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THE | POETICAL | WORKS | OF | Mr. John Milton. | Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, | Sampson Agonistes, and his Poems | on several Occasions. | TOGETHER WITH | Explanatory NOTES on each Book of the | PARADISE LOST, and a TABLE | never before Printed. | LONDON: | Printed for Jacob Tonson, at Judges-Head near Inner-Temple-| Gate in Fleet – street , M DC XC V. || Pagination: [6] 1-343 [5] 1-66 [4] 1-57 [5] 1-60 [2] 321 [1], frontispiece and 12 plates, one before each book of Paradise Lost. Collation: 4to, folio; blank leaf, π3 B2, C-Z4, Aa-Yy4, A-H4 I2, [A]-D2 †D2 E-Q2 [A]1 B-Z2 Aa-Zz2 Aaa-Zzz2 Aaaa-Mmmm2 [N]1, 2 blank leaves, + frontis. portrait and 12 plates extraneous to collation. Plates: Portrait of John Milton (British, 1608 – 1674) engraved by Robert White (British, 1645 – 1703) after William Faithorne (British, 1616 – 1691) 11 plates engraved by Michael Burghers (Dutch, c. 1640 – c. 1723) after John Baptiste de Medina (Flemish, 1659 –1710); 1 plate (for Book IV) engraved by Peter-Paul Bouché (Dutch, 1646 – c. 1697) after Bernard Lens (British, 1659 – 1725). Binding: Folio, bound in full contemporary English panelled and speckled calf, tooled in blind, re-backed, corners repaired, the lines in Paradise Lost numbered; title pages of Paradise Regain'd and Samson Agonistes dated 1695; without a list of subscribers after the general title; with the Table for Paradise Lost; printed on laid paper, with tall "s", margins sprayed red. Provenance: near-contemporary ex libris of Sarah Bugg inside front board; along with that of Sam Bontham, 1726; later owned by forger Osborne Charles Vyse Aldis (1843 – 1916), with his signature on general title, with a nine-line note in his hand and initialled on page 343. Catalogue raisonné: Gordon N. Ray, Illustrated book in England (1976): p. 3. Ref: National Gallery of Art Contributors: Bouché, Peter-Paul (Dutch, 1646 – c. 1697) Burghers, Michael (Dutch, c. 1640 – c. 1723) Faithorne, William (British, 1616 – 1691) Lens, Bernard (British, 1659 – 1725) Medina, John Baptiste de (Flemish, 1659 – 1710) Milton, John (British, 1608 – 1674) Tonson, Jacob, the Elder (British, 1655 – 1736) White, Robert (British, 1645 – 1703) -
Title: LES | CURIOSITÉS DE PARIS | PAR | CH. VIRMAITRE | PRÉFACE DE M. XAVIER EYMA | PARIS | P. LEBIGRE-DUQUESNE, LIBRAIRE-ÉDITEUR | 16, RUE HAUTEFEUILLE, 16 | 1868 || Collation: 18mo, π6; 1-1918. Pagination: [2] – pictorial title by A. Gill, engr. Marchandeau / blank, [2] – t.p. / blank, [2] dedication to Émile de Girardin / blank, [vii] viii-xii – préface; [1] 2-360, bfl. Note: pp. 223/224 and XIX chapter’s f.t. unpaginated and loose, but collation is not interrupted. Other chapters f.t. paginated. Binding: hardcover, quarter brown buckram over marbled boards, flat spine, gilt fillets, gilt lettering over the black label. Contributors: Charles Virmaître (1835 – 1903) – text. Xavier Eyma (1816 – 1876) – text / preface. André Gill (French, 1840 – 1885) – artist / pictorial title. Marchandeau (French, fl. c. 1867) – engraver / pictorial title. -
