• 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.    
  • Hardcover volume 20.7 x 13.4 cm, bound in black buckram with blind and grey lettering to front and grey lettering to spine, in a pictorial dust jacket, yellow pictorial endpapers, pp.: [2] 3-287 [1], collated in 16mo, 1-916, 144 leaves, 288 pages. Title-page: ПИСЬМА АЗЕФА | — | 1893 – 1917 | — | [blank] | {publisher’s device} | МОСКВА | «ТЕРРА» — «TERRA» | 1994 || Print run: 10,000 copies. Азеф, Евгений Филиппович [Евно Фишелевич], [Azef, Yevno] (Jewish-Russian-German, 1869 – 1918) Павлов, Дмитрий Борисович (Russian, b. 1954) Перегудова, Зинаида Ивановна (Russian, b. 1934)

    ISBN: 5-85255-395-6. Azef Letters (Rus).

  • Title page: LES | BAISERS , | PRÉCÉDES | DU MOIS DE MAI, | POËME. | [vignette] | A LA HAYE , | Et se trouve à Paris | Chez Lambert , Imprimeur, rue de la Harpe. | Et Delalain , rue de la Comédie Françoise. | M. DCC. LXX Size: 8vo; 24.5 x 15.5 cm; Binding by Hippolyte Duru – stamp at the back of the front end paper DURU, 1855; full red calf, boards decorated in gilt, raised bands and gilt decorations in compartments, gilt lettering, AEG, peacock marbled end papers, text and illustrations printed on Holland paper. Collation: 2 ffls, engraved half-title by N. Ponce after Ch. Eisen, frontispiece by  Etienne Fessard after Claude-Jean-Baptiste Hoin (French, 1750 – 1817) w/guard tissue, t.p. by J. Aliamet after Ch. Eisen, Réflexions préliminaires: A8, B4; 'Le Mois de Mai' half-title, imprim. note on verso, frontispice by De Longueil after Ch. Eisen w/guard tissue, A4 C-F(8) H4; 2bfls. Frontispiece by Etienne Fessard is unique in this edition. Pagination: [2] 3-24, [27]/28, 5/6, 31/32 31/34 11/12 37-119 [120], 22 head-pieces after Ch. Eisen and 22 end-pieces after Marillier, engraved by Baquoy, Binet, Delaunay, Lingée, De Longueil, Masquelier, Massard, and Née. Mistakes in pagination likely confirms first printing first edition. Catalogue raisonné: Cohen, De Ricci (1912): 308-311). Artists: Charles Eisen (French, 1720–1778); Clément Pierre Marillier (French, 1740–1808), and Claude-Jean-Baptiste Hoin (French, 1750–1817). Engravers: Jacques Aliamet (French, 1726–1788); Jean Charles Baquoy (French, 1721–1777); Louis Binet (French, 1744–about 1800); Nicolas Delaunay (French, 1739–1792); Etienne Fessard (French, 1714–1777); Charles Louis Lingée (French, 1748–1819); Joseph de Longueil (French, 1730–1792); Louis Joseph Masquelier (French, 1741–1811); Jean Massard (1740–1822); François Denis Née (French, 1735–1818); Nicholas Ponce (French, 1746–1831).
  • Title: GIACOMO CASANOVA | Chevalier de Seingalt | HISTORY OF MY LIFE | FIRST TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH IN ACCORDANCE | WITH THE ORIGINAL FRENCH MANUSCRIPT | By Willard R. Trask | With an Introduction by the Translator | VOLUMES 1 AND 2 | A Helen and Kurt Wolff book • Harcourt, Brace & World, 1966 | NEW YORK || Stated 1st edition. Pagination: [2 blank] [i-iv] v-viii, [1, 2] 3-330 [8 blanks] + 32 ills. Two volumes in one.
  • Title: DE CRAUZAT | L'ŒUVRE | Gravé et Lithographié | DE | STEINLEN | Catalogue descriptif et analytique | suivi d'un essai de bibliographie et d'Iconographie | de son œuvre illustré. | PRÉFACE | DE ROGER MARX | San Francisco | Alan Wofsy Fine Arts | 1983. Edition: Fac-similé de l'édition originale de 1913. Pagination: [i-ix] x-xv [1-3] 4-228 [229-234]. Size: 32 x 24 cm.
