• 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.    
  • Artist: Natalia Goncharova (July 3, 1881 – October 17, 1962). Russian/French. Lithographic illustration (frontispiece) for Sergei Bobrov book of poetry "The gardeners upon the grapevines", Moscow, Lirika Publishers, 1913. Size: 18 х 11,5 cm.
    Book was printed on May 20, 1913 for Lirika Publishers, by V. I. Voronov printshop in 500 copies, of them 50 authored and numbered. 10 lithographs by Natalia Goncharova printed at Kushneryov & Co. lithography in Moscow.
    Наталия Гончарова (3 июля 1881 – 17 октября 1962). Россия/Франция. Литографическая иллюстрация (фронтиспис) к книге С. П. Боброва "Вертоградари над лозами" [Сергей Бобров. М.: /Лирика, 1913]. Формат: 18 х 11,5 см.
    Тираж 500 экз, из них 50 авторизованных и нумерованных. Десять цветных рисунков работы Н. Гончаровой исполнены в технике литографии на отдельных листах. Книга отпечатана 20 мая 1913 года в типографии В.И. Воронова для книгоиздательства «Лирика». В мягкой издательской обложке. На с. 162 после списка литографий: Отпечатаны литографией т-ва И.Н. Кушнерев и К° в Москве.
     
  • Two-volume edition, financed, arranged and managed by Fermiers généraux. Vol. 1. Title : CONTES | ET | NOUVELLES | EN VERS, | Par M. de La Fontaine. | TOME I. | {vignette} | A AMSTERDAM. | — | M. DCC. LXII. || Pagination: [2] – blanks [i, ii] – h.t. / blank, [iii, iv] – t.p. / blank, v-xiv, [1] 2–268 [269-70] – table, [4] – blanks, plus frontispiece by Fiquet after Rigault, t.p. vignette, vignette, headpiece, and 23 tailpieces by Choffard, 39 plates by various engravers after Charles Eisen. Vol. 2. Title: same but TOME II. Pagination: [2] – blanks] [i, ii] – h.t. / blank, [iii] iv-viii [1] 2–306 [307-10] – épitaphe / table, [4] – blanks, plus frontispiece by Fiquet after Vispré, t.p. vignette, vignette, headpiece, and 29 tailpieces by Choffard, and 42 plates after Charles Eisen (Ray only cite 41 plates). Binding: 2 volumes, 19.8 x 12.2 each, uniformly bound in full Spanish mottled calf, boards triple ruled in gilt, flat spine with triple bands, double ruled and tooled in gilt, black title labels lettered in gilt, all margins gilt, marbled end-papers, in cardboard slipcases, openings leathered. In vol. 1 a manuscript plate 4.8 x 8.2 cm pasted to page [1]: "Cette Édition est très rare n’y ayant | eu que 30 Exemplaires de livres, ou la figure principale dans le Cas de Conscience page 143 Tom 2 est nud tandis que dans les autres Éditions cette Figure est voilée par un feuillage". Contributors: Jean de La Fontaine (French, 1621–1695) – author. Fermiers généraux and Jean Baptiste Séroux d'Agincourt (French, 1730 – 1814) – publisher. Joseph Gérard Barbou (French, 1723–1790) – printer. Artists: Charles Eisen (French, 1720 – 1778) François Xavier Vispré (British-French, c.1730 – 1789 or after) Hyacinthe Rigaud [Jacint Rigau-Ros i Serra] (Catalan-French, 1659 – 1743) Engravers: Joseph de Longueil (French, 1730 – 1792) Noël Le Mire (French, 1724 – 1801) Jean-Jacques André Le Veau (French, 1729 – 1786) Jacques Aliamet (French, 1726 – 1788) Jean Charles Baquoy (French, 1721 – 1777) Pierre-Philippe Choffard (French, 1730 – 1809) Jean Jacques Flipart (French, 1719 – 1782) Louis Simon Lempereur (French, 1725 – 1796) Jean Ouvrier (French, 1725 – 1784)

    Étienne Ficquet (French 1719 – 1794)

    Catalogue raisonné: Ray (French): №26, pp. 54-56; Cohen-DeRicci: 558-571; Lewine: 278-280.
