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![[Philip Graves]. The Truth About "The Protocols" : A Literary Forgery / From the Times of August 16, 17, and 18, 1921. — London: [The Times, 1921]. — pp.: [2 title, coloph.] 3-24.](https://varshavskycollection.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/LIB-2496.2020-a-scaled-500x500.jpeg)
A contemporary reprint in publisher's wrappers, 22.8 x 14.4 cm, untrimmed, stapled, with title on the outer cover and similar to t.p.: The Truth About | "The Protocols" | A LITERARY FORGERY | From The Times of | August 16, 17, and 18, 1921 | LONDON: | PRINTING HOUSE SQUARE, E.C.4. | ONE SHILLING NET. || Pagination: [2] – t.p. / colophon, 3-24. Collation: [A]2 B10. -
Description: One volume in cream French flapped wrappers, 28.5 x 19.5 cm, lettered to front in blue, printed on wove paper, [1-8] 9-157 [158] [6 blanks] + 8 plates tipped-in; total 82 leaves, first two and last three blank (total 8 blanks), the first and last leaves in the wrappers. Clandestine pirate edition with 8 collotype reproductions of coloured etchings after André Collot. Some plates with a water stain in the upper left corner, one plate has a long closed tear along the left margin. Compare to the original etchings, these plates look dull. Front wrapper (blue): LA SEMAINE | SECRÈTE | DE SAPHO || Title-page (black): LA SEMAINE | SECRÈTE | DE SAPHO | Illustrée de huit gravures | coloriées à la main | LA CHRONIQUE DES DAMES | CONTEMPORAINES || Limitation: The run of 300 copies printed on vélin de luxe “illustrée de huit gravures avec remarques colorées à la main”. This copy is № 128. Note: According to J.-P. Dutel (1920-1970) № 2385, p. 360, it is a pirate edition, printed in c. 1930. Jean-Pierre does not indicate that the plates are collotype reproductions, however, it is obvious when assessed under a microscope with a magnification of 60. The original edition published in 1929 has a different title-page and is illustrated with hand-coloured etchings, see Dutel (1920-1970) № 2384, p. 360. Contributors: Pascal Pia [Pierre Durand] (French, 1903 – 1979) – author. André Collot (French, 1897 – 1976) – artist. -
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. -
NEWHardcover, 169 x 100 mm, quarter brown sheepskin over speckled paper, flat spine, gilt double fillet bands, crimson morocco label with gilt lettering, printed on French paper watermarked “FIN 1787”; two volumes in one, collated in 12mo. Tome premier: π1 h.t., A8 (A1 t.p., A2,3 Lettre de Sophie au chevalier d'Olzan), B4 C8 D4 E8 F4 G8, H4, I4; pp.: [2] [i-iii] iv-vi, [7] 8-104, plus three plates, p. 24 printed on cream wove paper, pp. 66, 67 on blue laid paper (or pasted on such). Tome second: A8 (incl. h.t. and t.p.) B4 C8 D4 E8 F4 G8 H4 I8 K4, L4; pp.: [1-5] 6-127 [1 blank]; all three plates printed on cream wove paper; plate marked as p.68 is after p. 64, plate marked p.64 is after p. 68, plate p. 79 is on its place. Plates attributed to Louis Binet. Text is attributed mainly to Comte de Mirabeau; however, Guillaume Apollinaire, in his L’Enfer de la Bibliothèque Nationale (1913), believes that Marquis de Sentilly wrote it. Catalogue raisonné: Cohen-de Ricci 709; Dutel I A-988, p. 294. Contributors: Mirabeau, Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, Comte de (French, 1749 – 1791) Binet, Louis (French, 1744 – 1800) Seller's description: Deux parties en un volume in-12. 