//Wrappers
  • Softcover, 228 x 180 mm, tan French flapped wrappers with red lettering to front[1-4, owner’s glassine dustcover, top edge trimmed, printed on thick wove paper without a watermark; pp.: ffl [1-4 h.t., t.p.] 5-154 [2 blanks] colophon to back ffl recto, plus 12 plates with hand-coloured lithographs, extraneous to collation. Pencil and pigment drawing to h.t. signed “J. D’A” with gift manual inscription “A Monsieur et Madame Chalamel [sic] ce tardif mais sincère souvenir de sympathie”, signed “J et Y D’A.” Etching bookplate to front ffl recto: “EX LIBRIS PIERRE CHALLAMEL | JE FONCE DANS LE BROUILLARD”, signed “J A M” (Jean-Adrien Mercier). The signature J. D’A stands for Jean d’Angers, while Y D’A stands for Jean-Adrien’s wife Yvonne (1902—1999), nicknamed Zizi; they married in 1927. According to J.-P. Dutel, the stated illustrator of this edition, Jean d’Angers is indeed Jean-Adrien Mercier. The text belongs to Gustav Droz and, possibly, Auguste Poulet-Malassis. Limitation: the book was printed for subscribers in 30 copies on Japon Impériale paper (№№ 1-30) and 250 copies on vélin du Marais paper (№№ 31-280). This copy bears № 123 and was presented as a gift by the artist and his wife to Pierre Challamel. Title-page (red and black): POUR SERVIR | A L'HISTOIRE | DE NOS MŒURS | UN ÉTÉ | A LA CAMPAGNE | CORRESPONDANCE DE DEUX JEUNES PARISIENNES | RECUEILLIE PAR UN AUTEUR A LA MODE | MDCCCLXVIII || Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 2546; honesterotica. Provenance: Pierre Challamel (French, 20th century) Contributors: Gustave Droz (French, 1832 – 1895) – author (presumable). Auguste Poulet-Malassis (French, 1825 – 1878) – author (presumable). Jean-Adrien Mercier (French, 1899 – 1995) – artist. Micro photo of the lithography:
    Micro photo of the original drawing:
  • Title page: Sheila Cousins | TO BEG | I AM ASHAMED | {publisher’s device} | THE OBELISK PRESS | 16, PLACE VENDOME | PARIS || Pagination: [2] – blanks (in wrapper), [4] – h.t. / blank, t.p. / publisher's note & copyright, [1] 2-270, [4] uncut (in wrapper), total 280 pages. Collation: 8vo; [A]8 B-Q8 R4 S8; total 140 leaves. Binding: Publisher’s yellow wrappers, lettering to spine:| TO BEG | I AM | ASHAMED |—| SHEILA | COUSINS | {publisher’s device} |  THE | OBELISK PRESS | PARIS ||; lettered front wrapper in red and black: To beg | I am ashamed |—| by | Sheila Cousins |—| The autobiography | of a London prostitute | Only authorized edition | Complete and unexpurgated | {publisher’s device} | THE OBELISK PRESS ||, publisher’s device in red to back wrapper; margins untrimmed; in an owner slipcase. Edition: 1st edition, France, May (i.e. June) 1838; presumably the first impression. Size: 19 x 14.5 cm. Contributors: Graham Greene (British, 1904 – 1991) – author. Ronald Matthews (British, 1903 – 1967) – author. The Obelisk Press – publisher.
  • Cover: To beg | I am ashamed | by | Sheila Cousins | An autobiography | of a London prostitute | Only authorized edition | Complete and unexpurgated | PUBLISHED IN PARIS || Title page: SHEILA COUSINS | TO BEG | I AM ASHAMED || Pagination:[4] 1-252], total 256 pages. Binding: Original wrappers, black lettering to front, spine, and back: Price in France and Continent 75 Frs. | Price in America Two Dollars |—| OPERA PRESS || Size: 20.2 x 14.5 cm. Edition: Pirated edition. Contributors: Graham Greene (British, 1904 – 1991) – author. Ronald Matthews (British, 1903 – 1967) – author. Opera Press (Paris) – publisher.
