//Illustrated books
  • 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.    
  • A CATALOGUE OF AN EXHIBITION | OF | The Philip Hofer Bequest | IN THE DEPARTMENT OF | PRINTING AND GRAPHIC ARTS | {white in crimson cartouche The | Philip Hofer | Collection | in the | Houghton | Library} | HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY | CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS | 1988 || Printed by Meriden-Stinehour Press; Roderick Douglas [Rocky] Stinehour (American, 1925 – 2016) and his son Stephen Stinehour, The Stinehour Press in Lunenburg, Vermont. The Meriden Gravure Company in Meriden, Connecticut, was founded in 1888 by Charles Parker and James F. Allen. In 1977, the Meriden merged with the Stinehour Press, and in 1989, the Meriden operations were closed and the Meriden Gravure presses moved to the Vermont location. Pagination: [i-vi] – incl. h.t., t.p., f.t., vii-xiv, [1] 2-218, 100 plates, within pagination, incl. bibliography, index. Binding: Original grey paper wrappers with title printed in red and white.  
  • Publisher’s yellow pictorial wrappers with lettering: PARIS | Bibliothèque érotique | Gérard Nordmann | Première partie | Jeudy 27 avril 2006 | CHRISTIE'S || Red spine with white lettering from top to bottom, multiple illustrations in colour, 27 x 21 cm. Pagination: [1-3] 4-295, 431 lots. Loose inset of 4 pages with prices realized. The 1st part of the auction of the library of Gérard Nordmann (Swiss, 1930 – 1992), held by Christie's in Paris on the 27th of April 2006. The 2nd part took place on the 14th and 15th of December 2006, see [LIB-2810.2021].  
  • Title-page: COLETTE | LA | VAGABONDE | LITHOGRAPHIES EN COULEURS | DE MARCEL VERTÈS | PARIS | A LA CITE DES LIVRES |—| M DCCCC XXVII || Binding: French flapped wrappers 28.5 x 22.5 cm, in glassine dustcover, front wrapper lettered similarly to title-page but in red and black: COLETTE | LA | VAGABONDE | LITHOGRAPHIES EN COULEURS | DE MARCEL VERTÈS | PARIS | A LA CITE DES LIVRES |—| M DCCCC XXVII ||, in a red marbled cardboard folder 29 x 23 cm with paper label to spine, slipcase missing. Pagination: [2] 1st leaf blank, [2] h.t. / limitation, [2] t.p. / blank, [2] d.t.p. /blank, [3] 4-277 [278 blank], [4 colophon], ils. Collation: π3 1-354 χ1, plus 15 leaves of plates extraneous to collation, incl. frontispiece, chromolithographs by Marcel Vertès. Edition: Limited edition of 305 copies of which this is № 15 (out of numbers 10-24) printed on Japon Impérial paper with three additional suites of plates in black, sanguine and colour, plus 4 refused plates. Printed on the 15th of September 1927: text by Robert Coulouma (Argenteuil, director H. Barthélemy), lithographs by E. Duchatel (Paris) and published by La cité des livres. Missing black versions of LIB-2892.2021-5 and LIB-2892.2021-10 (43 out of 45 prints in place). Refused plates: Plates in black, sanguine, and colour. Contributors: Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette [a.k.a. Colette] (French, 1873 – 1954) – author. Marcel Vertès [Marcell Vértes] (Jewish-Hungarian-French, 1895 – 1961) – artist. Other names: Marcel Vertès, Marcel Vertes, Marcell Vértes