165 x 97 mm. Tome premier: I f. n. ch. faux-titre, 104 pp. y compris le titre avec une vignette gravée, la "Lettre de Sophie au chevalier d'Olzan" qui débute l'ouvrage est paginée en chiffres romains. Tome second: 127 pp. tout compris et 1 p. bl. 6 gravures libres non signées qui sont de Binet. Reliure de l'époque. Demi-basane brune, plats de papier coquille moucheté, dos lisse omé de deux filets dorés répétés, pièce de titre de maroquin rouge, lettres dorées, tranches jaspées. Reliure un peu frottée, coins émoussés. Quelques rousseurs. Rarissime deuxième édition de cet Émile de l'éducation sexuelle enrichie de gravures libres attribuables à Binet. -
Title: L'ADAM | LASCIF | OU | LETTRES A LA MARQUISE |{fleuron}| AVEC | des figures finement gravées | pour animer par ces billets | fort galamment troussés | AU CARQUOIS D’ARGENT || Edition: Limited numbered edition of 252 copies, artist’s copy on Marais paper with watermark, final state. Pagination: [2] blanks, [2] h.t./tirage, [2] blank / exemplaire, [2] t.p. / blank, i-iii [iv], f.t. / blank; 13-183 [184] [2] blanks, [2] ex-libris / blank; frontispiece, 9 vignettes and 9 plates by Gaston Barret, dry point, sanguine; woodcut vignettes at the faux-title of each chapter. Binding: Unbound, in publisher's blue velour paper folder with gilt device to front cover, original wrappers with blue silhouette and grey medallions, in publisher's grey slipcase. Ref: (1) Jean-Pierre Dutel, Bibliographie des ouvrages érotiques publiés clandestinement en français entre 1920 et 1970, № 951, Inconnu à Pia. (2) Curiosa: An exhibition of illustrated erotic books 1987 — London: Hobart & Maclean, 1987, № 8. (3) Honesterotica (793). Note: Most sources reference black prints, not sanguine. The publishing year was established by Jean-Pierre Dutel; in any case, it was published before the jury hearings at Cour d'Assises in Paris on May 29, 1956. The fact of hearings was not independently confirmed. -
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: Original cream French flapped wrappers, 27.4 x 20 cm, in a white moiré double slipcase 28.5 x 21.5 cm; collated 4to, gatherings with double-page illustrations collated 6to; printed on thick wove paper watermarked “BFK RIVES”, outer and bottom margins untrimmed; paginated: [2 blanks] [1-8] 9-140 [4] [2 blanks], total 44 pages (besides the blanks in wrappers), illustrated with 12 full-page and 4 in-text drypoint plates by Georges Viglino after pencil drawings by Gaston de Sainte-Croix. Enriched with 16 leaves of plates printed in sepia on Arches teinté paper (watermarked). Title-page (in salmon and black): NOUS | DEUX | ILLUSTRE DE | SEIZE POINTES SÈCHES ORIGINALES | ÉDITIONS DU CYCLAMEN – M CM LVI || Limitation: A print run of 200 copies, of which 2 copies (A and B) on Japon Nacré + one suite of plates on Japon Impérial, 30 copies (№ 1-30) on Rives + one suite of plates on Arches, and 168 copies (№ 31-198) on Rives pur fil. This copy is № 29, on BFK Rives with a suite on Arches. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel (1920-1970) № 2055, p. 282. Contributors: Marcel Valotaire (French, 1889 – 1979) – author Gaston de Sainte-Croix (French, 1904 – 1977) – artist Georges Viglino – engraver/printer (attributed by Dutel). Jacques Vialetay – publisher (attributed by Dutel). -
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 Provenance: Jacques 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
