• 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.    
  • Les Aventures de Télémaque, fils d'Ulysse, Par feu Messire François de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon, Précepteur de Messeigneurs les Enfants de France, & depuis Archevêque - Duc de Chabray, Prince du Saint-Empire Romain, &c. / Nouvelle édition enrichie de figures en taille-douce. – À Maestricht, Chez J. E. Dufour & Ph. Roux, Imprimeurs-Libraires associés. M. DCC. LXXXII. Pagination: ffl, [i, ii - ht, explication] [2 - blank, frontis. portrait] [iii, iv - t.p., blank] [v - discours] vi-xxviii, [1] 2-484, bfl; 1 folding map and 24 plates engraved by Jean-Baptiste-Pierre Tardieu. Size: 8vo, 21 x 13 cm. Binding: full contemporary mottled calf, marbled end-papers, all margins red, raised bands, floral gilt elements in compartments, red title label, head- and tail-band absent. Point of issue: the vignette in Liv. 1 is upsidedown. Liv. 1 & 8 plates signed: Gravé par Tardieu résident à Malines. Jean Baptiste Pierre Tardieu (French, 1746 – 1816) - engraver and cartographer from a large family of artists and engravers. For English translation of this book see № LIB-2683-2021 in this collection.  
  • Front wrapper, t.p.: Общедоступная философiя | ВЪ ИЗЛОЖЕНИИ | АРКАДIЯ ПРЕССА | — | ГРОЦIЙ. | О ПРАВѢ ВОЙНЫ И МИРА. | Цена 40 коп. | [two medals] С.-Петербург | Изданiе П. П. Сойкина [two medals] | Книжный Складъ / Стремянная, 12 | Книжный Магазинъ / Невский, 96 || Verso to front wrapper: publisher's advert.; verso to back wrapper: publisher's advert.; back wrapper: Series advert. Series: Общедоступная философия в изложении Аркадия Пресса Pagination: [1, 2] – t.p. /censor's approval dated September 30, 1902 г., imprint, [3] 4-50 [2] – publisher's advert. Collation: 8vo;  [1]8 2-38 42. Inscriptions: Handwriting to front wrapper "1902"; to title page "1902" and  in Russian: "Ензику от Тышки 19/III-26г." Size: 19.5 x 12.3 cm. Binding: original publisher's wrappers, lettering, pp. 35-46 loose. Author: Hugo Grotius [Huig or Hugo de Groot] (Dutch, 1583 – 1645). Originally published by Nicolas Buon in Paris in 1625 in Latin under the title: De iure belli ac pacis (English: On the Law of War and Peace). Compiler/translator: Аркадий Германович Пресс [Аркадиус Пресас or Arkadius Presas] (Russian-Finish, 1870 – 1952).
  • Hardcover, publisher's white cloth with a black imprint to cover, red and black lettering to spine, pictorial DJ, pp.: [1-4] 5-398 [2]. Послесловие В. Столбова, художник В. Юрлов. Russian translation of Cien años de soledad by Gabriel García Márquez
  • Title: BIBLIOMANIA; | OR | Book Madness: | A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ROMANCE, | IN SIX PARTS. | Illustrated with Cuts. | BY THE REV. | THOMAS FROGNALL DIBDIN. | {vignette} | INTERIOR OF THE BODLEIAN LIBRARY | I pity all our great ones and rich men that know not this happiness. HEINSIUS. | LONDON: PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, | By J. McCreery, Blackhorse-court, Fleet-street; | AND SOLD BY MESSRS. LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, | AND BROWN, PATERNOSTER-ROW. | 1811.|| Pagination: ffl, [i, ii] - ht, frontis., [iii, iv] - t.p., blank, [v]vi-ix - to the reader, [x] - blank, [2] - contents, [1, 2] - part 1 fl. t.p., blank, [3] - woodcut frame and capital I, 4-782 (imprint to p. 782) [2] - errata, blank, bfl; 1 plate op. p. 158. Collation: [A]6 B-Z8 2A-2Z8, 3A-3B8, 3C-3F4. Binding: 8vo, 23 x 14 cm, modern full dark brown calf by Period Binders (Bath, England), gilt fillet border to boards, raised bands with gilt ornaments and lettering to spine, pp. 685-688 an open tear in upper 1/8 of lateral margin, all margins marbled. Substantially revised 1st edition ("so much altered and enlarged, as to assume the character of a new work"). Author: Thomas Frognall Dibdin (British, 1776 – 1847).