  • Description: One volume in cream French flapped wrappers, collated 8vo, 22.5 x 14.8 cm, lettered to front (device in red), printed on wove paper, margins untrimmed, some pages uncut, illustrated with tail- and headpieces and 17 sets of plates (4 of each plate) with tissue guards, after Martin van Maele. Front wrapper (red and black): L'HISTOIRE | COMIQUE DE | FRANCION | COMPOSÉE PAR CHARLES SOREL | Réimprimée intégralement pour la | première fois d'après l'édition | originale de 1623 | ET DÉCORÉE | de 17 eaux-fortes et de 16 gravures | par MARTIN VAN MAELE | {device} | SE VEND | A Paris, chez Jean Fort | Libraire, rue de Chabrol, no 12 | M. CM. XXV. || Title-page (red and black): L'HISTOIRE | COMIQUE DE | FRANCION | En laquelle sont découvertes les plus subtiles | finesses et trompeuses inventions tant des hommes | que des femmes de toutes sortes de conditions et | d’âges. Non moins profitable pour s’en | garder, que plaisante à la lecture. | Nouvelle édition conforme à | l’édition princeps de 1623, et | ornée de 17 eaux-fortes et | de 16 compositions par | MARTIN VAN MAELE | {device} | A PARIS | Chez Jean Fort, libraire, | Rue de Chabrol, no 12 | M. CM. XXV. || Collation: π3 (blank, h.t., t.p.), 1-268 χ3 (colophon, 2 blanks), total 214 leaves plus 17 sets of plates (4 of each). Pagination: [6] i-v [vi], 1-411 [412] [4], total 428 pages, ils. Illustrations: 16 tail- and headpieces, and one full-page vignette etched after drawings by Martin van Maële; 17 gravures coloured à la poupée after van Maële’s watercolours, each accompanied with three b/w plates in a different state of the same, incl. frontispiece; unpaginated. Limitation: The run of 1,203 copies printed on October 2, 1925, by Maurice Darantiere in Dijon; 1 copy (№ 1) on Japon Impérial is unique with the original drawings and three additional suites of plates; 10 copies (2-11) on Japon Impérial with three additional suites of plates; 31 copies (12-42) on Hollande with two additional suites of plates; 61 copies (43-103) on Madagascar with one additional suite of plates; 1,100 copies (104-1203) on Enoshima. This copy is № 10 on Japon Impérial with three additional suites of plates. Catalogue raisonné: S. A. Perry (2015) № 28, p. 31. Contributors: Charles Sorel, sieur de Souvigny (French, c. 1602 – 1674) – author Maurice François Alfred Martin van Maële [Martin van Maële] (French, 1863 – 1926) – artist. Maurice Darantiere (French, 1882 – 1962) – printer. Jean-Marie Fort (French, 20th century) – publisher.
  • Title-page (text in frame): FRANCIS CARCO | RIEN QU'UNE | FEMME | {vignette} | EAUX-FORTES DE | CHAS LABORDE | — | PARIS — M.CM.XXV || Description: 4to, 24.5 x 20 cm, owner’s red cloth, yellow leather label with gilt lettering to spine, original wrappers bound in, woodcut bookplate “ИЗ КНИГ Ф.РОЖАНКОВСКАГО” to front pastedown; chapter titles and initials printed in pink. Collation: fep, 2 blanks before front wrapper, front wrapper with a black lettered pink label, 2 blanks, h.t., t.p., dedication, 1-204 212,2 blanks, rear wrapper, 2 blanks, rep; total 89 leaves within wrappers, plus 15 plates with tissue guards, incl. frontispiece – hand-coloured etchings by Chas [Charles] Laborde, extraneous to collation. In some copies, there are two additional plates. Pagination: [10] [1] 2-162 [2 colophon/blank] [4], total 178 pages. Limitation: Date of printing: September 15, 1925. Printer: Imprimeur Coulouma (Argenteuil) Print run: 267 copies of which 1 copy on Japon Ancien (№1), 15 on Japon Impérial (№№ 2-16), 60 on Hollande (№№ 17-76), and 200 copies on Vélin de Rives (№№ 77-276) ; this is copy № 82. Etchings printed on BFK Rives paper (embossed). Provenance: Rojankovsky, Feodor [Rojan; Рожанковский, Фёдор Степанович] (Russian-American, 1891 – 1970). Contributors: Francis Carco [François Carcopino-Tusoli] (French, 1886 – 1958) – author. Chas Laborde [Charles Laborde] (French, 1886 – 1941) – artist. Roger Lacourière (French, 1892 – 1966) – engraver.