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NEWTwo volumes, 133 x 88 mm each, uniformly bound in full tree calf, bordered in gilt garland, board edges and flat spine tooled in gilt, gilt fleurons in compartments, two crimson morocco labels to spine lettered in gilt; marbled endpapers, bookplate “MK” to front pastedown, one binder’s flyleaf in the front and one in the rear. Title-page: MÉMOIRES | DE | SATURNIN, | ÉCRITS PAR LUI-MÊME, | Nouvelle édition, corrigée & augmentée, | avec Figures. | (in rules) PREMIERE PARTIE / SECONDE PATIE [sic]. | {fleuron} | A LONDRES. | — | M. DCCLXXXVII. || Collation 18mo: Vol. 1: π2 A-T6 V4 (i.e. 118 leaves); pp.: [4] 1-235 [236 blank], plus 13 plates, incl. frontispiece, extraneous to collation. Vol. 2: π2 A-M6 N4 (i.e. 76 leaves); pp.: [4] [1] 2-151 [152], plus 11 plates, extraneous to collation. Twenty-four plates were executed in etching and burin on copper plate by François-Rolland Elluin (French, 1745 – 1810) after Antoine Borel (French, 1743 – 1810). Catalogue raisonné: Cohen 431; Dutel I № A-523, p. 166/7 ; Nordmann I № 156 (large 185 x 125 mm) Author: Gervaise de La Touche, Jean-Charles (French, 1715 – 1782) Microphotographs:
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NEWTwo volumes, 132 x 85 mm, uniformly bound in mottled calf, panel bordered with gilt garland, flat spine richly tooled in gilt, gilt lettered black label, blue endpapers, “MK” bookplate to front pastedown, gilt-ruled edges and dentelle inside, all edges gilt, an etching on india paper laid in; text and plates printed on laid paper, with tall ‘s’. Vol. 1: Collation 18mo: A-C-E-G12 B-D-F-H6 I10(I10 blank) (i.e. 82 leaves); pp. [1-5] 6-161 [3], plus 9 plates with tissue guards, extr. to collation; and a flyleaf at the front and at the rear. Title-page: THÉRESE | PHILOSOPHE, | OU | MÉMOIRES | Pour servir à l'Histoire de D. DIRRAG, & | de Mademoiselle ERADICE. | Nouvelle édition, augmentée d'un plus | grand nombre de figures que toutes les | précédentes. | (in rules) TOME PREMIER. | {fleuron} | A LONDRES. | — | M.DCC.LXXXV. || Vol. 2: Collation 18mo: ffl, π2 A-C-E6 B-D12 (D11,12 blank) ffl (i.e. 44 leaves); pp.: [4] [1] 2-80 [4], plus 11 plates with tissue guards, extr. to collation; and a flyleaf at the front and at the rear. Title-page: THÉRESE | PHILOSOPHE, | AVEC | L'HISTOIRE | DE | MME BOIS-LAURIER. | Nouvelle édition, augmentée d'un plus | grand nombre de figures que toutes les | précédentes. | (in rules) TOME SECOND. | A LONDRES. | M.DCC.LXXXV. || Twenty plates were executed in stipple engraving by an unknown engraver after François-Rolland Elluin (French, 1745 – 1810) after Antoine Borel (French, 1743 – 1810). Elluin’s plates are executed in etching and burin, besides: pl. 2 mirror image, pl. 5 and 6 mixed up, pl. 9 here is pl. 19 in the original, pl. 12 here is pl. 9 in the original, pl. 11 is 10, pl. 10 is 11, pl. 13 is p. 12, pl. 16 is pl. 13, pl. 14 does not have clocks, p. 14 corrected by hand to 15 and it is 15 indeed, pl. 17 is pl. 16, pl. 18 is pl. 17, pl. 19 is pl. 18, woman has no hat. The edition is legitimate; however, the plates are pirated copies. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel № 1092, p. 235/6. Contributors: Boyer d'Argens, Jean-Baptiste (French, 1703 – 1771)] Borel, Antoine (French, 1743 – 1810) « Eradice » – Cadière, Marie-Catherine (French, 1709 – ?) « D. Dirrag » – Girard, Jean-Baptiste (French, 1680 – 1733) Laid in sheet — illustration to Thérèse philosopher by Félicien Rops.
Microphotographs of certain plates in this edition:
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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.
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.Thérèse philosophe, 1783.