Five volumes, uniformly bound in marbled three-colour stained polished calf, spine with raised bands, gilt in compartments, crimson label with gilt lettering “CONTES DE BOCCACE”, cream label with volume number, marbled endpapers and all edges; bookplate pasted to first blank flyleaf “BIBLIOTHÈQUE DE LAJUDIE” depicting a coat of arms over an anchor, anchors and tulips scattered in the upper section, globe in the lower section, in a frame. Size: 21 x 14 cm. Translated by Antoine Le Maçon (French, 1500? – 1559). Vol. 1: [4] two blank leaves, portrait by Louis Lempereur after Hubert Gravelot, engraved t.p.: LE | DECAMERON | DE JEAN | BOCCACE. | TOME I. | Londres | 1757. | H. Gravelot Inv. […] T.P. N 21 […] J. Aliamet Sculp. ||, engraved frontispiece to Vie de Jean Bocace by Lempereur after Gravelot; Pagination: [i] ii-viii (Vie de Jean Bocace with head- and tail-pieces); [1] 2-320 [2] one blank leaf. Collation: 8vo; a4 A-V8, 164 leaves + 6 blanks + 24 plates (incl. portrait, frontis., and t.p.) extraneous to collation, 1 headpiece and 18 tailpieces. Vol. 2: [4] two blank leaves, engraved t.p.: LE | DECAMERON | DE JEAN | BOCCACE. | TOME II. | Londres 1757 | H. Gravelot inv. […] T.II. N.1. […] N. LeMire Sculp .||; Pagination: [1] 2-292 [2] one blank leaf. Collation: 8vo; A-S8 T2, 146 leaves + 3 blanks + 23 plates (incl. t.p.) extraneous to collation, and 18 tailpieces. Vol. 3: [4] two blank leaves, engraved t.p.: LE | DECAMERON | DE JEAN | BOCCACE. | TOME III. | Londres 1757 | Gravelot inv. […] T.III. N.1. […] Aillamet Sc. ||; Pagination: [1] 2-203 [204] [2] one blank leaf. Collation: 8vo; A-M8 N6, 102 leaves + 3 blanks + 23 plates (incl. t.p.) extraneous to collation, and 18 tailpieces. Vol. 4: [4] two blank leaves, engraved t.p.: LE | DECAMERON | DE JEAN | BOCCACE. | TOME IV. | Lond 1761 | Gravelot invenit […] T.IV. №.I. […] Alliamet Sculpsit. ||; Pagination: [1] 2-280 [2] one blank leaf. Collation: 8vo; A-R8 S4, 140 leaves + 3 blanks + 23 plates (incl. t.p.) extraneous to collation, and 20 tailpieces. Vol. 5: [4] two blank leaves, engraved t.p.: LE | DECAMERON | DE JEAN | BOCCACE. | TOME V. | Londres 1761 | Gravelot, inv. […] T.V. N.1. […] Aillamet Sc. ||; Pagination: [1] 2 [3] 4-269 [270] [2] one blank leaf. Collation: 8vo; A-Q8 R7, 135 leaves + 3 blanks + 23 plates (incl. t.p.) extraneous to collation, and 22 tailpieces. Total plates: 24+23+23+23+23=112; total vignettes: 19+ 18 + 18 +20 + 22 = 94; total etchings and engravings: 213. Ref: MFA ACCESSION NUMBER 37.1371a-e; Cohen-de Ricci 160; Ray, French Illustrated Book, 15 / p. 39-41; Metropolitan Museum, NY (Accession Number: 17.3.2641). Contributors: Authors: Giovanni Boccaccio (Italian, 1313–1375); Filippo Villani [Philippe-Matthieu Villani] (Italian, 1325 – 1407)Illustrated by: Hubert François Gravelot (French, 1699–1773). Artists: Charles Eisen (French, 1720–1778); François Boucher (French, 1703–1770); Charles-Nicolas Cochin le fils (French, 1715–1790), Jacques Aliamet (French, 1726–1788) Engravers: Jean Charles Baquoy (French, 1721–1777); Jean Jacques Flipart (French, 1719–1782); Louis Legrand (French, 1723–1807); Noël Le Mire (French, 1724–1801); Louis Simon Lempereur (French, 1725–1796); Catherine Elisabeth (Cousinet) Lempereur (French, born in 1726); Jean-Jacques André Le Veau (French, 1729–1786); Pierre Etienne Moitte (French, 1722–1780); Jean Ouvrier (French, 1725–1784); Jean Jacques Pasquier (French, died in 1785); Pierre (Pitre) Martenasie (Flemish, worked in France, died in 1770?); Augustin de Saint-Aubin (French, 1736–1807); Dominique Sornique (French, 1708 – 1756); Jacques Nicolas Tardieu (French, 1716–1791). Publisher: Prault (French, 18th century) Note: MFA copy has a slightly different collation: [v. 1] 152 leaves, plus plates; [v. 2] 136 ll., plus pls.; [v. 3] 98 ll., plus pls.; [v. 4] 131 ll., plus pls.; [v. 5] 124 ll., plus pls. This is their description: "First edition with these illustrations; a French translation (Cohen-de Ricci 160) appeared slightly later. Gravelot designed 89 of the 111 plates, and all 97 of the tailpieces, his largest single commission. Some 115 of his preliminary sketches by this series are in the Rosenwald Collection, Library of Congress; 131 of the final engraver's models are in the Widener Collection at the National Gallery of Art; and two other finished drawings are in the Ray Collection, Pierpont Morgan Library. Ten plates were designed by Eisen, and Cochin and Boucher had six each. As some plates in the later volumes are dated as late as 1761, the actual issuing of the volumes apparently extended to that date." -