  • Title: LES BEAUX LIVRES | — | LE SOPHA | de | CRÉBILLON FILS |{vignette}| ILLUSTRATIONS DE CARLÈGLE | — | Éditions Mornay | au 8 de la rue de l’Arrivée, Paris | 1933 || Series: Les beaux livres Binding: Original pictorial wrappers, margins untrimmed, uncut; printed on BFK Rives paper (watermark); the number of copy blacked out. Justification of the print run on p. [329].Pagination: [1-8] 9-326 [327-331], ill., woodcuts in text. Size: 20.2 x 15.5 cm
  • Title: MEMOIRS OF M. THIERS | 1870—1873 | Translated by | F. M. ATKINSON | {publisher’s device} | LONDON: GEORGE ALLEN & UNWIN LTD. | RUSKIN HOUSE 40 MUSEUM STREET, W.C. Pagination: [6] 7-384. Collation: 8vo; [1]-248. Size: 23 x 15 cm Binding: Blue cloth, top and bottom ruled in blind, gilt lettering to front cover and spine. Original: Adolphe Thiers. Notes et souvenirs de M. Thiers, 1870-1873: voyage diplomatique, proposition d'un armistice, préliminaires de la paix, présidence de la République. — Paris : [s.n.], 1901. — 465 p. The preface and editing signed "F. D." [Félicie Dosne]. Félicie Dosne (French, 1823 – 1906) was Thiers's sister-in-law.  
  • Title page: CHARLES VIRMAITRE | PARIS | qui s'efface | {publisher’s device} | PARIS | NOUVELLE LIBRAIRIE PARISIENNE | ALBERT SAVINE, ÉDITEUR | 18, RUE DROUOT, 18 | 1887 | Tous droits réservés. || Collation: Front pictorial wrapper, ffl, π3 1-1712 181, bfl, back wrapper w/publ. advert. Pagination: [6] [1-3] 4-314.
  • Title: MEMOIRS AND TRAVELS | OF | MAURITIUS AUGUSTUS COUNT DE | BENYOWSKY | MAGNATE OF THE KINGDOMS OF HUNGARY AND POLAND, ONE OF | THE CHIEFS OF THE CONFEDERATION OF POLAND | ETC., ETC. | Consisting of his Military Operations in Poland, his Exile into Kamchatka, | his Escape and Voyage from that Peninsula through the Northern | Pacific Ocean, touching at Japan and Formosa, to Canton | in China, with an Account of the French Settle- | ment he was appointed to form upon the | Island of Madagascar | WITH AN INTRODUCTION, NOTES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY | BY | CAPTAIN S. PASFIELD OLIVER || Half-title (ornamental, in black and red): MEMOIRS & | TRAVELS of | MAURITIUS | AUGUSTUS | COUNT | DE | BENYOWSKY | LONDON•KEGAN• | PAUL•TRENCH• | TRÜBNER•&•Co 1904 || Pagination: [i, ii] – owner pasted wood engraving “A woman of Kamchatka” / Dryden House advert., [iii, iv] – serial title / MAB (years), frontis. Portrait of MAB by Walter L. Colls w/guard, [v, vi] – ornamental h.t / copyright, [vii, viii] – t.p. / list of ill., ix-xxxvi, 1-635 [636]. Collation: 2 blank leaves (binding), [a]-b8 c2 1-398 406, 2 plates, 2 blank leaves (binding). Binding: Modern ¾ morocco over marbled boards, raised bands, gilt fleur-de-lis-cross in compartments, burgundy label with gilt lettering, by Atkinson Book Binders, Salisbury (sticker to back pastedown). Contributors: Printed by Neill and Co., Edinburgh. Published by Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co.; Kegan Paul, Charles (British, 1828 – 1902). Author: Maurice Auguste comte de Benyowsky [Мориц Август Бенёвский] (Polish-Slovak-Hungarian, 1746 –1786). Editor: Samuel Pasfield Oliver (British, 1838 – 1907). Translator: William Nicholson (British, 1753 – 1815). Originally published in 1790, in London (I have not seen it anywhere) and in Dublin by P. Wogan [etc.], and in 1791 in French, in Paris by Buisson.
  • Cover: La Conspiration Juive contre les Peuples | « Protocols » | Procès-verbaux de réunions secrètes | des | SAGES D'ISRAËL | ÉDITION DE | “La Vieille-France” | 1920 | 5Rue du Pré-aux-Clercs, 5 | PARIS (7e) || Title: « Protocols » | Procès-verbaux de réunions secrètes | des | SAGES D'ISRAËL | ÉDITION DE | “La Vieille-France” | 1920 | 5Rue du Pré-aux-Clercs, 5 | PARIS (7e) || Pagination: [1, 2] – t.p. / blank, 3-141 [142 blank] [2] – table / blank. Pp.: 1-11 – Introduction; 13-82 – Protocols; 97-141 – Le Bolchevisme, c’est les Juifs. Collation : 8vo; [1]8 2-98. Binding: Publisher’s blue black-lettered wrappers, lettered spine. Printer: Imprimerie Chantenay (Paris). The French translation of "Протоколы синоских мудрецов" written in Russian by Сергей Нилус (Sergei Nilus, 1862 – 1929) was published in “La Vieille-France” by Urbain Gohier (1862 – 1951). Inside front wrapper: "Brave French! Please note that the format of this book allows you to hide it in your pockets. Your Jewish masters strictly forbid you to read it. Its existence is hidden in every possible way by the Jewish-controlled press. But fear not! While carefully hiding it, read carefully about what your Jewish masters forbid the newspapers to tell you. And you will understand – who and how will take your homeland away from you."