  • Illustrated sales catalogue of 23-25 September 2022, paperback, 21 x 15 cm, pictorial wrappers, white lettering on a black background to the front, back, and spine, 24 leaves, unpaginated, 109 items listed, print run of 50 copies, this copy signed by hand to Monsieur Serge Varshavsky on the last page. Title-page: POULET-MALASSIS | & ses amis | Une sélection d’ouvrages entre 1860 et 1880, | la plupart clandestins et quelques manuscrits | À monsieur Bernard Peyrat, bibliophile |{vignette} | LES LARMES D'ÉROS | 58, rue Amelot 75011 Paris | sur rendez-vous | les-larmes-d-eros@wanadoo.fr | 06 09 81 65 57 - 01 43 38 33 43 ||
  • A set of two volumes, one with the text (1) and another with the plates (2), cased in a red ‘romantic’ fitting box of red morocco, lavishly tooled in gilt, c. 1840, more recently adapted to house two books of different size. Vol.1: Hardcover volume, 22.4 x 14 cm, 8vo, bound in half black polished calf (late 19th century) over marbled boards, spine and corners gilt-tooled, raised bands, gilt lozenges in compartments, gilt-lettered red morocco label; marbled endpapers; Francis M. G. Mauleverer armorial bookplate (motto “Deus Providebit”) to front pastedown. Printed on laid paper, Collation: 1 blank, engraved frontis., engraved t.p., A-Cc8 Dd2, 1 blank; pagination:[1] 2-420. Vol. 2: Hardcover volume, 21 x 14 cm, bound in green straight-grain morocco (early 19th century), boards with a roll-tooled palmette border, spine decorated in gilt, blue moiré endpapers, yellow feps, additional blank leaves: 2 in the front and 4 in the back, unpaginated; engraved frontis. and t.p. as in vol. 2, plus 35 plates now attributed to Delcroche printed on India paper, pasted on thicker leaves and bound in numerical order, but pl. 34 after pl. 35; As per Christie’s “The prints, sometimes attributed to de Hooghe, are actually by Delcroche, who illustrated a number of classics in the 1770s and 1780s, including Fanny Hill. AE and ABPC record only three copies of this edition at auction, including the Nordmann and Hayoit copies. Apollinaire Enfer, 277; Dutel A-15; Eros invaincu 16; Foxon Libertine Literature, NY: 1965, p.38; Gay-Lemonnyer I, 10; Pia Enfer, 346.” Contributors: Delcroche (Dutch, 17th century), “artiste hollandaise”, nothing else is known. Dutel and Nordmann attribute the plates to Romeyn de Hooghe (Dutch, 1645 – 1708). Nicolas Chorier (French, 1612 –  1692) – author. Francis M. G. Mauleverer (British, 1918 – 1962) – provenance. Seller’s description: 2 vols in 8vo (215x125 and 204x117 mm), a complete but composite set, the text volume in late 19th c. half black morocco, with corners, gilt spine tooled in gold, the plate volume in a nice early 19th-century green morocco binding, the spine gilt-tooled in compartments, the sides with a roll-tooled palmette border, pale blue moiré style endpapers (hinges repaired). Text vol.: engraved frontispiece, engr. title, pp. 420. Plates vol. comprising: the engraved title, frontispiece, and 35 engraved plates, probably by Delcroche. Both volumes cased in a ‘romantic’ fitting box binding, c. 1840, more recently adapted.
  • Title: OLD DUTCH | POTTERY AND TILES | BY ELISABETH | NEURDENBURG | LITT. D., READER IN THE HISTORY OF ART AT | THE UNIVERSITY OF GRONINGEN. TRANSLATED | WITH ANNOTATIONS BY | Bernard Rackham | DEPUTY KEEPER, DEPARTMENT | OF CERAMICS, VICTORIA AND | ALBERT MUSEUM | […] | WITH ONE HUNDRED AND TWELVE | ILLUSTRATIONS OF WHICH NINE | ARE IN COLOUR | LONDON: BENN BROTHERS, LIMITED | 8 BOUVERIE STREET, E.C. 4 | 1923 || Verso to half-title: Of this book 100 copies only for sale have been printed on English | hand-made paper, bound in pigskin and signed by the Authoress | and Translator. These copies also contain an extra colour plate. | This in Number “7” (in manuscript) | Two signatures (ink, manuscript) || Pagination: [i, ii] – h.t. / tirage, [iii, iv] – t.p. / imprint, [v, vi] – dedication to Dr. A. Pit / blank, vii-xv [xvi blank] [1, 2] 3-155 [156 blank], frontispiece (colour) and 59 leaves of plates (9 colour) with 112 figures, with lettered protective sheets. Collation: 4to in 8th; [A]8 [B]8 C-K8 L6; frontis., +59 leaves of plates. Binding: 30 x 24 cm, Full dark brown pigskin with gilt ornament to front board and gilt lettering to spine; printed on thick wove paper, top edge gilt, others untrimmed. Contributors: Neurdenburg, Elisabeth (Dutch, 1882 – 1957) – author [autograph]. Rackham, Bernard (British, 1876 – 1964) – translator [autograph]. Brendon, William (British, 1845 – 1928) – printer. Mayflower Press (Plymouth), William Brendon & Son, Ltd. – printer Benn Brothers Ltd. (British company, 1880 – 1987) Benn, Sir John, 1st Baronet (British, 1850 – 1922)
  • 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.  