  • Title: This Solemn | Mockery | THE ART OF LITERARY FORGERY | John Whitehead, A.L.A. | Arlington Books {device} London Pagination: [2] – h.t. / blank, [2] – t.p. / imprint, [2] –contents / acknowledgement, 1-177 [178 blank]; 4 leaves of plates (total 96 leaves). Binding: 22.2 x 14.2 cm; hardcover, aubergine cloth, silver lettering to spine, pictorial dust jacket. ISBN-10: 0851402127
  • Hardcover volume, 22.2 x 14.8 cm, bound in grey buckram, gilt lettering in an ornamental frame to front and spine, blind-stamped lettering to back; pp.: [1-2] 3-364 [4], collated 8vo:1-238, total 184 leaves, 368 pages. Title-page: ЛЕНИНГАДСКИЙ ОРДЕНА ЛЕНИНА | И ОРДЕНА ТРУДОВОГО КРАСНОГО ЗНАМЕНИ | ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ ИМЕНИ А. А. ЖДАНОВА | {in two-compartment frame: В. Я. ПРОПП {within a compartment} | ИСТОРИЧЕСКИЕ КОРНИ ВОЛШЕБНОЙ СКАЗКИ {within a compartment} | ИЗДАТЕЛЬСТВО ЛЕНИНГРАДСКОГО УНИВЕРСИТЕТА | ЛЕНИНГРАД 1986 || Print run: 25,000 copies. Edition: 2nd edition; for the 1st edition, see [LIB-3184.2023В. Я. Пропп. Исторические корни волшебной сказки. — Л.: ЛГУ, 1946. English title: [LIB-1615.2018The historical roots of the fairy tale. Contributors: Владимир Яковлевич Пропп [Vladimir Propp] (Russian, 1895 – 1970)
  • Title: REFLECTIONS | ON THE | REVOLUTION IN FRANCE, | AND ON THE | PROCEEDINGS IN CERTAIN SOCIETIES | IN LONDON | RELATIVE TO THAT EVENT. | IN A | LETTER | INTENDED TO HAVE BEEN SENT TO A GENTLEMAN | IN PARIS. | BY THE RIGHT HONOURABLE | EDMUND BURKE. | — | {in lozenges} THE SECOND EDITION. | —| LONDON: | PRINTED FOR J. DODSLEY, IN PALL-MALL. | M.DCC.XC. || Pagination: [4 blanks] [i-iii] iv, 1-356 [4 blanks]. Collation: 8vo; π2 B-Z8, Aa2. Binding: Quarter calf with marbled boards, gilt fillets, red label with gilt lettering to spine. "King John Haggerston, 1790" handwritten ink inscription to front endpaper, t.p. and p. iii. Seems like Sir John Haggerston, 9th Baronet.
  • Title: GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE | FERNAND FLEURET LOUIS PERCEAU | L'Enfer | DE LA | BIBLIOTHÈQUE NATIONALE | ICONO-BIO-BIBLIOGRAPHIE | DESCRIPTIVE, CRITIQUE ET RAISONNÉE, | COMPLÈTE A CE JOUR | DE TOUS LES OUVRAGES COMPOSANT CETTE CÉLÈBRE COLLECTION | AVEC UN INDEX ALPHABÉTIQUE | DES TITRES ET NOMS D'AUTEURS | PARIS | MERCVRE DE FRANCE | XXVI, RVE DE CONDÉ, XXVI | MCMXII || Pagination: ffl, [1-5] 6-415 [416], bfl. Collation: [1]8 2-268. Binding: Original tan wrappers, lettering to covers and spine. Edition: First edition of which this is №952. Ref.: BnF
  • THE | ADVENTURES | OF | TELEMACHUS, | THE SON OF ULYSSES. | Translated from the French of | Messire François Salignac de la Mothe–Fenelon, | Archbishop of Cambray. | BY | JOHN HAWKESWORTH, L. L. D. | — | LONDON: | Printed for the AUTHOR, by W. and W. Strahan, | M DCC LXVIII. || Binding: half polished brown calf over marbled boards, wave ruled blind, gilt fillet ruled compartments, black label with gilt lettering to spine; 29.5 x 24.5 cm; marbled endpapers. Pagination: 2 blank leaves (wove paper), [I, ii] – t.p. / blank, [iii] iv – dedication, [v] vi-xv – subscribers, [xvi] blank, [xvii] xviii-xix – preface, [xx] xxi-xxxv – contents, [xxxvi] – errata, subscribers omitted, [1] 2-462, printed on laid paper, 2 blank leaves (wove paper). Collation: 4to; A4, a-c4 d2, B-Z4 Aa-Zz4 Aaa-Mmm4 Nnn3; 24 head- and 24 tailpieces engraved by Charles Grignion the Elder (British, 1721 – 1810) after Samuel Waly (British, 1720 – 1786). Original: François Fénelon. Les Aventures de Télémaque, fils d’Ulysse. See № LIB-2522-2020 in this collection. Not in Lewine, 1898; Not in Cohen De Ricci, 1912.    