  • Cover: LA | NOUVELLE PHÈDRE | ET | LE DIRECTEUR DE L'ODEON | PAR | PAGES (DU TARN) | PRIX : 50 CENTIMES | PARIS | GUSTAVE HAVARD, LIBRAIRE–ÉDITEUR | BOULEVARD SÉBASTOPOL (RIVE GAUCHE) et rue de la Harpe. | 1858 || Pagination: [1-3] 4-48. Collation: 8vp; [1]-38 (total 24 leaves) Binding: publisher’s wrappers. Printer: Imprimerie Bonaventure et Ducessois (Paris); Ducessois, Théodore (French, 1804 – after 1864.) Bonaventure, Jules-Frédéric (French, ca. 1816 – 1891) Pagès (du Tarn) (French, fl. 1838 – 1872) – known absolutely nothing. Other works: La France, ode (M. Papailhiau, 1840); Aux Électeurs ... du Tarn (Soupe, 1848) ; Les Funérailles de Napoléon, ode (Pilout, 1840) ; Mazagran, 4, 5 et 6 février 1840, chant héroïque (M. Papailhiau, 1840) ; Herminie, ou l'Amour et l'honneur, tragédie en 5 actes, en vers (Moquet, 1872) ; Lettre à S.E. le ministre de l'Intérieur sur la nouvelle Phèdre et le Théâtre français (Moquet, 1856), etc. There is also a humorous book by Antony de Menou, which does not contain anything of substance: Un contemporain: biographie de Pagès (du Tarn). — Paris: Masgana, 1857. Antony de Menou is an obscure figure in his own right. An article about him can be found at Les derniers bohêmes by Firmin Maillard (1833 – 1901) [LIB-2652.2021].
  • Title page: GRAHAM | GREENE | {vignette} | THE | THIRD MAN | NEW YORK • THE VIKING PRESS • 1950 || Title verso: COPYRIGHT 1949, 1950 BY GRAHAM GREENE | PUBLISHED BY THE VIKING PRESS IN MARCH 1950 | PUBLISHED ON THE SAME DAY IN THE DOMINION OF CANADA | BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY OF CANADA LIMITED | A condensed version appeared | in The American Magazine, | {publisher’s device} | PRINTED IN U.S.A. BY THE COLONIAL PRESS INC. || Pagination: [1-6] 7-157 [158] [2] blank. Binding: quarter red cloth over grey cloth boards with black lettering to spine, pictorial dust jacket with lettering to front, back and spine, unclipped, $2.00 in the upper-right corner of the front flap. Size:19.5 x 13.5 cm. Edition: 1st American edition. Contributors: Henry Graham Greene (British, 1904 – 1991) – author. The Viking Press, NY (1925 – 1975) – publisher. The Colonial Press, Inc – printer.
  • Title: TASTE & TECHNIQUE | IN | BOOK-COLLECTING | A study of recent developments in | Great Britain and the | United States | BY | JOHN CARTER | SANDERS READER IN BIBLIOGRAPHY | AND SOMETIME SCHOLAR OF | KING’S COLLEGE | {space} | {publisher’s device} | CAMBRIDGE | AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS | 1949 || Half-title: TASTE & TECHNIQUE | IN | BOOK-COLLECTING | The Sanders Lectures in Bibliography | 1947 || Pagination: [i-vi] vii-x [xi] [xii blank], 1-201 [202 blank] [2] – advert. / blank, total 12+202+2=216 pages. Collation: 8vo; π6 1-128, 136, total 108 leaves. Binding: 22.5 x 15 cm, red cloth, gilt lettering to spine, lettered dust-jacket with armorial publisher’s device in red, price-clipped. Edition: 1st edition (1948), 2nd impression, corrected (1949). Contributors: Carter, John Waynflete (British, 1905 – 1975) – author. Cambridge University Press (Cambridge) – publisher. Brooke Crutchley – printer.