  • Title page: Sheila Cousins | TO BEG | I AM ASHAMED | {publisher’s device} | THE OBELISK PRESS | 16, PLACE VENDOME | PARIS || Pagination: [2] – blanks (in wrapper), [4] – h.t. / blank, t.p. / publisher's note (to first impression) & copyright, [1] 2-270, [4] uncut (in wrapper) with imprint "Imprimerie Frère Tourcoing", total 280 pages. Collation: 8vo; [A]8 B-Q8 R4 S8; total 140 leaves. Binding: Publisher’s yellow wrappers, lettering to spine:| TO BEG | I AM | ASHAMED |—| SHEILA | COUSINS | 8th | IMPRESSION | {publisher’s device} |  THE | OBELISK PRESS | PARIS ||; lettered front wrapper in red and black: To beg | I am ashamed |—| by | Sheila Cousins |—| The autobiography | of a London prostitute | Only authorized edition | Complete and unexpurgated | {publisher’s device} | THE OBELISK PRESS ||, publisher’s device in red to back wrapper; margins untrimmed; in an owner slipcase. Edition: 1st edition, 8th impression, France, (in or after August 1838). Size: 19 x 14.5 cm. Contributors: Graham Greene (British, 1904 – 1991) – author. Ronald Matthews (British, 1903 – 1967) – author. The Obelisk Press (Paris) – publisher. Imprimerie Frère Tourcoing – printer. Compare to the presumably 1st impression of the same edition [LIB-2806.2021].
  • Hardcover, 20.2 x 15.5 cm, owner’s half blue morocco binding over marbled boards with gilt lettering to spine, marbled endpapers, extracts from La Revue Blanche, numbers 91 and 92 of March 15 and April 1 of 1897 (année VII, tome XII), publisher’s pink wrappers preserved, pp. [2] [1-5] 6-160. Ref.: Bridget Alsdorf. Vallotton, Fénéon, and the Legacy of the Commune in Fin-de-siècle France.  Portraits: François [Quico] Merlin Colonel Merlin (French, 1814 – 1900) Adolphe Thiers (French, 1797 – 1877) Commandant Gaveau Fortuné Henry (French, 1821 – 1882) Otto von Bismarck (German, 1815 – 1898) Henri, comte de Chambord (French, 1820 – 1883) Louis Rossel (French, 1844 – 1871) François Huet Tranquille (French, 1842 – after 1879) Joseph Vinoy (French, 1803 – 1880) Raoul Rigault (French, 1846 – 1871) Eugène Varlin (French, 1839 – 1871) Théophile Ferré (French, 1845 – 1871) Georges Darboy (French, 1813 – 1871) Auguste Vermorel (French, 1841 – 1871) Jaroslaw Dombrowski [Jarosław Dąbrowski] (Polish-French, 1836 – 1871) Contributors: Félix Fénéon (French, 1861 – 1944) Félix Vallotton (French, 1865 – 1925) La Revue Blanche (Paris) Imprimerie Alcan-Lévy
  • Description: Suite of 16 hand-coloured drypoints, in 39 x 29 cm, in cream French flapped wrappers with lavender lettering “SYMPHONIES AMOUREUSES” and a sanguine drypoint vignette (platemark 15 x 13 cm) to front, 17 leaves plus 2 leaves in the wrappers, 38.5 x 57 cm vertically folded once, lettering to one page, plate to another page, unbound, only the top margin trimmed, unpaginated, wove paper watermarked "BFK Rives", in a faux chagrin double slipcase 39.8 x 30 cm. Title-page (in lavender and black): SYMPHONIES AMOUREUSES | Suite de seize gravures | à la pointe sèche | rehaussées | {blank} | imprimé aux dépens | de Bibliophiles et non mis dans le commerce || Titles of the plates : 1. Ouverture. 2. Gamme. 3. Rêverie. 4. Pas redoublé. 5 Fantasia. 6. Pastorale. 7. Estudiantina. 8. Presto. 9. Arpège. 10. Menuet. 11 .Symphonie médiévale. 12. Jeux d’eau. 13. Galop. 14. Impromptu. 15. Variation. 16. Ariette. Limitation: Print run of 100 copies, 5 copies on Japon Manchou, numbered №№ 1-5, enriched; 11 copies on vélin à la forme de Rives, numbered №№ 6-16, enriched; 84 copies on vélin à la forme de Rives, numbered №№ 17-100, of which this is copy № 32. Cat. raisonné: Dutel III, № 2478. Contributors: André Collot (French, 1897 – 1976) – artist, engraver.