  • Cover and title page: Освободительная библiотека. | П. А. КРОПОТКИНЪ. | Парижская коммуна | В. СИМКОВИЧЪ | Послѣдние годы борьбы Россiи | съ самодержавiемъ | {publisher’s device} | ИЗДАНIЕ В. Д. КАРЧАГИНА. | Москва—1906. || Publisher’s lettered wrappers, pagination: [1-5] 6-83 [84], collation: 8vo, [1]8 2-58 62; size: 10.5 x 14 cm. Contents: П. А. Кропоткин. Парижская коммуна / Пер. Т. Брона — pp. 3-31; В. Симкович. Последнии годы борьбы России с самодержавием / Пер. Л. П. Данилова — pp. 33- 83. Kropotkin, Pyotr Alexeyevich [Кропоткин, Пётр Алексеевич] (Russian, 1842 – 1921) — author of the text. Simkhovitch, Vladimir Gregorievitch [Симкович, В.] (Russian-American, 1874 – 1959) — author of the text. Кушнерёв, Иван Николаевич (Russian, 1827 – 1896) — printer.  
  • Volume 1: Land birds – 7th edition; Supplement: 1st edition. Title: A | HISTORY | OF | BRITISH BIRDS. | THE FIGURES ENGRAVED ON WOOD BY T. BEWICK. | VOL. I. | CONTAINING THE | HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF LAND BIRDS | — | AND | A SUPPLEMENT, WITH ADDITIONAL FIGURES. | — | NEWCASTLE: | PRINTED BY EDWARD WALKER, PILGRIM STREET, | FOR T. BEWICK : SOLD BY HIM, AND E. CHARNLEY, NEWCASTLE ; | AND LONGMAN AND CO. LONDON. | 1821. || Pagination: [2 blanks], [i, ii] – t.p. / blank, [iii] iv-xl, [43] 44-330, [2] – suppl. t.p. / blank, [1] 2-46 [47] – contents, [48] – advert., [2 blanks]. Collation: 8vo in fours; π1 A-C4 E3 F-2S4 π1 B-G4; I2, N2, and 2A2 unsigned. Woodcuts: 157 descriptions of birds, 140 figures of birds, 127 vignettes, tail-pieces, figures in text, etc. Volume 2: Water birds – 5th edition; Supplement: 1st edition. Title: A | HISTORY | OF | BRITISH BIRDS. | THE FIGURES ENGRAVED ON WOOD BY T. BEWICK. | VOL. II. | CONTAINING THE | HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF WATER BIRDS | — | AND | A SUPPLEMENT, WITH ADDITIONAL FIGURES. | — | NEWCASTLE: | PRINTED BY EDWARD WALKER, PILGRIM STREET, | FOR T. BEWICK : SOLD BY HIM, AND E. CHARNLEY, NEWCASTLE ; | AND LONGMAN AND CO. LONDON. | 1821. || Pagination: [2 blanks], [i, ii] – t.p. / blank, [iii] iv-xxii, [19] 20-360, [2] – suppl. t.p. / blank, [1] 2-43 [44] – contents, [1] 2-7 – addenda., [8] – imprint, [2 blanks]. Collation: 8vo in fours; π1 A-B4 *B2 C-2X4 2Y3 π1 B-F4 G2 [H]4; E2, F2, G2, 2G2, 2T2 and Suppl. G2 and Addenda unsigned. Woodcuts: 162 descriptions of birds, 125 figures of birds, 137 vignettes, tail-pieces, figures in text, etc. Both volumes: Size: 21.3 x 14 cm; page: 20.7 x 13.1 cm, demy. Binding: Green half-calf over marbled boards, blind-ruled raised bands with gilt ornament, crimson gilt-ruled and lettered labels to spine. For the first edition see: LIB-2614.2021 Catalogue raisonné: Hugo (1866): № (99) 94 –120 (108) / pp. 40-58; Roscoe (1953): № 24 a-c, 25 a-c, 26 a-c, 27 a-c, 28 / pp. 104 - 114.