  • Description: Two volumes, collated 4to, usually described as 12mo, 16.5 x 10.5 cm each, uniformly bound in full calf, bordered in gilt with a triple-fillet over blind dentelle, flat spine ornamented in gilt with two crimson labels, gilt dentelle inside, blue marbled endpapers with previous owner bookplate to front pastedown in each vol.: "W. E. A. MACDONNELL. | NEW HALL | Co. of Clare.", and a ticket in a blue border “162”. Illustrated by T. Bewick after J. Thurston with frontispiece portrait of Robert Burns, numerous woodcut endpieces and a total of 14 full-page woodcut vignettes throughout. Title-page: THE | POETICAL WORKS | OF | ROBERT BURNS; | WITH HIS LIFE | ORNAMENTED WITH | ENGRAVINGS ON WOOD BY MR. BEWICK | FROM ORIGINAL DESIGNS BY MR. THURSTON. | — | IN TWO VOLUMES. | VOL I. (VOL. II.) | — | ALNWICK: | Printed by William Davison. | SOLD BY THE BOOKSELLERS IN ENGLAND, SCOTLAND | AND IRELAND. | – | 1808. || Vol. 1: Collation: π3 (1st blank, engraved frontispiece portrait of R. Burns, t.p.), a2 b-e4, A-Z4, 2A-2E4 (2E)4 (last two blank); total 137 leaves, numerous endpieces and 9 woodcut plates by Thomas Bewick after John Thurston within collation. Pagination: [2 blank] [i-v] 6 (i.e. vi) xlii [43-45] 46-268 (265-268 marked 263–266, respectively, [4 blank]; total 274 pages, of which 6 blank (pagination by Hugo: xlii, 297, 26), full-page plates opposite to pp. 73, 82, 106, 127, 141, 178, 192, 213, 219. Vol. 2: Collation: π5 (1st blank, t.p., 3 leaves of contents), A-B4 (C omitted) D-Z4, 2A-2G4 (2H omitted) 2I2 2K-2M4 2N1 χ2; total 138 leaves, numerous endpieces and 6 woodcut plates by Thomas Bewick after John Thurston within collation. Pagination: [2 blank] [i-iii] iv-xi (v marked vii, viii marked ix), 12-270 (16 marked 17, 76 marked 67, 84 marked 86, 96 marked 90, 112 marked 110, 203-207 marked 205-209, 220-224 marked 222-226), [4 blank]; total 276 pages, of which 6 blank (pagination by Hugo: xii, 320), full-page plates opposite to pp. 11, 40, 70, 191, 221. Catalogue raisonné: Hugo (1866): № 230, v. 1, p. 92-93; according to Hugo, the year 1808 was not stated, the number of pages in each volume is different to my copy. Provenance: Colonel William Edward Armstrong-Macdonnell (Irish, 1858 – 1883) of New Hall, Ennis, County Clare, Ireland (presumed). Contributors: Robert Burns (Scottish, 1759 – 1796) – author. Thomas Bewick (British, 1753 – 1828) – engraver. John Thurston (British, 1774 – 1822) – artist. William Davison (British, 1781 – 1858) – printer/publisher.
  • Description: One volume, 27 x 21.5 cm, collated 4to, bound in full dark crimson calf with gilt floral border, raised bands with gilt filets, gilt lettering to spine, 16 colour plates, one of them loose, and numerous woodcut tailpieces. Title-page: (black and blue): VOLTAIRE | L'INGÉNU | {VIGNETTE} | ILLUSTRATIONS DE BERTHOMMÉ SAINT-ANDRÉ | ÉDITIONS DE LA BONNE ÉTOILE | PARIS || Collation: 4to; π4 (2 blanks, h.t./limitation, t.p.), 1-184, last blank; total 76 leaves plus 16 colour plates after Louis Berthommé Saint-André and two flyleaves, first and last. Pagination: [4 blanks] [1-4] 5-143 [144] [4 blanks]; total 152 pages, ils. Limitation: Edition limited to 2,500 copies, of which this is copy № 1621. Colophon: Printed under direction of Paul Cotinaud at L’Union Typographique by Henri Leduc; photogravures executed by G. Duval and coloured by E. Vairel fils. Contributors: François Marie Arouet de Voltaire (French, 1694 – 1778) – author. Louis Berthomme Saint-André (French, 1905 – 1977) – artist.