  • Engraved title:

    Upper frame: ALMANACH | ICONOLOGIQUE, | OU | DES ARTS | pour l'année | 1764. | Orné de Figures | avec leurs explications | par | M. GRAVELOT. | avec Priv. du Roy | A PARIS

    Lower frame: Chez Lattré Graveur rue S. Jacq. | à la Ville de Bordeaux.

    Under the frame: H. Gravelot del. — L. Legrand sc.

    28 leaves, of them: engraved t.p., engraved frontis., and 12 plates, text engraved. Pages numbered 1-12, and I-XII (incorrectly marked XVI), other unpaginated, unbound tissue guards. Size: 10.6 x 7.2 cm, full polished crimson calf w/veins, triple-ruled in gilt with florets in corners, flat spine, double-ruled in gilt, all edges gilt. Florets in compartments, black title label with gilt lettering “ALM | ICON ||”, peacock marbled endpapers, blue silk ribbon. Approbation dated 15 November 1763, as some plates.

    Catalogue raisonné: Cohen, De Ricci 454.

  • Title: THOMAS FROGNALL DIBDIN | 1776-1847 | A Bibliography | By John Windle and Karma Pippin | Oak Knoll Press | New Castle Delaware | 1999 || Pagination: [2 blanks] [i, ii] – standing silhouette / frontis. with buste portrait 1821 (misspelled "Didbin"), [iii, iv] – t.p. / colophon, [v, vi] – dedication / blank, [vii, viii] – contents / blank, [ix, x] – illustr. / portrait 1816, [xi] xii-xxiii [xxiv] [1] 2-284 [2]. Binding: 23.5 x 16 cm, hardcover, publisher’s blue cloth gilt-stamped with a standing silhouette of T. F. Dibdin to cover, gilt lettering to spine.  
  • Cover: Акц. О-во “МЕЖДУНАРОДНАЯ КНИГА” | МОСКВА, Кузнецкий Мост, 12. Тел. 1-20-21. | АНТИКВАРНЫЙ КНИЖНЫЙ МАГАЗИН | ДЕЗИДЕРАТА | РУССКОГО БИБЛИОФИЛА | DESIDERATA OF A RUSSIAN BIBLIOPHILE | MEZHDUNARODNAYA KNIGA | Antiquarian Departament | Moscow — Kuznetski Most, 12. || Title: DESIDERATA | РУССКОГО БИБЛИОФИЛА | РЕДЧАЙШИЕ КНИГИ И ИХ | СОВРЕМЕННАЯ РАСЦЕНКА | СОСТАВИЛ П. П. ШИБАНОВ | (К ДОКЛАДУ В РУССКОМ ОБЩЕСТВЕ | ДРУЗЕЙ КНИГИ 15 АПРЕЛЯ 1927 Г.) | МОСКВА — 1927 || Title verso: Корректурное издание в количестве 200 нумерованных экземпляров, из которых №№ 1–100 для членов Русского Общества Друзей Книгию Отпечатано в 13-й типографии Мосполиграф «Мысль Печатника» Главлит №85566. № 121. Back cover: "Не для продажи". Publisher’s lettered wrappers, 21.5 x 15 cm, pagination: [1-4] 5-15 [16 blank]; stamps and inscriptions to covers, markings inside. Limited edition of 200 copies, of which this copy is № 121. Шибанов, Павел Петрович (Russian, 1864 – 1935).