  • DJ: Н. И. ГРЕЧ | ЗАПИСКИ | О МОЕЙ ЖИЗНИ | ACADEMIA || Duplicate title: ПАМЯТНИКИ | ЛИТЕРАТУРНОГО | БЫТА | ЗАПИСКИ О МОЕЙ ЖИЗНИ | Н. И. ГРЕЧА | «ACADEMIA» | МОСКВА — ЛЕНИНГРАД | MCMXXX || Title page: Н. И. ГРЕЧ | ЗАПИСКИ | О МОЕЙ ЖИЗНИ | ТЕКСТ ПО РУКОПИСИ | ПОД РЕДАКЦИЕЙ | И С КОММЕНТАРИЯМИ | ИВАНОВА-РАЗУМНИКА | И Д. М. ПИНЕСА | «ACADEMIA» | МОСКВА — ЛЕНИНГРАД | MCMXXX || Title verso: ПЕРЕПЛЕТ | И СУПЕР-ОБЛОЖКА ПО РИСУНКАМ | ХУД. А. А. УШИНА | {imprint} || Pagination: [1-5] 6-896; illustrations within pagination + photomechanical frontispiece w/guard. Collation: 8vo; 1-568 (total 448 leaves + 1 plate). Binding: 18.5 x 13 cm; stamped green cloth, border to boards, elements and lettering to spine; letterpress dust jacket. Print run: 5070 copies. Catalogue raisonné: Крылов-Кичатова (2004): №402, p. 210. Contributors: Греч, Николай Иванович (Russian, 1787 – 1867) – author. Иванов-Разумник, Разумник Васильевич [Ivanov-Razoumnik] (Russian, 1878 – 1946) – editor, commentator. Пинес Дмитрий Михайлович (Russian, 1891-1937) – editor, commentator, shot by a firing squad. Ушин, Алексей Алексеевич (Russian, 1904 – 1942) – artist, died in the besieged Leningrad.
  • Title page: GRAHAM GREENE | {double rule} | Our Man | in Havana | AN ENTERTAINMENT | {citation: “And the sad man is cock of all his jests.” | — GEORGE HERBERT } | 1958 | THE VIKING PRESS • NEW YORK || Title verso: (top) COPYRIGHT © BY WILLIAM HEINEMANN LIMITED | PUBLISHED IN 1958 BY THE VIKING PRESS, INC. | 625 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK 22, N. Y. | (bottom) {publisher’s device} | LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGUE CARD NUMBER: 58.11735 | PRINTED IN THE U. S. A. BY | AMERICAN BOOK – STRATFORD PRESS || Pagination: [6] [1, 2] 3-273 [274]. Binding: 21 x 14 cm, publisher’s pink cloth, black lettering to spine: {double rule} | GRAHAM GREENE | Our | Man | in | Havana | VIKING | {double rule} ||; black vignette to front cover in the lower-right corner; original pictorial dust jacket designed by Bill English, unclipped, $3.50 in the upper-right corner of the front flap, advertisement “Also by Graham Greene” on the back flap. Edition: 1st American edition. Contributors: Henry Graham Greene (British, 1904 – 1991) – author. Bill English (British, b. 1931) – artist. The Viking Press, NY (1925 – 1975) – publisher. American Book-Stratford Press, Inc. – printer.
