• 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.    
  • Cover: Ch. Virmaitre | LES | VIRTUOSES | DU | TROTTOIR | {publisher’s device} | PARIS | P. LEBIGRE-DUQUESNE, ÉDITEUR | 16, RUE HAUTEFEUILLE, 16 | 1868 || Title: Similar. Imprint: De Rouge Frères, Dunon et Fresné (Paris). Pagination: [1-7] 8-161 [162], [2] – table, [2] – advert., [14]; 90 leaves total; publisher’s cream wrappers with red lettering in double frame. Collation: 12mo in 6th; [1]-136, 1412. Charles Virmaître (French, 1835 – 1903).
  • Quarter calf over marbled boards, 16 x 9 cm, spine with raised bands, gilt in compartments, gilt-lettered label, all margins red, two title-pages (one for each vol.), illustrated with engraved frontispiece by Antonio Baratti after Antonio Balestra; engraved portrait of John Milton by Antonio Baratti, 12 plates, one for each book, after “Piazzetta, Zucchi, Balestra, Tiepolo, and other Venetian artists”, unsigned; plate II signed ‘Antonio Barati scul.’ Title page: IL PARADISO | PERDUTO | POEMA INGLESE | DI GIOVANNI MILTON | TRADOTTO DAL SIG. | PAOLO ROLLI | Con le Annotazioni | DI G. ADDISON | E alcune Osservazioni critiche. | TOMO PRIMO (SECUNDO). | {publisher’s device} | IN PARIGI , MDCCLVIII. | — | A spese di Bartolommeo Occhi. | LIBRAJO VENETO. || Collation: *-**12 ***8 (dedication, vita), A-R12 (vol. 1) A-K12 L9 (vol.2); total 365 leaves plus 14 engraved plates, incl. frontispiece and portrait. Pagination: [i, ii] iii-lxiv 1-407 [408 blank], [2] 3-258; total 730 pages. Catalogue raisonné: Wickenheiser Collection 688 [LIB-2795.2021]. Though it states 228 pp., which does not seem right. “Scarce. Not in Coleridge”. Contributors: Milton, John (British, 1608 – 1674) – author. Joseph Addison (British, 1672 – 1719) – author / criticism Paolo Antonio Rolli (Italian, 1687 – 1765) – author / transaltion Bartolomeo Occhi (Italian, 1730 – 1781) – publisher. Antonio Baratti (Italian, 1724 – 1787) – engraver Antonio Balestra (Italian, 1666 – 1740) – artist. Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (Italian,1682/83 – 1754) – artist. Antonio Zucchi (Italian, 1726 – 1795) – artist. Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (Italian, 1696 – 1770) – artist.
  • Four-volume edition with 6+4+5+5 = 20 plates. Vol. 1 : Title page, in double-border, within rules; accents as per original, with tall «s»: Les | Parisiennes, | ou | XL caractères generaux | Pris dans les Mœurs actuelles, | Propres à servir à l'instruction | des personnes-du-sexe : | Tirés des memoires du nouveau Lycée-des-mœurs. | I Volume : Les jeunes-filles, | & les filles-à-marier. | A Neufchâtel , | Et se trouve à Paris. | Chéz Guillot, libraire de Monsieur, rue | S.-Jacques, vis-à-vis celle des Mathurins. | 1787. Pagination : [1-5] 6-300, plus 6 etched/engraved plates w/guard tissue after Louis Binet (French, 1744 – about 1800). Collation: 12mo; A14 B-M12 N4; first 6 leaves in gatherings B to M signed, with exceptions: A1,2 unsigned, A3-8 signed, A9-14, D5, N3,4 unsigned. Vol. 2: Title page: Text above the first rule similar; below: II Volume : Les N.lles–mariées : | Les Mariées depuis 3 ans. | A Neufchâtel , | Et se trouve à Paris. | 1787. Pagination : [1-3] 4-388, plus 4 plates. Collation: 12mo; A8 B-Q12 R6; A1,5-8, R4-6 