//Laid paper
  • Vol. 1. Title : VOYAGES | ET MÉMOIRES | DE | MAURICE-AUGUSTE, | COMTE DE BENYOWSKY, | Magnat des Royaumes d’Hongrie et de | Pologne, etc. etc. | Contenant ses Opérations militaires en | Pologne, son exil au Kamtchatka, son Evasion | et son Voyage à travers l’Océan pacifique, au | Japon, à Formose, à Canton en Chine, et | les détails de l’Etablissement qu’il fut chargé | par le Ministère François de former à Mada- | gascar. | TOME PREMIER. | A PARIS, Chez F. Buisson, Imprimeur-Libraire, rue | Hautefeuille, no 20. | (1791.) Pagination : [2] – h.t. / blank, [2] – t.p. / blank, [i] ii-viii, [1] 2-466. Collation: 8vo; [π]2 a4, A-Ff8 Gg1. Vol. 2. Title: Similar, but TOME SECOND. Pagination: [2] – h.t. / blank, [2] – t.p. / blank, [1] 2-486. Collation: 8vo; [π]2 A-Gg8 Hh3, Hh3 unsigned. Binding: both volumes uniformly bound in half brown calf over speckled beige boards, crimson label with gilt lettering to flat spine, volume number in garland, florets in compartments. Bookplate to front pastedown: "C. De Oetting." Ink stamp to t.p.: "Oettingen-Wallersteinsche Bibliothek". Provenance:  Oettingen-Wallerstein library (Oettingen-Wallersteinsche Bibliothek) is the former library of the princes of Oettingen-Wallerstein, now part of the collection of Augsburg University library.
  • Description: Six softcover volumes, collated in-4to, 14.3 x 10 cm in publisher’s lettered wrappers; printed on laid paper; series "Les petits mémoires de Paris"  illustrated with 23 out of 24 etchings by Henri Boutet: (I) Les coulisses de l’amour; (II) Rues et Intérieurs; (III) Le carnet d’un suiveur; (IV) Le petits métiers; (V) Les nuits de Paris; (VI) Toutes les bohêmes. Vol. I: Cream cover, lettered black and red in a black frame: LA MÉSSAGÈRE | LES | PETITS MÉMOIRES | DE | PARIS | CONTENANT | Quatre Eaux-Fortes originales | PAR | Henri BOUTET | I | Les Coulisses de l’Amour | {vignette brown Notre-Dame de Paris} | A PARIS | CHEZ DORBON l’AINÉ, LIBRAIRE | 53 ter, Quai des Grands-Augustins || Title-page: similar, in black, with «MDCCCVIII» in the bottom. Edition not stated. [1-8] ( 7 marked 1) 9-125 [3] contents, colophon; h.t. uncut from 1st blank, three original etchings instead of four (one missing?), incl. frontispiece. Colophon: IMPRIMÉ PAR SOINS | DE LA | SOCIÉTÉ TYPOGRAPHIQUE | DE | CHATEAUDUN || Back wrapper blank. Vol. II: Mint-green cover, lettered black and red in a black frame: LA MÉSSAGÈRE | LES | PETITS MÉMOIRES | DE | PARIS | CONTENANT | Quatre Eaux-Fortes originales | PAR | Henri BOUTET | II | Rues et Intérieurs | {vignette brown Notre-Dame de Paris} | A PARIS | CHEZ DORBON l’AINÉ, LIBRAIRE | 53 ter, Quai des Grands-Augustins || Title-page: similar, in black, with «MDCCCIX» in the bottom. Edition not stated. [1-6] 7-125 [2] contents, colophon (same as in Vol. I); h.t. uncut from 1st blank, four original etchings, incl. frontispiece. Back wrapper blank. Vol. III: Cream cover, lettered blue in a blue frame: LA MÉSSAGÈRE | LES | PETITS MÉMOIRES | DE | PARIS | CONTENANT | Quatre Eaux-Fortes originales | PAR | Henri BOUTET | III | Le Carnet d’un Suiveur | 4e Edition | {vignette smoking gentleman in a top hat} | A PARIS | CHEZ DORBON L’AINÉ, LIBRAIRE | 53 ter, Quai des Grands-Augustins || Title-page: similar, in black, with «MDCCCIX» in the bottom. 4th edition. [1-6] 7-124 [4] contents, colophon (uncut); h.t. uncut from 1st blank, four original etchings, incl. frontispiece. Colophon: Imprimé par soins de | l’Imprimerie de Paris | Têtes de chapitre, lettrines et culs de lampe de | M. Paul Guignebault | Eaux-fortes tirées sous la direction de | M. Henri Boutet || Back wrapper with a frame and a ribbon at center, in blue. Vol. IV: Tan cover, lettered red and black in a black frame: LA MÉSSAGÈRE | LES | PETITS MÉMOIRES | DE | PARIS | CONTENANT | Quatre Eaux-Fortes originales | PAR | Henri BOUTET | IV | Le Petits Métiers | {vignette worker with a ladder} | A PARIS | CHEZ DORBON L’AINÉ, LIBRAIRE | 53 ter, Quai des Grands-Augustins || Title-page: similar, in black, with «MDCCCIX» in the bottom. Edition not stated. [1-6] 7-119 [120 colophon, uncut] [8 advert., uncut];  four original etchings, incl. frontispiece. Colophon: IMPRIMERIE DE PARIS | 22, RUE DES VOLONTAIRES PROLONGÉE | – PARIS - XVe – || Back wrapper with a black frame and a red ribbon at center. Vol. V: Olive-green cover, lettered red and blue in a blue frame: LA MÉSSAGÈRE | LES | PETITS MÉMOIRES | DE | PARIS | CONTENANT | Quatre Eaux-Fortes originales | PAR | Henri BOUTET | V | Les nuits de Paris | Deuxième Édition | {vignette woman on a street} | A PARIS | CHEZ DORBON L’AINÉ, LIBRAIRE | 53 ter, Quai des Grands-Augustins || Title-page: similar, in black, with «MDCDIX» in the bottom. 