  • One volume collated 8vo, 19 x 14 cm, bound in black alligator leather. Front wrapper  (green) / title-page (white): A female figure smoking a pipe next to a beer mug, reclining over an arch ring lettered “…VERSITÉ” (UNI… not shown), her dress ribbon lettered “MUSA STUDIORUM”, holding a book lettered “SCIENTIA”; within the arch « ALMANACH | CROCODILIEN | DÉDIÉ | AUX ÉTUDIANTS BELGES. | BIBLIOTHÈQUE | DE LA JEUNESSE MUSULMANE. »; below lies a book lettered “1856.”, next to it is a smoking skull; three male figures embracing the arch columns. Half-title: ALMANACH CROCODILIEN | POUR | L’ANNÉE BISSEXTILE, MAIS NÉANMOINS DE GRACE | 1856. || Pagination: [1-5] 6-14 [15-41] 42-134 [137] 138, total 136 pages within the wrappers, original publisher's green wrappers preserved, carte de visite ‘Félicien Rops, Étudiant’ and pink invitation card № 129 for ‘Bal des femmes’ on March 19, 1892 at ‘Fête annuelle du Courier Français’ bound in; in-text woodcuts, initials, head- and tail-pieces after Félicien Rops. Bookplate “Ex Libris Marcellus Schlimovich” with motto “Ars naturam adiuvat” on front pastedown. Stamp of the "Sociedad Hebraica Argentina / Coleccion M. Schlimovich / Varios / No. 2-492” to half-title. Pencil inscription to half-title: "Ex. Félicien Rops" – possibly an own copy of the artist. Collation: π2 1-88 92, total 68 leaves within wrappers. Printer: Typ. de J. Vanbuggenhoudt (Bruxelles). Sociedad Hebraica Argentina; Marcelo Schlimovich (Argentine-Jewish, ca. 1880 – 1960) – provenance. Félicien Rops (Belgian, 1833 – 1898) – artist.
  • One volume in-4o, 26.5 x 21 x 4 cm, bound by Durvand (signed) in tan quarter morocco over marbled boards, spine with raised bands and gilt lettering, top margin gilt, marbled endpapers, publisher’s wrappers preserved; enriched with 39 original prints after Félicien Rops. Collation: 2 blanks, π5 (original front wrapper ‘Canicule’/blank, 2 blanks, h.t./justification, t.p/blank), 1-294 301 (paginated 1-233 [234]) χ1 (advert.) plus frontispiece (photographic seated portrait of Félicien Rops, collotype, artist unknown) and 39 leaves of bound-in original prints by various printers on different papers, with tissue guards; back wrapper and original spine, 2 blanks; loosely inset a marriage invitation for Dr Robert Fasquelle and Mlle Suzanne Luneau with a partial list of prints, incl. page numbers. Title-page (red and black): Études sur quelques Artistes originaux | — | FÉLICIEN ROPS | par | CAMILLE LEMONNIER | {fleuron} | PARIS | H. FLOURY, ÉDITEUR1, Boulevard des Capucines, 1 | – | 1908 || Limitation: 125 copies with two original plates «Canicule» and «Seule» numbered 1-125, of which 100 copies on Japon à la forme, 25 copies on papier de Chine; plus 50 copies on papier vélin with one coloured plate «Canicule», numbered 126-175, printed by Edmond Deman in Brussels. Our copy is on dense wove paper (vélin), without a number. Photographs here represent the original prints only. Camille Lemonnier (Belgian, 1844 – 1913) – author. Félicien Rops (Belgian, 1833 – 1898) – artist. Henri Floury (French, 1862 –1961) – publisher. Edmond Deman (Belgian, 1857–1918) – printer. Lucien Durvand (French, 1852 – 1924) – bookbinder.