unsigned. Vol. 3: Title page: Text above the first rule similar; below: III Volume : Les epouses | à imiter : à— suir | A Neufchâtel , | Et se trouve à Paris. | 1787. Pagination: [1-3] 4-392, plus 5 plates. Collation: 12mo, A4 B-R12; A1,3,4, G4, N4,6, O5 unsigned. Vol 4: Title page: Text above the first rule similar; below: IV Volume : Les J.nes-Mères, | &—de grands-enfans. | A Neufchâtel , | Et se trouve à Paris. | 1787. Pagination: [1-3] 4-380 [4], plus 5 plates. Collation: A-Q12; A1 unsigned. Binding: later (c. 1875 – 1885) uniform binding of all four volumes in motley 'percaline anglaise' (buckram) with black gilt-lettered labels to spine, marbled endpapers; printed on laid paper; armorial bookplate of Masséna engraved by Stern to front pastedown. Provenance: Library of Masséna; Victor Masséna, duc de Rivoli, prince d'Essling (French, 1836 – 1910) [photo]. Catalogue Raisonné: P.-L. Jacob, 1875: № XXXII, pp. 247-250. P. L. Jacob. Bibliographie et iconographie de tous les ouvrages de Restif de la Bretonne. — Paris: A. Fontaine, 1875. [LIB-2634.2021]. Contributors: Nicolas Edmé Restif de la Bretonne (French, 1734 – 1806) – text. Louis Binet (French, 1744 – c. 1800) – illustrations. Sources: MFA: ACCESSION NUMBER 37.1667a-b lacking one plate in vol. 4. Collation: 12mo, 4 vols. in 2; [v. 1] 150 leaves, plus 6 plates; [v. 2] 194 ll., plus 4 pls.; [v. 3] 196 ll., plus 5 pls.; [v. 4] 192 ll., plus 4 [of 5] pls. BNF Identifier ark:/12148/bpt6k1050366b. Collation: 4 vol. (300; 388; 392; 380 p., XX f. de pl.) : ill. ; in-12
  • Hardcover volume, 17 x 11.3 cm, in-12, quarter orange cloth (percaline) over marbled boards, black morocco label with gilt lettering to spine, marbled endpapers, text printed on laid paper, five plates on India paper (papier Chine). Title-page: LE | LIBERTIN | DE QUALITÉ | OU | MA CONVERSION | PAR | M. D. R. C. D. M. F. | (LE COMTE DE MIRABEAU) | Edition revue sur celle originale de 1783 | {fleuron} | LONDRES | – | 1783-1866 || Pagination: [4] (h.t., t.p.), [1] 2-200; total 204 pages plus 5 engraved plates, incl. frontispiece; 2 blank leaves at the front and 2 at the back, laid paper, watermarked Canson & Montgolfier. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel I: A-653. Ref.: Illustrations were earlier published in Vie privée, libertine et scandaleuse de feu Honoré-Gabriel Riquetti Comte de Mirabeau, 1791, (see [LIB-2633.2021] Apollinaire, et al. L’Enfer de la Bibliothèque nationale, 1912 : № 795). M. D. R. C. D. M. F stands for Monsieur de Riqueti comte de Mirabeau Fis. Catalogue Poulet-Malassis & ses amis description: № 55. M. D. R. C. D. M. F. (le comte de Mirabeau). Le Libertin de qualité ou Ma conversion, édition revue sur celle de l’originale de 1783. Londres 1783-1866 [Christiaens, 1867]. In-12 de 2 .n.ch. et 200 pages, demi-percaline orange, pièce de titre, tête jaspée, tranches naturelles (reliure de l’époque). Illustré de 5 gravures originales, dont l’une en frontispice, qui reprennent celles de l’édition de Vie privée libertine et scandaleuse de feu Honoré-Gabriel-Riqueti, ci-devant comte de Mirabeau [...] de 1791. Contributors: Honoré-Gabriel Riqueti de Mirabeau (French, 1749 – 1791) – author. Alexis Christiaens (Belgian, d. 1880) – publisher.