2nd edition. [1-8] 9-118 [2 colophon, uncut] [8 advert., uncut]; four original etchings, incl. frontispiece. Colophon: IMPRIMERIE DE PARIS | 22, RUE DES VOLONTAIRES PROLONGÉE | – PARIS - XVe – || Back wrapper with a blue frame and a red ribbon at center. Vol. VI: Cream cover, lettered red and blue in a blue frame: LA MÉSSAGÈRE | LES | PETITS MÉMOIRES | DE | PARIS | CONTENANT | Quatre Eaux-Fortes originales | PAR | Henri BOUTET | VI | Toutes les bohêmes | Cinquième Édition | {vignette windmill} | A PARIS | CHEZ DORBON L’AINÉ, LIBRAIRE | 53 ter, Quai des Grands-Augustins || Title-page: similar, in black, with «MDCDIX» in the bottom and “Deuxième Édition”. 5th or 2nd edition. [1-7] 8-120 [2 colophon] [4 advert.] [2 blank]; four original etchings, incl. frontispiece. Colophon: IMPRIMERIE DE PARIS | 22, RUE DES VOLONTAIRES PROLONGÉE | – PARIS - XVe – || Back wrapper with a blue frame and a red ribbon at center. Contributors: Henri Boutet [La Mésangère] (French, 1851 – 1919) – author, artist, etcher. François Louis Dorbon [Dorbon Aîné] (French, 1878 – 1956) – publisher.
  • Hardcover, 28.3 x 22.5 cm, two volumes bound in one in full navy crushed morocco by Zaehnsdorf for E. Joseph (signed), border fillet and red and gilt lettering to front, spine with raised bands outlined in gilt, red and gilt lettering in compartments, gilt dentelle, blue moire endpapers, all margins gilt; one of the original wrappers preserved, 14 tissue-guarded colour woodcuts after Alastair; text in black with red titles and initials (hand-set type), and the illustrations printed on watermarked ‘Moirans’ laid paper. Title-page (red and black): Les Liaisons Dangereuses | by | CHODERLOS DE LACLOS | With Illustrations | by | ALASTAIR | THE BLACK SUN PRESS | DEUX RUE CARDINALE | PARIS | MCMXXIX || Limitation: a print run of 1020 copies: 15 on Japon, 1000 on Moirans and 5 NFS; this is copy № 143 (vol. 1) and 303 (vol. 2) Contributors: Pierre Choderlos de Laclos (French, 1741 – 1803) – author. Ernest Christopher Dowson (British, 1867 – 1900) – translator. Alastair [Hans-Henning Baron von Voigt] (German, 1887 – 1969) – artist. Comte Ulric de Civry (French, 1853 – 1935) – dedicatee. Black Sun Press (1927 – 1970) – publishing company. Harry Crosby (American, 1898 – 1929) – publisher. Caresse Crosby [Mary Phelps Jacob] (American, 1892 – 1970) – publisher. Joseph William Zaehnsdorf (Austrian, 1853 – 1930) – bookbinder.        
  • Engraved title with the portrait of Torquato Tasso, displayed in an oval medallion, bound in “TORQUATO TASSO”, between two naked putti; Architecture with two columns and Ionic capitals supporting an architectural pediment; between the columns is a table with the inscription: LA GIERVSALEMME | LIBERATA | DI TORQVATO TASSO | Con le Figure di Bernardo | CASTELLO; | E le Annotazioni di Scipio | GENTILI, e di Giulio | GVASTAVINI. | IN GENOVA. M.D.LXXXX .|| Contents: The 20 cantos are followed by: Tutte le stanza intere, che dall'autore sono state refiutate in questo libro; Annotationi di Scipio Gentili; Luoghi osservati dal mag. Giulio Guastavini, quali il Tasso nella sua Gierusalemme hà presi & imitati da poeti & altri scrittori antichi; Allegoria del poema; Tavola di tutti i nomi proprii et di tutte le materie principali contenute nel presente libro. Pagination: [2] engraved t.p. / blank, 3-11, [1] 2-255 [256], 1-71 [72] [1] 2-40, 4 unpag. leaves ‘Allegoria del poema’; total 387 pp. Collation: 8vo; π6 A-Q8 A-D8 E4 A-B8 χ4 (in the first quire M4 marked L4), ills. signed in collation. At p. 17 canto 3rd marked as 2nd, pp. 135 and 139 in 12th canto marked as 11th. Binding: later full polished calf, blind double-ruled covers, blind double-ruled raised bands, gilt lettering: GIERVSALEMME | LIBERATA and GENOVA | 1590. TMG. Printed on laid paper. Front joints split at head and tail. Title page and twenty full-page ill. facing the opening of each canto, engraved by Agostino Carracci and Giacomo Franco after Castello. Those for cantos 6-8, 10, 12, 16-17, 19-20 are by Carracci, 8 and 19 with his initials. The remainder are by Franco and are signed by him. Woodcut head and tailpieces, the Argomenti at the head of each canto within cartouches, initials. Catalogue raisonné: Adam Bartsch. Le peintre graveur. — Vienne: J. V. Degen, 1803.