  • Title: Antoinette Faÿ-Hallé • Christine Lahaussois | Le grand livre de la | faïence française | Office du livre || Dedication (to imprint): A Jeanne Giacomotti (author of French Faience, Oldbourne Press, London, 1963) Pagination: [1-6] 7-242 [2], 300 illustrations, incl. 150 in colour. Binding: 29 x 25.5 cm, grey paper, blind-stamped to front cover, white lettering to spine, pictorial dust jacket. Contributors: Antoinette Faÿ- Hallé (French, 20th century) – Chargée du Musée national de céramique de Sèvres Christine Lahaussois (French, 20th century) – Chargée de conservation, Musée national de céramique, Sèvres  
  • Title-page: A SORT OF LIFE | — | Graham Greene | — | {publisher’s device} | THE BODLEY HEAD | LONDON SYDNEY | TORONTO || Green publisher’s cloth with silver lettering to spine, aubergine dust jacket, lettered on front and spine, designed by Michael Harvey, unclipped (£1.80 NET | IN U.K. ONLY), [1-8] 9-215 [216] + 2 blank leaves. © Graham Greene 1971. Printed by: William Clowes & Sons Ltd. (Beccles). Graham Greene (British, 1904 – 1991).
  • Softcover, in pictorial wrappers, 28 x 21.6 cm, 30 entries, with colour illustrations, some folding. Catalogue of the sales exhibition on November 1-5, 2019 in NY; pagination: [1-3] 4-72 [2] [2 blank], ils. Contributor: Sebastian Izzard
  • Softcover, pictorial wrappers, square 21 x 21 cm, 40 leaves, unpaginated, with illustrations in colour, 76 entries, with price list laid in; limited edition of 700 copies. Contributor: Israel Goldman In this collection:
    Kawanabe Kyōsai . Two Crows on a Plum Branch with Rising Sun [烏、梅、旭] 1889

    SVJP-0148.2014: Kawanabe Kyōsai. Two Crows on a Plum Branch with Rising Sun / Nagaban, c. 1885–89

  • DJ: Graham Greene | THE COMEDIANS || Title page: THE COMEDIANS | Graham Greene | {four lines citation from Thomas Hardy} | {publisher’s device} | THE BODLEY HEAD| LONDON || Edition: 1st edition, 1st printing. Binding: bound in green cloth, 20.5 x 13.5 cm, with gilt lettering to spine, in green pictorial dust jacket with white lettering, price clipped; gift autograph to fep: “To. | Richard | From: gig | Xmas 1964.” (sic., the book was published in 1966!) Pagination: [1-4] 5-313 [314 blank] [6] blanks (total 320 pages). Collation: 16mo; [A]4 B-K16 L12 (total 160 leaves).
  • Description: Hardcover, 18.8 x 13 cm, pictorial front cover (after Franz von Bayros) in colour over tan cloth, lettering to spine, all margins red, laid paper endpapers, pp.: [4] 1-185 [3]; collated 8vo as π2 1-118, 126, total 192 pages (96 leaves) plus 5 b/w photogravures after drawings by Franz von Bayros. Title-page (blackletter): Gustav Hochstetter | Das Füsschen der gnädigen Frau | und Anderes | {publisher’s device} | {blank} | 1912 | München und Leipzig bei Georg Müller || T.p. verso (blackletter): Umschlagzeichnung und fünf Bildbeigeben von | Franz von Bayros | {blank} | (serif) Copyright 1912 by Georg Müller in München || Colophon: Druck von Mänicke u. Jahn, Rudolstadt. Contributors: Gustav Hochstetter (German-Jewish, 1873 – 1944) – author. Franz von Bayros (Austrian, 1866 – 1924) – artist. Mänicke und Jahn (Rudolstadt) – printer. Georg Müller (München, Leipzig) – publisher.