  • Erasmus. The praise of folly / Translated by White Kennett. — London: Stephen Austen, 1726. Title page in black and red: MORIÆ ENCOMIUM: | OR, THE | PRAISE | OF | FOLLY. |—| Written in Latin by | ERASMUS. |—| Translated into English by | WHITE KENNETT, | Lord Bishop of Peterborough; | With a PREFACE by his Lordship. |—| Adorn’d with | A great Number of COPPER PLATES | neatly engraven: To which is added, the Effigies of | ERASMUS, and Sir THOMAS MORE, from | theDesigns of the celebrated HANS HOLBEINE. |—| (in gothic letters) The Fourth Edition. |—| LONDON: | Printed for Stephen Austen, at the Angel in | St. Pauls’ Church-yard. 1726. || Pagination: modern endpapers and flyleaves, [2] – blank / frontis. (engraved portrait of Erasmus, [2] – t.p. in black and red with George Cruikshank’s signature in the bottom, dated 1876 / blank, [14] – to the reader, i-xiv – commendatory verses, [2] – John Wilford advert., folding portrait of Thomas More, i-v, [vi] - epistle, 1-168 – panegyrick, [4] – index.; 46 copper-engraved illustrations after Hans Holbein the Younger; pp. 17-20 detached. Collation: 12mo; π2 A6, a-b6, B-P6 Q2 (B3 unsigned), 13 in-text engravings + 26 plates + 7 folding plates; total 106 leaves and 33 plates, extraneous to collation. Edition: 4th, thus. Binding: 16.5 x 10.5 cm; rebacked with a modern spine, modern endpapers and flyleaves, contemporary boards sprinkled and tooled in a style of Cambridge panel. Provenance: Cruikshank, George (British, 1792 – 1878) [1876]; Stephen Whitehead (Oakland, CA) [2021]. Catalogue raisonné: J. Lewine (1898) p. 171 — 1st edition thus of 1709, in-8vo, with portrait and 46 plates after Holbein. Contributors: Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (Dutch, c. 1469 – 1536) – author of the original text in Latin.

    White Kennett (British, 1660 – 1728) – translator from Latin into English.

    Hans Holbein the Younger (German, 1497/8 – 1543) – artist.

    Stephen Austen (fl. c. 1727 – 1746) – publisher. Linked items: Engraved portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam in an octagonal frame, 1757 by Flipart after Holbein.

    Эразм Роттердамский. Похвальное слово глупости. — М.-Л.: Academia, 1932.

  • Softcover volume, 17.5 x 11 cm, in-12, brown wrappers without lettering, text printed on laid paper, six plates on India paper barbarously glued in, pp.: fep, [4] (h.t. t.p.), [1-3] 4-182, fep. Title-page (red and black): L’ENFANT | DU | BORDEL | OU | LES AVENTURES DE CHÉRUBIN | – | NOUVELLE ÉDITION | ORNÉE DE SIX GRAVURES SUR ACIER | {fleuron} | Sur l’imprimé de Paris MDCCC | LE MANS | A L’ENSEIGNE DES CITOYENS DU MAINE || Catalogue raisonné: Dutel I: A-325; Pia 395: 222 pages (we have 182 as per Dutel), attributes publication to Poulet-Malassis, 1866. Catalogue Poulet-Malassis & ses amis description: № 82.[PIGAULT-LEBRUN]. L’Enfant du Bordel, ou Les Aventures de Chérubin, nouvelle édition, ornée de six gravures sur acier. Sur l’imprimé de Paris, MDCCC, Le Mans, à l’enseigne des citoyens du Maine. [A. Christiaens, 1875 ?]. In-12, broché. 2 .n.ch., 182 pages, 1 f. blanc, couverture muette en papier vieux orange. Illustré de 6 figures hors-texte sur acier. Bibliographie : G* 553 (40 frs), Dutel A-325. Contributors: Guillaume Charles Antoine Pigault de l'Espinoy [Pigault-Lebrun] (French, 1753 – 1835) – author. Alexis Christiaens (Belgian, d. 1880) – publisher.