  • Softcover volume, 33 x 26 cm, collated in folio, not bound, in publisher’s French flapped pictorial wrappers, lettering to spine; printed on thick wove Arches paper watermarked “MBM”, upper edge trimmed, owner’s blind stamp to h.t. “Ex Libris Comte Tony de Vibraye”, glassine dust jacket, in a slipcase. Collation: π2 1-262, total 54 leaves, plus 4 leaves in wrappers, plus 10 plates, incl. frontispiece; coloured aquatints after Sylvain Sauvage; coloured etched vignette to front wrapper, gilt woodcut to back wrapper, woodcut title-page and woodcut headpiece after the same. Pp.: [4] [1] 2-102 [2]. Front wrapper (gilt and black): LA NUIT & LE MOMENT | {vignette} | OU | LES MATINÉES DE CYTHÈRE | PAR | MONSIEUR DE CRÉBILLON LE FILS | || Title-page (woodcut): CRÉBILLON LE FILS | | LA NUIT ET LE MOMENT | OU | LES MATINÉES | DE CYTHÈRE | {vignette} | A PARIS | AUX DEPENS D'UN AMATEUR | | M CM XXIV || Limitation: De cette édition il a été tiré un exemplaire unique sur japon impérial comportant dix aquarelles originales, deux cents trente exemplaires sur vélin d' Arches numérotés 1 à 230, dont les dix premiers avec une suite de hors texte sur japon. N° 1 [Print run limited to 230 copies on Arches plus a unique copy on Japon with original watercolours, this is copy № 1 on wove paper]. Seller’s description: La Nuit et le moment ou Les Matinées de Cythère. Paris, Au dépens d'un amateur, 1924. In-4, en feuilles, non rogné, couverture illustrée et étui. Ouvrage illustré de 4 gravures sur bois et de 10 eaux-fortes libres en couleurs hors texte de Sylvain Sauvage. Tirage à 231 exemplaires, celui-ci le n°1 sur vélin d'Arches. Manque la suite de hors texte sur japon. De la bibliothèque du Comte Tony de Vibraye, avec cachet à froid. Dutel, n°2062. Catalogue raisonné: honesterotica.com; Dutel III 2062. Contributors: Claude-Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon [Crébillon fils] (French, 1707 – 1777) – author. Sylvain Sauvage [Félix Roy] (French, 1888 – 1948) – artist. Provenance: Antoine Henri Gaston Hurault de Vibraye [Comte Tony de Vibraye] (French, 1893 – 1951)
  • Four parts bound in two 18mo volumes (1-2 & 3-4), half polished brown calf, dot-ruled, flat spine with gilt bands and lettering, marbled boards, some plates with guard sheets, margins sparkled red. Title-page: LES LIAISONS | DANGEREUSES, | Ou Lettres recueillies dans une | société, et publiées pour l’ins- | truction de quelques autres. | par  C….. de L… | — | J’ai vu les mœurs de mon temps, et j’ai publié | ces Lettres. | J. J. Rous. Préf. De la nouv. Hél. | PREMIÈRE PARTIE. | — | A GENEVE. | 1792. || Vol. 1: Pagination: ffep, blank, [2] – h.t., [i, ii] – t.p. part one, [iii] iv-xxij, [1] 2-245 [246] + 2 plates (p. 26 & p. 75); [1, 2] – h.t., [3, 4] – t.p. part two, [5] 6-233 [234], fep + 2 plates (p. 59 & p. 222). Collation: part 1: a12, A-M18 N5; part 2: A-M18 N9, plus four plates by various engravers after Le Barbier. Vol. 2: Pagination: ffep, blank, [1, 2] – h.t., [3, 4] – t.p. part three, [5] 6-225 [226] + 2 plates (p. 69 & p. 215); [1, 2] – h.t., [3, 4] – t.p. part four, [5] 6-250, fep + 2 plates (p. 25 & p. 201). Collation: part 3: A-M18 N5; part 4: A-N18 O5, plus four plates by various engravers after Le Barbier. Illustrations: After Le Barbier, engravers: Halbou (1), Simonet (1), N. Thomas (2), Dambrun (2), and Delignon (2). In the first illustration (vol. 1, part one, p. 26) Le Barbier signed “Le Barbier Jnv. 1794”, however, the edition was published (anonymously) in 1792. Cohen-De Ricci mentions an edition of 1794 (Paris: Maradan) and 1801 (Genéve) with the same plates. Lewine mentions a reprint of 1794 without naming the publisher. Catalogue raisonné: Cohen-De Ricci: 234-5, Ray: p. 79; Lewine: 109-10. Contributors: Choderlos de Laclos, Pierre Ambroise François (French, 1741 – 1803) – author. Le Barbier, Jean-Jacques-François (French, 1738 – 1826) – artist Engravers: Dambrun, Jean (French, 1741 – c. 1808) Delignon, Jean Louis (French, 1755 – 1804) Halbou, Louis Michel (1730 – 1809) Thomas, N. (French, c. 1750 – 1812) Simonet, Jean-Baptiste Blaise (French, 1742 – 1813)