  • Title: П. В. БЕЗОБРАЗОВ | Я. Н. ЛЮБАРСКИЙ | ВИЗАНТИЙСКИЙ ПИСАТЕЛЬ | И ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ ДЕЯТЕЛЬ | МИХАИЛ ПСЕЛЛ | МИХАИЛ ПСЕЛЛ: | ЛИЧНОСТЬ И ТВОРЧЕСТВО | Научное издание | Издательство | «АЛЕТЕЙЯ» | Санкт-Петербург | 2001 || Pagination: [1-5] 6-542 [2]. Binding: 21.5 x 15 cm; hardcover, crimson buckram, gilt lettering in the border, gilt serial device on black, pictorial endpapers. Print run: 1,300 copies. ISBN: 5-89329-401-7 Безобразов, Павел Владимирович (Russian, 1859 – 1918). Любарский, Яков Николаевич (Russian, 1929 – 2003).
  • Cover: МОРИС ДОМАНЖЕ | БЛАНКИ | РАБОЧЕЕ ИЗДАТЕЛЬСТВО “ПРИБОЙ” | ЛЕНИНГРАД 1925 || Title page: МОРИС ДОМАНЖЕ | БЛАНКИ | Пер. с французского | Рабочее Издательство “ПРИБОЙ” | Ленинград 1925 || Pagination: [2] 3-97 [3]. Collation: 8vo; [1]8 2-68 [7]2, total 50 leaves. Binding: Publisher’s wrappers, lettering to covers and spine, uncut. Contributor: Maurice Dommanget (French, 1888 – 1976) – author. Translation of: Blanqui par Maurice Dommanget. — Paris: Librairie de l'Humanité, 1924.
  • Publisher’s pictorial wrappers: CHRISTIE'S | NEW YORK | {three book covers} | Masterpieces of Modern Literature: | The Library of Roger Rechler | FRIDAY 11 OCTOBER 2002 || Red spine with white lettering from top to bottom, multiple illustrations in colour, 26.8 x 21 x 3 cm. Pagination: [1-4] 5-451 [452]. 375 lots, prices realized handwritten next to each lot and on 6 loose leaves inserted.
  • Cover: John Milton | A Catalogue of Works by or Relating to | John Milton | {vignette portrait} | Catalogue 620 | Issued by | MAGGS BROS. Ltd. | 34 & 35 Conduit Street, New Bond Street | LONDON, W.I. | and at Paris | 1936 || Title page: top left: Catalogue 620; top right: 1936, middle: JOHN MILTON | A CATALOGUE OF WORKS BY OR | RELATING TO JOHN MILTON | Largely comprising the Library of the well-known Milton Scholar, the late | prof. Hugh C. H. Candy, B.A., B Sc. | {coat of arms: by appointment to his majesty King George V} | MAGGS BROS. Ltd. | BOOKSELLERS BY APPOINTMENT TO HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V | AND H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES | 34 & 35 CONDUIT STREET, LONDON, W.I. | TELEGRAPHIC & CABLE ADDRESS: “BIBLIOLITE, LONDON.” […] TEL.: REGENT 1337 | At Paris: Maggs Bros., 93 & 95 Rue La Boëtie. || Printed: Courier Press Leamington SPA and London. Pagination: [1-4] 5-56 [6], wrappers incl. in pagination, the total number of leaves is 31. Binding: 24 x 18.5 cm, publisher’s tan wrappers, front wrapper detached, browned.