  • Шарль Монтескье. Храм Книдийский (пер. Иван Сичкарев). Лисимах. Разговор Суллы с Эвкратом. Опыт о вкусе (пер. Семён Башилов). — СПб.: [Тип. Акад. наук], 1770. Pagination: [2 blank] [2 t.p. храм, blank] [4 preface] [1] 2-72, [1, 2 t.p. лисимах, blank] [1] 2-12 [13, 14 t.p. силла] 16-33, [34 blank] [35, 37 t.p. опыт, blank] 38-95 [96 errata] [2 blank]. Size: 12mo, 20 x 12.5 cm, Binding: Contemporary polished brown slightly stained calf, gilt-ruled borders, flat spine with gilt bands and tools in compartments, black title label with gilt lettering to spine, marbled end-papers. Inscriptions and marks: Ink hand-writing to ff: "Люб. Дубенская, Москва XII 1931"; "Ленкнигторг" label glued to the recto of back free leaf; "Антикварная торговля В. И. Клочкова. СПБ., Литейный 55" label pasted to back pastedown. Printed on laid paper with "key" image printed on recto and protruding to the verso to t.p. of Храм Книдийский and Лисимах. Imperial orthography. Engraved head and tailpieces.
  • Engraved title: HEATH'S | PICTURESQUE ANNUAL, | FOR 1836. | St. Petersburg and Moscow. | {vignette Nikolskoi church signed: A.G. Vickers  — E. Radclyffe} | Tower of the Nikolskoi church St. Petersburg | From Drawings by | ALFRED GEORGE VICKERS, ESQ. | Printed by Arnold & Fisher | LONDON, PUBLISHED FOR THE PROPRIETOR, BY LONGMAN & Co. PATERNOSTER ROW: | RITTNER & Co. PARIS: & ASHER, BERLIN. || Title page: A JOURNEY | TO ST. PETERSBURG AND MOSCOW | THROUGH COURLAND AND LIVONIA. | BY | LEITCH RITCHIE, Esq. | AUTHOR OF “TURNER’S ANNUAL TOUR”, “SCHINDERHANNES,” &c. | WITH TWENTY-FIVE SPLENDID ENGRAVINGS, | BY THE FIRST ARTISTS, AFTER DRAWINGS, | BY A.G. VICKERS, Esq. | LONDON: | LONGMAN, REES, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMAN. | PARIS: RITTNER AND GOUPILL. BERLIN: A. ASHER. | 1836. || Imprint: LONDON: | PRINTED BY J. HADDON AND CO., DOCTORS’ COMMONS. Pagination: [i-iii] iv [4] [1] 2-256, total 264 pages + 25 plates. Collation: 12mo; π4, B-Y6 Z2; total 132 leaves + frontispiece, engraved title and 23 leaves of steel-engraved plates w/tissue guards, extraneous to collation. Binding: full red morocco, blind-stamped boards, gilt-lettered spine, all edges gilt, 12mo, 20 x 13 cm. Note: Schinderhannes – real name Johannes Bückler (German, c.1778 – 1803): Leitch Ritchie. Schinderhannes: the Robber of the Rhine. (Library of Romance). — London: Smith, Elder, and Co., 1833. Contributors:

    Author: Leitch Ritchie (British, 1800 – 1865).

    Illustrator: Alfred Gomersal Vickers (British, 1810 – 1837).

    Publisher: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green and Longman (London).

    Engravers: Turnbull, Thomas (British, fl. 1830s); Radclyffe, Edward (British, 1810 – 1863); Jorden, Henry (British, fl. 1829 – 1838); Fisher, Samuel (British, 1806 – 1851); Willmore, James Tibbits (British, 1800 – 1863); Higham, Thomas (British, 1795 – 1844); Appleton, J. W. (British, fl. 1834 – 1843); Wallis, Robert William (British, 1794 – 1878); Chevalier, William (British, 1804 – 1866); Kernot, James Harfield (British, 1802 – 1858); Lewis, James (British, 1782 – 1858); Carter, James (British, 1798 – 1855). Printer: John Haddon & Co. (London). Reference: Metropolitan Museum (NY); Royal Collection Trust (London).