  • Title page: {vignette} | The | MANIAC | ILLUSTRATED BY G. CHRISTOPHER HUDSON | NEW YORK   BOOKS FOR THE FEW   MCMXLI || Pagination: [1-6] 7-245 [246], full-page plates and in-text vignettes after Mahlon Blaine drawings. Edition: Limited edition of 1050 copies, this one unnumbered. Text – a reprint of the 1909 edition by Rebman (London); 1st edition, thus. Binding: 24 x 16 cm, black moire cloth, green label with black lettering “THE | MANIAC” to spine. Ink stamp “Charles M. Collins, Jr” to front pastedown. Contributors: E. Thelmar (British, fl. c. 1909) – author; a British journalist, who had been committed to an asylum in 1905; nothing else is known. G. Christopher Hudson [Mahlon Blaine] (American, 1894 – 1969) – artist. Books for the Few (NY) – publisher. Ref: TAYLOR, NICK. “Mahlon Blaine, John Steinbeck, and ‘The Maniac’ (1941).” The Steinbeck Review 9, no. 1 (2012): 73–84. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41582924.
  • Vol. 1: Title page (in red and black): CONTES | ET | NOUVELLES | DE | BOCACE | FLORENTIN. | Traduction Libre, | Accommodée au gout de ce temps, & en- | richie de FIGURES en TAILLE- | DOUCE gravées par Mr. Romain | de Hooge. | TOME PREMIER. | {device} | A AMSTERDAM, | Chez GEORGE GALLET. | — | M. DC. XCIX. || Collation: 2 binder’s blank leaves, etched frontispiece or title, t.p. in red and black, *8 **4 (starting at *3, frontis. within collation of lacking one leaf) A—Y8 Z7, no final blank; 44 in-text half-page vignettes and one tipped-in additional plate (p. 212) in novella XXV (day 3, story 6: "Ricciardo Minutolo loves the wife of Filippello Fighinolfi, and knowing her to be jealous, makes her believe that his own wife is to meet Filippello at a Turkish bathhouse on an ensuing day; whereby she is induced to go thither, where, thinking to have been with her husband, she discovers that she has tarried with Ricciardo"), showing the ending of the story (45 illustrations total) Pagination: 12 unpaginated leaves [i-xxiv], pg. starts at A1, [1] 2-366. Vol. 2: Title-page: same as in vol. 1 but all in black and TOME SECOND. Collation: A-2D8 2E4, 56 in-text half-page vignettes. Pagination: [1,2] (t.p.), 3-427 (text) [13] (table, last page blank). Edition 1st edition, 2nd printing, edition of 1699 considered by most a re-issue of the 1697 edition. Description in Auction Sale Van Gendt, 1977, no. 1108: "The first, which has exactly the same collation was published by Gallet in 1697. It seems possible that the 1699 edition is, in fact, of the same issue, and that only the first quires of both volumes, which include the title pages were replaced by new ones with the new date, to make the book look more up to date. - The edition of 1702, also published by Gallet has "seconde édition", which, we think, sustains our theory." Binding: Two volumes uniformly bound by Chambolle-Duru in red crushed morocco, ruled gilt with triple-fillet, gilt dentelle inside, raised bands, gilt in compartments, AEG, marbled endpapers; to FEP verso in vol. 1 pasted a clipping, and in both volumes – bookplate “EX LIBRIS HELGE LOEWENBERG DOMP”. Provenance: Helge Loewenberg-Domp (Jewish-German, 1915 – 2021) Catalogue raisonnè: Landwehr (1970): № 88, p. 193 [LIB-2547.2020]. Contributors: Giovanni Boccaccio (Italian, 1313 – 1375) – author. Romeyn de Hooghe (Dutch, 1645 – 1708) – artist, etcher. Chambolle-Duru; René Victor Chambolle (French, 1834 – 1898), Hippolyte Duru (French, 1803 – 1884) – binder. George Gallet (Dutch, 17th-18th century) – printer, publisher.