Title page: GUIDE DE L’AMATEUR | BIBLIOGRAPHIE | DES | OUVRAGES ILLUSTRES | DU | XIXe SIÈCLE | PRINCIPALEMENT DES LIVRES A GRAVURES SUR BOIS | PAR | JULES BRIVOIS | AUTEUR DE LA BIBLIOGRAPHIE DE L’ŒUVRE DE P.-J. BÉRANGER | MEMBRE FONDATEUR DE LA SOCIÉTÉ DES AMIS DES LIVRES | — | PARIS | LIBRAIRIE L. CONQUET | 5, RUE DROUOT, 5 | 1883 || Justification: Il a été tire : | 900 exemplaires sur papier vergé. | Et 50 exemplaires sur grand papier de Hollande. | Tous sont numérotés et paraphes par l’auteur. | № {188 signature} | Les numéros pairs portent le nom de M. L. Conquet. | Et les numéros impairs celui de M. P. Rouquette. | — | Le dépôt légal sera fait en France et dans tous les pays avec lesquels il | existe des conventions pour la propriété littéraire. | Tous droits réservés. || Pagination : [2] blank, [i-v] vi-xiii [xiv], [1] 2-468; the total number of pages = 484. Collation: π8 1-288 2910, an asterisk on leaf 295; the total number of leaves 242; 3 blank leaves of wove paper before and after collation. Imprint to 11 : Imp. de Mme de Lacombe; Imprint to 2910 : Nancy, imprimerie Berger-Levrault et Cie. Binding: ¾ polished distressed calf over marbled boards by the previous owner "E.D", gilt-stamped spine with gilt-lettered black label, peacock marbled endpapers, printed on laid paper. Contributors: Jules Brivois (French, 1832 – 1920) – author. L. Conquet (Paris) – publisher. P. Rouquette (Paris) – publisher. Berger-Levrault et Cie – 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 Invenit — Ægid 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. -
[Choderlos de Laclos.] Les Liaisons dangereuses, lettres recueillies dans une société, et publiées pour l’instruction de quelques autres; par M. C*** de L*** / Ornées de 6 gravures d'après Devéria. — Londres: s.n., 1820. Description: two volumes, collated 12mo, 17.1 x 10.6 cm each, modern binding – recently bound in quarter brown calf with gilt lettering, fillets and black fleurons to spine over green marbled boards; bookplate to front pastedown in each volume: “Ex-Libris | F.-M. Caye”. Printed on laid paper, each volume is illustrated with a frontispiece and two plates engraved by various engravers after Achille Devéria under the direction of Ambroise Tardieu. Title-page: LES LIAISONS | DANGEREUSES, | LETTRES RECUEILLIES | DANS UNE SOCIÉTÉ, | ET PUBLIÉES POUR L’INSTRUCTION DE QUELQUES AUTRES. | PAR M. C*** DE L***. | {3 lines of citation from J.-J. Rousseau} | TOME PREMIER (TOME SECOND) | — | A LONDRES. | ~ | M.D.CCC.XX. || Collation: Vol. 1: π8 1-1412 156, total 182 leaves plus 3 engraved plates: frontispiece and opposite to pp. 37 and 338. Pagination: [1-5] 6-16, [1] 2-348, total 364 pages. Vol. 2: π2 16 2-1512 162, total 178 leaves plus 3 engraved plates: frontispiece and opposite to pp. 25 and 316. Pagination: [4] [1] 2-352, total 356 pages. Provenance: Caye, F.-M. Pierre Ambroise François Choderlos de Laclos (French, 1741 – 1803) – author. Achille Jacques-Jean-Marie Devéria (French, 1800 – 1857) – artist. Engravers: Ambroise Tardieu (French, 1788 – 1841) Jean Baptiste Touzé (French, fl. 1810 – 1830) Jean Jacques Frilley (French, 1797 – after 1850) Achille Lefèvre (French, 1798 – 1864) Jean Louis Toussaint Caron (French, 1790 – 1832) -