  • Hardcover volume, 18.2 x 11.8 cm, bound in quarter black polished calf with gilt lettering “cartonnage romantique” design to spine, marbled boards, matching marbled endpapers, blue margins. Title-page: SCÈNES | DE LA BOHÊME | PAR | HENRY MURGER | {publisher’s device ML} | PARIS | MICHEL LÉVY FRÈRES, LIBRAIRES-ÉDITEURS | RUE VIVIENNE, 2 bis. | 1851 || Half-title: ŒUVRES | D’HENRY MURGER || Advertisement: Chez le même Éditeurs. | BIBLIOTHEQUE CONTEMPORAINE | (page of text) || Collation: π2 (h.t/advert., t.p. / blank), 1-33 (17)12, χ6; total 212 leaves without ffls (3 front, 2 back). Pagination: [2] – h.t. / blank, [2] – t.p. / blank, [i] ii-xiii [xiv blank], [1] 2-406; total 424 pages. Scènes de la bohême, in later editions Scènes de la vie de bohème. Translations: Into English: LIB-2719.2021. Henri Murger. The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter. (Scènes de la vie de Bohême) / Translated from the French. — London: Vizetelly & Co., 1883. Into German: LIB-2686.2021. Henri Murger. Die Bohème : Szenen aus dem Pariser Künstlerleben. — Leipzig: Insel-Verlag, 1906. Into Russian: LIB-3182.2023. А. Мюрже. Сцены из жизни богемы / Пер. с франц. и прим. Е. А. Гунста; вст. ст. С. И. Великовского; художник Н. А. Кравченко. — М.: Художественная литература, 1963. Contributors: Murger, Henri [Henry] (French, 1822 – 1861) – author.
  • Pliny's Historia Naturalis. Engraved Title: C. PLINIUS S. Vande Menfchen, Beeften, Vogelen en Viffchen. [Pliny the Elder. Of Men, Beasts, Birds, and Fish]. Title: C. PLINII | SECUNDI | Des wijd-vermaerden Na- | tuur-kondigers vijf boecken handelende van de nature. | Handelende van de Nature | I. Vande Manfchen. | II. Vande viervoetige en kruypende Dieren. | III. Vande Vogelen. | IV. Vande kleyne Beeftjes of Ongedierten. | V. Vande Viffchen, Oefters, Kreeften, &c. | Hier zijn by ghevoeght / de Schriften | van verscheyden andere oude autheuren / de | natuer der dieren aengaende; | En nu in defen leften Druck wel het vierde part | vermeerdert , uyt verscheyden nieuwe Schrijvers | en eyghen ondervindinge : en met veel | kopere Plaeten verciert. {Device} | t' AMSTELREDAM , | By Iooft Hartgers, Boeck-verkooper op den Dam | bezijden het Stadthuys, 1650. Pagination: [1, 2] - engraved t.p. / blank, [3, 4] - text t.p. / Aen den nauw-keuringem Lefer..., 5-802, 52 engraved plates; colophon on p. 802 bottom: "Gedruckt by Chiftoffel Cunradus, ..." Collation: A-Z1-12, Aa-Kk1-12 Size: 12mo, 14 x 9 cm Binding: Vellum The first Dutch version, consisting of extracts from books 7-11 from Pliny's "Natural History" was published in Arnheim by Jans Janzen in quarto in 1610. Our copy is one of the Amsterdam editions and the only one in duodecimo. According to WorldCat, there is not a single copy of this edition in the US libraries. Printed by Christoffel Cunradus ( Freiberg , c. 1615 - Amsterdam , 1684) for publisher Joost Hartgers (Dutch, fl. 1650). See Gudger, E. W. "Pliny's Historia Naturalis. The Most Popular Natural History Ever Published." Isis 6, no. 3 (1924): 269-81. Accessed September 23, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/224311.