  • Collation: Prelims (pp.1-6): Blank leaf, front wrapper (ornamental, gilt and colour): LA NUIT VENITIENNE | FANTASIO | LES CAPRICES DE | MARIANNE | ALFRED DE MUSSET ||, blank leaf, [2] – h.t.: LA | NUIT VENITIENNE ||, [2] – t.p. (ornamental frame, marigold and reseda green): ALFRED DE MUSSET | LA NUIT | VENITIENNE | FANTASIA | LES CAPRICES | DE MARIANNE | ILLUSTRATIONS | DE | U. BRUNELLESCHI | L’EDITION D’ART H.PIAZZA | PARIS ||, [2] – ornamental divisional title: LA NUIT VENITIENNE ||, 7-138 [139/40] – contents / list of ills., [141-2] – limitation / colophon, blank leaf, back wrapper, blank leaf; plus 20 stencil-coloured (au pochoir) plates after gouaches by Umberto Brunelleschi, incl. frontispiece with red-lettered tissue guards; two more divisional titles, three headpieces in black; text printed on heavy wove paper, in an ornamental frame. Edition: 1st; limited to 500 copies on laid paper (papier du Japon) signed by the artist; this copy on wove paper without signatures, without limitation. Printed in Paris on the 10th of November 1913. Binding: 30 x 24 cm, owner’s green bead-grain buckram with a gilt-lettered black label to spine LA NUIT | VENITIENNE, publisher’s wrappers bound in, green and gilt endpapers. Alfred de Musset (French, 1810 – 1857) – author. Umberto Brunelleschi (Italian, 1879 – 1949) – artist. L’Edition d’art H. Piazza; Henri Jules Piazza (Italian, 1861 – 1929) – publisher, printer.
  • Title-page: FRANCIS CARCO | RUE PIGALLE | LITHOGRAPHIES EN COULEURS | DE | VERTÈS | PARIS | BERNARD GRASSET | Éditeur | 1927 || Description: 25.7 x 19.5 cm, French flapped cream wrappers with black lettering similar to title, lettering to spine, [2] 1st blank leaf, [2] h.t. / blank, plate / blank, [2] t.p. /blank, dedication “A | FRED ANTOINE ANGERMAYER” / blank, [1-2] d.t.p. “CHAPITRE | PREMIER” / blank, [3] 4-124, [2] limitation / blank, [2] last blank leaf; collation: 4to; π4 1-164; total 68 leaves and 14 plates printed by Frères Mourlot after watercolours by Marcel Vertès. Printing : September 15, 1927 by Coulouma in Argenteuil (H. Barthélemy, director); plates printed by Frères Mourlot in Paris; Edition: print run limited to 338 copies of which 22 on Japon Impérial (numbered Japon 1-15 and I-VII) enriched with one original watercolour drawing, one suite in black and one in colour, etc.; 43 copies on Hollande van Gelder (Hollande 1-33 and I-X) with additional suites in black and in colour; 270 copies on Vélin d’Arches (Arches 1-250 and I-XX); and 3 “special” copies. This copy is numbered Arches № 162. Contributors: Francis Carco [François Carcopino-Tusoli] (French, 1886 – 1958) – author. Marcel Vertès [Marcell Vértes] (Jewish-Hungarian-French, 1895 – 1961) – artist. Frères Mourlot – lithographer. Robert Coulouma (French, 1887 – 1976) – printer. Bernard Grasset (French, 1881 – 1955) – publisher. Fred Antoine Angermayer (German, 1889 –1951) – dedicatee. Other names: Marcel Vertès, Marcel Vertes, Marcell Vértes