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) -
Description: One volume 22.8 x 25.4 cm, in contemporary gilt-ruled brown half morocco over green buckram boards, spine with raised bands, gilt in compartments, lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers, all edges marbled, printed in sanguine; pp. [6] [1-3] 4-234 [4], 36 blank leaves ruled red, 12 blank leaves; total 170 leaves; 35 mounted marbled paper samples on 10 sheets. Title-page: THE PROGRESS | OF THE MARBLING ART | FROM | TECHNICAL SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES | BY JOSEF HALFER | WITH A SUPPLEMENT ON THE | DECORATION OF BOOK EDGES | Translated by Herman Dieck, Philadelphia {gothic} | BUFFALO, N. Y. | LOUIS H. KINDER | 1893 || Edition: 1st American edition (and first edition in English) after two editions in Budapest (Austro-Hungary) in 1884 and 1890. Contributors: Josef Halfer (Austrian, 1846 – 1916) – author. Herman Dieck (American, fl. 1883 – 1896) – translator. Louis H. Kinder (American, 1867 – 1938) – publisher. -
A book about the history and collections of The Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg during World War II; hardcover, 22.5 x 18 cm, in-8vo, grey cloth lettered black and red to front and spine, in pictorial dust jacket. Two similar copies of the 1st edition: LIB-3035.2022(1) and LIB-3035.2022(2). Title-page: (vertical black) С. ВАРШАВСКИЙ, Б. РЕСТ | (horizontal in red): ПОДВИГ | ЭРМИТАЖА || Opposite to t.p. (red on black): ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ | ЭРМИТАЖ | В ГОДЫ | ВЕЛИКОЙ | ОТЕЧЕСТВЕННОЙ | ВОЙНЫ || Pagination: [1-4] 5-190 [6], total 196 pages, multiple in-text b/w illustrations. Print run: 30,000 copies. Sergei Petrovich Varshavsky [Сергей Петрович Варшавский] (Jewish-Russian, 1906 – 1980). B. Rest [Б. Рест; Юлий Исаакович Шапиро] (Jewish-Russian, fl. 1940 – 1980). -
Paperback, 32 x 29 cm, with signed manuscript gift autograph to t.p., pp.: [1-9] 10-159 [5]. The photographic pictorial album, published on the occasion of the exhibition at Madrid, Circulo de Bellas Artes, Sala Antonio Palacios, from December 12th, 2006 to January 7th, 2007. Valery Katsuba (Belarusian, b. 1965) – artist. -
Hardcover volume, 24 x 18 cm, cloth-backed pictorial paper over cardboard (possibly, owner's), pictorial endpapers, no dust jacket; pp.: [2] – pictorial t.p. / copyrignt+imprint + [26] unpaginated pages (13 leaves); in-text photomechanical b/w and coloured illustrations after Feodor Rojankovsky. Front cover (pictorial): JUST SO STORIES SERIES | RUDYARD KIPLING | HOW | THE LEOPARD | GOT HIS | SPOTS | PICTURED BY F. ROJANKOVSKY || Title-page (pictorial): JUST SO STORIES SERIES | HOW | THE LEOPARD | GOT | HIS SPOTS | BY RUDYARD KIPLING | ILLUSTRATED BY | F. ROJANKOVSKY | GARDEN CITY PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC., GARDEN CITY, N. Y. || Contributors: Rudyard Kipling (British, 1865 – 1936) Feodor Rojankovsky [Rojan; Фёдор Степанович Рожанковский] (Russian-American, 1891 – 1970) -
Hardcover volume, 17.2 x 13.6 cm, bound in grey cloth with colour design elements and black and gilt lettering to front cover and spine, pp: [1-4] 5-455 [456]; collated 8vo: 1-228, 23-2410, 25-288; total 228 leaves. Frontispiece and headpieces – woodcuts by Н. А. Кравченко. Bookplate “EX LIBRIS | Д. И. Ривкиной” to front pastedown. Half-title: ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОЕ | ИЗДАТЕЛЬСТВО | ХУДОЖЕСТВЕННОЙ | ЛИТЕРАТУРЫ | Москва 1963 || Title-page: А. МЮРЖЕ | СЦЕНЫ | ИЗ | ЖИЗНИ | БОГЕМЫ | {lyre} | Перевод с французского | Е. А. ГУНСТА || Title-page verso: HENRY MURGER | SCÈNES | de la | VIE DE BOHÈME | 1851 | Редактор перевода | Е. Н. БИРУКОВА | Вступительная статья | С. И. ВЕЛИКОВСКОГО | Примечания | Е. А. ГУНСТА | Художник | Н. А. КРАВЧЕНКО || Print run: 50,000 copies. Сцены из жизни богемы [Scènes de la vie de bohème]; First edition: Henry Murger. Scènes de la bohême. — Paris: M. Lévy frères, 1851 [LIB-2732.2021]. Contributors: Murger, Henri [Henry] (French, 1822 – 1861) – original text (French). Евгений Анатольевич Гунст (Russian, 1901 – 1983) – translation, commentary. Самарий Израилевич Великовский (Russian, 1931 – 1990) – foreword. Наталья Алексеевна Кравченко (Russian, 1916 – 2017) – atrist. Д. И. Ривкина – provenance. -
Two hardcover volumes 22.7 x 18.5 x 4.5 cm, uniformly bound in contemporary vellum with a blind border along the edges, handwritten title to spine, printed on laid paper with watermarks to ffls: “Leonard”, “ISRB”, and the arms of Amsterdam. Vol. 1: SPIEGEL van STAAT | des | VEREENIGDE | NEDERLANDS. | Waar in | De Macht en 't Vry Bestier, | Van yder der Zeven Verbonde PROVINCIEN en haar | byzondere Steeden, | Zo in Rechten als Regeeringen werd ontvouwd. | Aanwyzende | Aan, de In, en Uytheemschen, alle de Hooge en Lage Recht- | banken, Collegien en Ampten, dewelke in de zelve, tot | dienst van den Staat, en het Recht, zyn ingesteld. | Hoe, wanneer en waar, voor de zelve yets te verrichten is. | DOOR | Mr: ROMYN de HOOGHE. | EERSTE DEEL: | {fleuron} | t’ AMSTERDAM, | — | By JAN TEN HOORN, Boekverkooper 1706. Collation: 2ffl, *-**4, A-Z4 2A-Z4 3A-O4 4A-G4 5A-S4 6A-F4, 2ffl, (4G2 marked 3G2), total 372 leaves, plus 8 folded leaves of plates, t.p., and half-page vignette dedication by Romeyn de Hooghe. Pagination: [16], 1-267, 268-270 (marked 468-470) 271-480, [2] 3-55 [56], [2] 3-143 [144], [2] 3-44 [4], total 744 pages, ils. Vol. 2: SPIEGEL van STAAT. | VERVATTENDE | DE MACHT DER | GENERALITEYT. | De Edele Mogende Collegiën, | Hooge Rechtbaken, Steden, Schansen | en Onderhoorigheeden, | Welke van Hoog Mogende af angen. | DOOR | Mr: ROMYN de HOOGHE. | TWEEDE DEEL. | Met Figuuren. | {fleuron} | Te AMSTERDAM, | — | By JAN TEN HOORN, | Boekverkooper, 1707. Collation: 2ffl, *-**4, ***2, A-Z4 2A-T4, (A-Z)4, (2A-V)4 X2, 2ffl, total 352 leaves plus 9 folded leaves of plates, t.p., and half-page vignette dedication by Romeyn de Hooghe. Pagination: [20], 1-335 [336], 1-339 [340] [8], total 704 pages, ils. Contributors: Romeyn de Hooghe (Dutch, 1645 – 1708) Jan ten Hoorn (Dutch, fl. 1671 – 1715) -
Hand-coloured lithography on wove paper, 380 x 298 mm; black ink stamp “4912” to reverse. On stone left: "A, Paris Miné Éditeur, imp.;" right: "Lith. R. St. Jacques. 41." Bottom center: "Napoléon III"; below: "EMPEREUR DES FRANÇAIS", under: "Élu les 21 el 22 novembre par 8,000,000 de voix et proclamé Empereur le 2 Xbre 1852." Printer/publisher: Miné, éditeur, imprimeur en lithographie, Rue Saint-Jacques, 41. Napoleon III [Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte] (French, 1808 – 1873) -
Hardcover, 333 x 247 mm, black cloth with gilt facsimile to front board and gilt lettering to spine, aubergine dust jacket with white lettering and red facsimile over black panel to front and back, crimson endpapers, laid paper, unpaginated; pp.: [4] h.t./blank, t.p./imprint, [2] text by John Hollander, 61 leaves of plates; originally published in 1969 by Rhinoceros Press, New York, as a limited-edition portfolio with slipcase. Title-page: Fornicon | (in frame) BY TOMI UNGERER | GROVE PRESS NEW YORK || Jean-Thomas [Tomi] Ungerer (French,1931 – 2019) John Hollander (American, 1929 – 2013) -
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