  • Pictorial title (coloured): Collection Artistique Guillaume et Cie |—| ALPHONSE DAUDET  | Trente ans | de Paris | PARIS | C. MARPON ET E. FLAMMARION | 26, RUE RACINE, 26 | 1888 || Title page: Collection Artistique Guillaume et Cie |—| ALPHONSE DAUDET | Trente ans de Paris | À TRAVERS MA VIE ET MES LIVRES | Illustré | PAR BIELER, MONTÉGUT, MYRBACH, PICARD ET ROSSI | Gravure de Guillaume Frères et Cie | PARIS | C. MARPON ET E. FLAMMARION | 26, RUE RACINE, 26 | 1888 | Tous droits réservés. || Pagination: [12] [1] 2-344 [6], total 362 pp., in-text illustration, head- and tailpieces, photomechanical reproductions. Collation: 12mo; π6, 1-2812 +1; total 181 leaves. Binding: 19 x 12.5 cm; red cloth, gilt lettering to spine, gilt lettering and vignette to front board and gilt device to back board; bookplate to front pastedown: Ex Libris Dr. Vodoz = Egg; Gift inscription to flyleaf in German, dated 30/12/87. Contributors: Alphonse Daudet (French, 1840 – 1897) – author. Ernest Biéler (Swiss, 1863 – 1948) – artist. Louis Montégut (French, 1855 – 1906) – artist. Felician Myrbach (Austrian, 1853 – 1940) – artist. Georges Picard (French, 1857 – 1943) – artist. Luigi Rossi (Swiss, 1853 – 1923) – artist. Ernest Flammarion (French, 1846 – 1936) – publisher. Charles Marpon (French, 1838 – 1890) – publisher. Alexis Lahure (French, 1849 – 1928) – printer. Guillaume Frères et Cie – engravers.
  • 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.
  • Title page: MAURICE JOLY | LES | AFFAMÉS | ÉTUDES | DE MŒURS CONTEMPORAINES |{publisher’s device «ED»}| PARIS | E. DENTU, LIBRAIRE-ÉDITEUR | PALAIS-ROYAL, 15-17-19, GALERIE D’ORLÉANS | 1876 | Tous droits réservés.|| Pagination: short ffl, [2] h.t. / colophon [2] t.p. /  blank] [i] ii-xvi, 1-340. Collation: 12mo ; π10 1-1812 198. Binding: 19 x 12 cm; softcover; original wrappers with lettering to front and spine in black and red in a frame, untrimmed lateral edge.
  • Engraved title-page: L'AMINTA | FAVOLA BOSCHERECCIA | DI | TORQUATO TASSO | Aggiuntovi il Poemetto | Amore Fugitivo |{vignette} | IN VENEZIA | MDCCLXIX |—| PRESSO ANTONIO ZATTA | CON LICENZA DE’ SUPERIORI || in historiated frame, signed below: “Pet. Ant. Novelli in — Fambrini inci.” Pagination: [i] ii-xxiv, [1-2] 3-84, total 108 pages, ils. Collation: 12mo; a12, A-C12 D6, last blank; first 6 leaves signed in 12-leave quires, first 3 in D; total 54 leaves plus 9 plates, incl. engraved title and frontispiece, and numerous head- and tailpieces by Fambrini after Novelli. Binding: 18.6 x 11 cm, contemporary tree calf, rebacked, crimson label with gilt lettering; clipping and bookplate of The Robin Collection to front pastedown; verso front flyleaf stamped “RESTORED BY MACDONALD CO. | NORWALK. CONN.” Additional blank leaves at front and back. Provenance: Satinsky, Robin F. (American, 1919 – 2008); The Robin Collection. Contributors: Torquato Tasso (Italian, 1544 –1595) – author. Pietro Antonio Novelli (Italian, 1729 – 1804) – artist. Ferdinando Fambrini (Italian (1764 – c.1793) – engraver. Antonio Zatta (Italian, c. 1722 – 1804) – printer, publisher.  