    Author: Written by Torquato Tasso (Italian, Sorrento 1544–1595 Rome)

    Designer: Illustrations designed by Bernardo Castello (Italian, Genoa (?) 1557–1629 Genoa)

    Engraver: Illustrations engraved by Agostino Carracci (Italian, Bologna 1557–1602 Parma)

    Engraver: Illustrations engraved by Giacomo Franco (Italian, Venice 1550–1620 Venice)

    Publisher: Published by Girolamo Bartoli , Genoa

    Ref.: MET, HathiTrust,
  • Title (in red and black): PART I | CANDIDE | OR | ALL FOR THE BEST | ★ | TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF | M. DE VOLTAIRE | ★ | WITH 10 ETCHINGS BY | CLARA TICE | ★ | EXACT REPRINT OF THE EARLIEST ENGLISH TEXT | PRINTED IN HOLLAND BY | JOH. ENSCHEDÉ EN ZONEN | FOUNDED IN HAARLEM ANNO MDCCIII | FOR | THE BENNETT LIBRARIES INC. | NEW YORK | MDCCCCXXVII || Limitation: 1,000 copies of which numbers 1 t0 250 are on a special deckle-edge Pannekoek paper; and numbers 251 to 1,000 are on papier à la cuve; this is copy № 310 (stamped in pink ink). Illustrations: 10 coloured etchings, incl. frontispiece, produced by an American artist Clara Tice (1888 – 1973) on a watermarked laid paper and bound in with tissue guards, lettered in red. Binding: 23.5 x 15.3 cm, quarter black buckram over wrinkled faux-marbled paper painted with gilt, gilt design and lettering to spine, black endpapers (both flyleaves present), top margin gilt, other trimmed rough. Collation: [10] – five blank leaves, [2] – h.t. / limitation, [2] – t.p. / imprint, 7-119 [120 blank], [121-2] – part 2 d.t.p. / blank, 123-182, [183-9] – contents, [190 blank], [10] – five blank leaves, the first blank uncut from [189/90]; total number of pages 216; total number of leaves  108 plus 10 plates with tissue guards, incl. frontispiece. Contributors: François-Marie Arouet [Voltaire] (French, 1694 – 1778)– author. Tobias George Smollett (British, 1721 – 1771) – translator (translation of 1759). Clara Tice (American, 1888 – 1973) – artist. The Bennett Libraries (NY) – publisher. Johannes Enschedé en Zonen (Haarlem) – printer.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.