vo; π4 B-Z8 Aa-Ee8 Ff2 A1. Two volumes, 21.5 x 14 cm; hardcover; full tree calf gilt-tooled with stylized meander ruled boards inside and outside, flat spite tooled in gilt with meander and pineapples in compartments, two crimson lettered labels. margins speckled blue; peacock marbled endpapers, owner's karks to front pastedown: Owen J. Williams sticker and H. A. Lonis armorial bookplate with an earl's crown, hand-written inscription H. A. and H. C.  Williams Wynn and ink stamp of Arthur J. Frank. James Macpherson (British, 1736–1796) was a Scottish writer, poet, literary collector and politician, known as the "translator" of the Ossian cycle of epic poems. Publishing Year: 1790 Publisher: W. Strahan and T. Cadell