  • Description: Original tan French flapped wrappers with black lettering to front, 22.7 x 14.5 cm, unbound, printed in b/w on thick wove unmarked paper with no plate mark (lithography?), collated in-4to, 1-94 102, total 38 leaves (2 leaves under front wrapper, 1 blank/limit., 1 h.t./blank, 1 t.p./blank, 31 leaves of illustrations printed on one side, 1 last blank, 1 under back wrapper); in a green marbled cardboard folder with lettered paper label to spine. Limitation: Edition limited to 200 copies on vélin de Rives, copies №№ 1-30 enriched with one original drawing, another 15 copies marked H. C. and numbered I-XV. This copy lacks the number, marked (handwritten) d’artiste A. C. (or H. C.) Catalogue raisonné: Dutel (1920-1970) № 2512, p. 388. Contributor: André Collot (French, 1897 – 1976) – artist.
  • NEW
    Softcover volume 250 x 190 mm, French flapped pink wrapper with glassine dust cover, lettering to front, pp.: [2 blanks] [2 h.t./blank] [2] 3-87 [88] [2 blanks] [2colophon/blank] [2 blanks], i.e. 49 leaves total plus 12 etchings incl. frontispiece; laid paper; all margins untrimmed. Limitation: The print run of 150 copies; this copy bears number 21 (one of 25 copies printed on ‘Chinese’ paper). Title-page: GAMIANI | OU | DEUX NUITS D'EXCÈS | ILLUSTRÉ DE DOUZE EAUX-FORTES | PAR UNE FEMME | BRUXELLES | AU DÉPENS D'UN AMATEUR || Similar lettering to the front wrapper. Colophon: JUSTIFICATION | Il a été tiré de cet ouvrage : 2 exemplaires sur japon impérial, numérotés 1 et 2; 25 exemplaires sur chine, numérotés de 3 à 27; 28 exemplaires sur papier de Montval, numérotés de 28 à 55; 95 exemplaires sur papier de Vidalon, numérotés de 56 à 150. Exemplaire N° 21. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 1641, pp. 185/6. Contributors: Alfred de Musset (French, 1810 – 1857) – author. May [Marie-Jeanne] den Engelsen (Dutch-French, 1900 – 1968) – artist Gaston Coquette, possibly Hubert Gaston Coquette (French, 1878 – 1969) ”Gaston Coquette, a printer who worked at 69, rue de la Glacière in the 13th arrondissement [in Paris]” – printer/publisher. Seller’s description: Un volume in-4 tellière (245 x 195 mm) de 88 pp., 2 ff, couverture rempliée en papier rose imprimée en noir. Illustré de 12 eaux-fortes de May den Engelsen. Tirage limité à 150 ex. L'un des 25 ex. (n° 21) sur chine. La gravure a certainement été réalisée à bord de la péniche La Marie-Jeanne, avec la complicité du compagnon de l'artiste, Frans de Geetere (Belgian, 1895 – 1968). Si quelques éléments biographiques de Frans sont faciles d'accès, les dates de naissance et de décès de May demeurent inconnues. L'impression typographique sort des presses de Gaston Coquette, imprimeur rue de la Glacière qui sévissait toujours dans les années cinquante pour le compte de Jean-Jacques Pauvert (French, 1926 – 2014).