  • Title page: IL | GOFFREDO | OVERO | LA | GIERUSALEMME | LIBERATA | DI TORQUATO TASSO. || Engraved title: On the banner: IL GOFFREDO | OVERO | LA GIERUSALEMME | LIBERATA | DI TORQUATO TASSO ||; under the image, within frame: IN PARIGI NELLA STAMPERIA REALE MDC XLIV. Signed: J. Stella InvenitÆgid Rousselet  Sculpsit (with tall “s”) || Collation: 2 blank leaves with donation ink inscription to recto of the 1st: “Ex Dono Patruelis Do Roberto Willughby” [i.e. Robert Willoughby]; t.p. / blank, engraved t.p. by Gilles Rousselet after Jacques Stella / blank, “Allegoria dell poema” 4 leaves, 1st two leaves signed iij and iiij, respectively; π6 A-Z4 Aa-Zz4 Aaa-Rrr4, 2 blank leaves at the end; text paginated from 1 to 502 [2] (p. 503 tailpiece, p. 504 blank); a printable area marked with vertical and horizontal double lines; total: 252 leaves of text (504 pages), 6 prelims and 4 blanks. Illustrated throughout with head- and tailpieces, and historiated initials. Binding: 18th-century red crushed morocco, triple-fillet gilt border, triple-fillet gilt frame, panel with gilt lozenge centrepiece, lozenges at corners, marbled endpapers, AEG, crudely rebacked retaining original spine with raised bands, gilt in compartments, crimson label with gilt lettering; The Robin Collection bookplate to front pastedown. Provenance: The Robin Collection; Robert Willoughby family. Contributors: Torquato Tasso (Italian, 1544 –1595) – author. Jacques Stella (French, 1596 – 1657) – artist. Gilles [Aegidius] Rousselet (French, 1610 – 1686) – engraver.
  • Title: Chansons | de Salles de Garde | {vignette} | Internat { À l’Enseigne des Trois Orfèvres } Quartier Latin || Collation: 21 leaves folded in half (84 pages), unpaginated, unbound, plus 40 plates (two-tone lithography) for 40 songs, in a flapped paper folder, in a green cardstock folder (slipcase without top and bottom?) with gilt diaper ornament. Text, music score, and drawings printed in brick red. Size: 28 x 22.5 cm. Edition: limited to 700 copies of which 100 (№ 1-100) on Vélin Arches, 650 (№ 101-650) on Vélin Spécial, and 50 without numbering marked “Exemplaire d’interne” on Vélin Supérieur. This copy is № 27. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel 1920 – 1970: 1192.
  • Description: Limited softcover edition in grey publisher’s wrappers 27 x 21 cm, lettered in a frame “MICHEL VOKAER | BIBLIOGRAPHIE | de | Marcel VERTÈS | PREFACE DE CLAUDE ROGER-MARX | Avec quatre dessins inédits de Vertès | — | EMILE RELECOM | BRUXELLES ||, lettered spine, pp. [1-4 h.t., t.p.] 5-34 [35, 36 blanks] [37 limitation] [38 blank] [39 colophon] [40 blank]; 40 pages total plus 4 photomechanical reproductions of Vertès’ unpublished drawings on glossy paper, extraneous to collation. Catalogue of 82 entries. Received uncut. Title-page: similar to front wrapper, plus «1967» in the bottom under BRUXELLES. Limitation: 7 copies (A-G) on Japon chamois + 2 suites of plates, 25 copies (1-25) on Hollande Van Gelder + 1 suite of plates, 450 copies (26-475)  on offset Arduenna, and 40 copies not hor sale (I-XL) on different papers. The total print run is 522 copies, of which this is № 206. Ref: leslibraires.fr Contributors: Michel Vokaer (Belgian, 20th century) – author. Claude Roger-Marx (Jewish-French, 1888 – 1977) – author. Marcel Vertès [Marcell Vértes] (Jewish-Hungarian-French, 1895 – 1961) – artist. Xavier Gustave Emile Relecom (Belgian, 1900 – 1977) – publisher.
  • Softcover, in pictorial wrappers, 28 x 21.7 cm, 25 entries, with colour illustrations, some folding. Catalogue of the sales exhibition on March 28 -April 7, 2006, in NY; pagination: [2] 3-61 [62 blank [2], ils. Contributor: Sebastian Izzard
  • Description: Hardcover volume, 35 x 25.1 cm, ochre cloth with gilt lettering and vignette to spine; pp.: [1-6] 7-389 [3 blank], total 196 leaves, 16 illustrations in colour, 1067 in b/w; in a pictorial slipcase 36 x 26 cm. Title-page: The | Japanese | Pillar | Print | Hashira-e | — | Jacob Pins | Foreword by Roger Keyes | {publisher’s device} | Robert G. Sawers Publishing | 5 SOUTH VILLAS | LONDON NW I 9 BS || Edition: Limited edition of 1000 copies, this is copy № 520. Contributors: Jacob Otto Pins (German-Israeli, 1917 – 2005) Roger Keyes (American, 1942 – 2020)