  • Title-page: DELLE | NOVELLE ITALIANE | IN PROSA | BIBLIOGRAFIA | DI | BARTOLOMMEO GAMBA | BASSANESE | EDIZIONE SECONDA | CON CORREZIONI ED AGGIUNTE | {publisher’s device} | FIRENZE | TIPOGRAFIA ALL’INSEGNA DI Dante | M.DCCC.XXXV. || Collation: 8vo; π8 1-198; an extra leaf between 18 and 19 (189, pp. 289-10, errata), leaf 11 unsigned, leaf 12 signed 11. Total 161 leaves plus 6 leaves of plates extraneous to collation; Plates (copperplate engravings): (1) Giovanni Boccaccio, (2) Angelo Firezuola (i.e. Agnolo Firenzuola), (3) Lorenzo Magalotti, (4) Gasparo Gozzi, and (5) Michele Colombo by Marco Comirato, and (6) Franco Sacchetti by Francesco Bosa. Pagination: [i-iii] iv-xv [xvi] [1-3] 4-290, index [16], total 322 pages plus 6 plates, unpaginated. Binding: 22.4 x 15 cm, modern brown half-morocco over green sprinkled boards, red label with gilt lettering, publisher’s yellow wrappers preserved. Edition: 2nd; the 1st edition was published in 1833. Contributors: Bartolommeo Gamba (Italian, 1766 – 1841) – author, complier. Marco Comirato (Italian, c. 1800 – 1869) – engraver. Francesco Bosa (Italian, ? – ?) – engraver. Sitters: Giovanni Boccaccio (Italian, 1313 –1375) Franco Sacchetti (Italian, c. 1335 – c. 1400) Agnolo Firenzuola] (Italian, 1493 – 1543) Lorenzo Magalotti (Italian, 1637 – 1712) Gasparo Gozzi (Italian, 1713 – 1786) Michele Colombo (Italian, 1747 – 1838)
  • Description: One volume in grey-blue French flapped wrapper, 24 x 16.7 cm, collated 8vo, with black and red lettering to front cover, printed on watermarked thick wove paper Alfax Navarre, margins untrimmed, some pages uncut, illustrated with 12 aquatint plates signed Le Loup. Front wrapper and title (red and black): RESTIF DE LA BRETONNE | L'ANTI-JUSTINE | OU | LES DÉLICES DE L' AMOUR | Nouvelle édition entièrement revue et corrigée, | établie pour la première fois sur le texte original de 1798. | PRÉCÉDÉE D'UNE NOTICE BIBLIOGRAPHIQUE | par HELPEY | bibliographe poitevin | {device} | ILE SAINT-LOUIS | DE L’IMPRIMERIE DE Monsieur Nicolas. Limitation: Printed 350 copies, numbered 1-350, on alfax paper; this copy is № 256. Collation: 1-158 166, incl. the 1st and last leaves within the wrappers, total 126 leaves plus 12 plates extraneous to collation. Pagination: [4 blank] [1-4] 5-243 [244 blank] [4 blank], total 252 pages, ils. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel (1920-1970) № 1025, p. 45. Ref.: Danson Erotica Collection at Trinity College, Oxford – KK.6.33. Contributors: Nicolas Edmé Restif de la Bretonne (French, 1734 – 1806) – author. Louis Perceau [Helpey] (French, 1883 – 1942) – author. Maurice Henri Hector Duflou (French, 1885 – 1951) – publisher. The artist – Le Loup – unidentified.
  • Softcover, in pictorial wrappers, 28 x 21.8 cm, 64 entries, with colour illustrations, some folding. Catalogue # 17 of the sales exhibition on March 17-21, 2021 in NY; pagination: [1-3] 4-182 [2], ils. Contributor: Sebastian Izzard Select illustrations (references in this collection): SVJP-0222.2016: A view of the dressing room of a Theater in Dōtonbori, Ōsaka. SVJP-0105.2014: Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII as the ghost of Seigen. Utagawa Kunisada, a.k.a. Toyokuni III . Mitate sanjurokkasen no uchi SVJP-0360.2022: Ichikawa Danjūrō VII. SVJP-0361.2022: Beauty playing the shamisen beneath a mosquito net. SVJP-0359.2022: Young woman checks her makeup in a mirror. SVJP-0197.2015: Three Pleasures of Present-day Osaka (Tôsei Naniwa no sankô); left; centre, right.
  • Softcover, pictorial wrappers, square 21 x 21 cm, 40 leaves, unpaginated, with illustrations in colour, 80 entries, with price list laid in; limited edition of 700 copies. Contributor: Israel Goldman In this collection:

    JPD-0008.2016: Mori Sosen. Ink and colour on silk.