  • A two-volume set. Volume 1:  GERMAN POPULAR STORIES | translated from the | Kinder und Haus Märchen, | COLLECTED BY | M. M. GRIMM, | from oral tradition. | [Vignette] | JAMES ROBINS & Co. LONDON. |AND | JOSEPH ROBINS JUNR & Co. DUBLIN. | MDCCCXXV.|| 12mo, pp. xii, 240; engraved title vignette and 11 plates by George Cruikshank, with a fine proof (?) of the plate illustrating ‘The Jew in the bush’ on India paper laid onto verso of leaf bound between half-title and title. Table of contents: Hans in luck -- The travelling musicians -- The golden bird -- The fisherman and his wife -- The tom-tit and the bear -- The twelve dancing princesses -- Rose-bud -- Tom thumb -- The grateful beasts -- Jorinda and Jorindel -- The waggish musician -- The queen bee -- The dog and the sparrow -- Frederick and Catherine -- The three children of fortune -- King grisly-beard -- The adventures of chanticleer and partlet -- Snow-drop -- The elves and the shoemaker -- The turnip -- Old sultan -- The lady and the lion -- The jew in the bush -- The king of the golden mountain -- The golden goose -- Mrs. fox -- Hansel and Grettel -- The giant with the three golden hairs -- The frog prince -- The fox and the horse -- Rumpel-stilts-kin.; Volume 2:  GERMAN POPULAR STORIES | translated from the | Kinder und Haus Märchen, | COLLECTED BY | M. M. GRIMM, | from oral tradition. | [Vignette] | JAMES ROBINS & Co. LONDON. |AND | JOSEPH ROBINS JUNR & Co. DUBLIN. | MDCCCXXVI.|| 12mo, iv, 256, [2]; engraved title vignette and 9 plates by George Cruikshank. Table of contents: The goose-girl -- Faithful John -- The blue light -- Ashputtel -- The young giant and the tailor -- The crows and the soldier -- Pee-wit -- Hans and his wife Grettel -- Cherry, or the frog-bride -- Mother Holle -- The water of life -- Peter the goatherd -- The four clever brothers -- The elfin-grove -- The salad -- The nose -- The five servants -- Cat-skin -- The robber-bridegroom -- The three sluggards -- The seven ravens -- Roland and may-bird -- The mouse, the bird, and the sausage -- The juniper tree. Binding: bound without advertisements in 19th-century brown morocco by Leighton, spines decorated and lettered in gilt, gilt edges, marbled endpapers; armorial bookplates of Thomas Gaisford and Charles Tennant to endpapers. Note: The third edition of vol. 1 (first C. Baldwyn 1823) and the first edition of vol. 2 of the first English translation of Grimm’s Fairy Tales – including Tom Thumb, the Elves and the Shoemaker, Hansel and Grettel, the Frog Prince, and Rumpelstiltskin – with George Cruikshank’s celebrated illustrations. Of Cruikshank’s work, Ruskin remarked, ‘The etchings are the finest things, next to Rembrandt’s, that, as far as I know, has been done since etching was invented. You cannot look at them too much, nor copy them too often’ (The Elements of Drawing, 1857). Provenance: (1) Thomas Gaisford (1779-1855), classical scholar, Regius Professor of Greek at Oxford University, Dean of Christ Church, curator of the Bodleian Library and delegate of the Clarendon Press. (2) Sir Charles Tennant, 1st Baronet (1823-1906), a Scottish industrialist who amassed a notable library and collection of pictures at his Peeblesshire estate, ‘The Glen’. Catalogue raisonné: Albert M. Cohn 369.