Late 18th century books
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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 -
![[James Macpherson]. The Poems of Ossian / Translated by James Macpherson, Esq; In Two Volumes. A New Edition; Two volume set. — London: Printed for W. Strahan and T. Cadell, MDCCLXXXIV [1784]. — Vol.1: [i-v] vi-xiii, [2] 3-404 pp; vol.2: [6], [2] 3-435 pp.](https://varshavskycollection.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/LIB-2397.2020-500x500.jpeg)
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. | MDCCLXXXIV.|| 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. | MDCCLXXXV.|| Vol.1: [i-v] vi-xiii, [2] 3-404 pp; vol.2: [6], [2] 3-435 pp. Two volumes, 22.5 x 14.7 cm; hardcover; full calf with the spines later professionally rebound; original boards with sympathetic repairs to the margins and corners.5 raised bands, red label with gilt lettering to Sp. Bindings remain firm, page blocks firm, boards stained, pages a little rippled, with occasional marks throughout. spotting and marks to endpapers. 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: 1784 Publisher: W. Strahan and T. Cadell -
Softcover volume, 19.5 x 14.3 cm, olive French flapped wrappers, glassine dust cover, printed on laid paper (Hollande), outer and bottom margins untrimmed, some pages uncut; pagination: [2] blank, [i-iv] h.t./limit., t.p./blank, v-viii, 1-196 [197] [5], total 212 pages plus frontispiece; head- and tailpieces and in-text stencil-coloured etchings after Chéripoulos. Title-page (olive and black): LE ROMAN | DE | VIOLETTE | {vignette} | A LA ROYNE DE CYTHÈRE | SODOME | 1920 || Limitation: Cet ouvrage, achevé d'imprimer le cinq Janvier Mil Neuf Cent Vingt à trois cents exemplaires dont vingt-cinq exemplaires sur Japon Impérial contenant chacun un dessin original de Chéripoulos, numérotés de un à vingt-cinq; deux cent soixante-quinze exemplaires sur papier de Hollande, numérotés de vingt-six à trois cents; en plus cinq exemplaires de collaborateurs marqués de A à E. Le présent exemplaire porte le numéro 72. Edition: Printed on the 5th of January 1920 in 305 copies (№№ 1-25 on Japon Impérial, №№ 26-300 on Hollande, A–E for collaborators). Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 2339, p. 350. Contributors: Henriette de Mannoury d'Ectot [Henriette Nicolas Le Blanc] (French 1815 – 1899) Charles Auguste Edelmann [Chéripoulos] (French, 1879 – 1950). -
Two volumes in-16o, 16.3 x 10.3 cm, uniformly bound in marbled calf with gilt triple-fillet border, flat spine with gilt lozenges in compartments, two crimson labels with gilt lettering, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt, with engraved title, 2 title vignettes, 11 copper plate engravings, incl. title/frontispiece in vol. 1, and 10 headpieces (two of them similar), printed on laid paper. Vol. 1: Livres 1 – 5. Engraved title-page: Cartouche with the title "Les | Amours de | THEAGENES | & | CHARICLÉE", with a Cupid holding a torch on top and a defeated winged dragon at the bottom; Cupid's quivers with bows and arrows beside. Collation: 8vo; a5 (t.p., preface), A-N8 O4 (O4 blank), total 113 leaves plus 6 unsigned engraved plates, incl. engraved title as frontispiece, unsigned; 5 different headpieces, unsigned. Pagination: [i, ii] iii-x, [1] 2-213 [3] (blank), total 226 pages, ils. Vol. 2: Livres 6 – 10. Collation: 8vo; π1 (t.p.), A-M8, total 97 leaves plus 6 unsigned plates, incl. the Conclusion, no frontispiece; 5 headpieces, the headpiece for Livre 7 similar to Livre 4. Pagination: [2] [1] 2-190 [2] (blank), total 194 pages, ils. Letterpress title-page (red and black) in each volume: AMOURS | DE | THEAGÉNES | ET | CHARICLÉE• | HISTOIRE ETHIOPIQUE. | PREMIERE (SECONDE) PARTIE. | {vignette} | A LONDRES, | — | M. DCC. XLIII. || According to Cohen-DeRicci, this is the first anonymous edition with 9 different headpieces; the second edition in the same 1743 was published by Antoine Urban Coustelier (French, 1714 – 1763) in Paris with less provocative headpiece vignettes. The original text belongs to Héliodore d'Emèse, i.e. Heliodorus [Ἡλιόδωρος] (Greek, 3rd – 4th century AD). The earliest translation into French was performed by Jacques Amyot (French, 1513 – 1593) and published by J. Longis in Paris in 1547. The new translation is credited by Lewine to Jean de Montlyard (French/Swiss, 17th century), first published in Paris in 1620. However, most scholars attribute it to Louis François de Fontenu (French, 1667 – 1759), Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle (French, 1657 – 1757) or Germain François Poullain de Saint-Foix (French, 1698 – 1776), first published in 1727 by Herman Uytwerf (Dutch, 1698 – 1754) in Amsterdam. Catalogue raisonné : J. Lewine, 236; Cohen-DeRicci, 478. Information about the story can be found here: Aethiopica.