  • Title-page (1): DI | GERVSALEMME | CONQVISTATA. | DEL SIG. TORQVATO | TASSO. | LIBRI XXIIII. | {engraved portrait of Torquato Tasso in lettered oval medallion surrounded with laurel branches} | IN PARIGI, | Appresso Abel L’ANGELIER | nella prima Colonna del palazzo. | M.D. CXV. || Title-page (2): DI | GERVSALEMME | CONQVISTATA. | DEL SIG. TORQVATO | TASSO. | LIBRI XXIIII. | ALL’ ILL. MO ET REV. MO| SIG. RE| IL SIGNOR. | CINTHIO ALDOBRANDINI | Card. Di San Giorgio. | Appresso Abel L’ANGELIERI | nella prima Colonna del palazzo. | M.D. LCXV. || Collation: 1st blank leaf with an extensive pencil MS in French and English (unsigned), 1st t.p. / blank (unsigned), 2nd t.p. / blank [ai] (unsigned), Dedication by Angelo Ingegneri dated 10-NOV-1592 (ã25), dedication by Torquato Tasso and Aux Lecteur by Abel L’Angelier ã5[i.e. 6]-[ã9]; 12mo: π12, A-Z12, 2A-2Q12 (2Q11 woodcut / blank, 2Q12 blank), total 480 leaves, with woodcut head- and tailpieces, historiated initials. Note: leaves D6, M3, M6, and N3 unsigned; leave E2 signed for F2, E4 – for F4, Z – for Z5, and A – for Aa. Pagination: 12 prelims unpag., 1-361, each leaf paginated as one page) [2]; with a lot of mispaginations: shall be 1-468, but after p.291 follows 278 (for 292), then 193 for 293, etc. Binding: 14.5 x 8.5 cm, 20th-century tan morocco by Zaehnsdorf (signed in gilt), gilt fleurons in corners and in compartments, raised bands, titles on spine, gilt dentelles, marbled endpapers plus 6 fep at the front (one with pasted clipping “A PARIS, Chez Fetil, Libraire, rue des Cor-| deliers, près celle de Condé, au | Parnasse Italien”, and 2 at the end. What connection has the 18th-century publisher with this edition remains unclear. “The Robin Collection” bookplate to front pastedown. Edges sprinkled red. Occasional damp staining to top margins. There is controversy regarding the year of this publication. It could be 1615 (MDCXV), however, both the publisher and the dedicatee were dead this year. Dedication by the publisher dated 1592. We agree with those scholars who suggest that MDCXV and MDLCXV were misprinted for MDXCV (1595). Provenance: The Robin Collection. Contributors: Torquato Tasso (Italian, 1544 –1595) – author. Angelo Ingegneri (Italian, 1550 – 1613) – author. Abel L'Angelier (French, 1553? – 1610) – printer, publisher. Cinzio Aldobrandini (Italian, 1551 – 1610) – dedicatee.
  • Front pictorial cover: [PRISON | FIN DE | SIÈCLE] – [SOUVENIRS | DE | PÉLAGIE | PAR | E. GEGOUT | ET | CH. MALATO] – [Dessinsde | Steinlen]  – [PARIS | G. CHARPENTIER & E. FASQUELLE | ÉDITEURS | Rue de Grenelle, 11 | 1891] || Title page: GEGOUT ET CH. MALATO | PRISON | FIN DE SIÈCLE | — SOUVENIRS DE PÉLAGIE — | Illustrations de Steinlen | PARIS | G. CHARPENTIER ET E. FASQUELLE | ÉDITEURS | 11, RUE DE GRENELLE, 11 | 1891 | Tous droits réservés. || Pagination: [2] – blank / imprint, [2] – h.t. / frontis., [2] – t. p. / blank, [2] – préface, [1] 2-352 [2 blanks], wrappers, illustr. by Steinlen, paginated. Collation: 12mo ; π4 1-1912 203. Binding: 19 x 12 cm, publisher’s pictorial wrappers, block broken; bookplates pasted to verso of the front wrapper: Ex Libris NesClo, Fecit: René Versel; embossed stamp Versel to h.t. and t.p. Autograph of Ernest Gegout handwritten in black ink to half-title: Très amicalement allait à mon aimable cousin Le Roy. Ernest Gegout. Gégout, Ernest (French, 1854 – 1936) Malato, Charles (French, 1857 – 1938) Steinlen, Théophile Alexandre (Swiss-French, 1859 – 1923)