//Modern literature
  • Title page: TO BEG | I AM ASHAMED | By | SHEILA COUSINS | KITABISTAN | ALLAHABAD || Pagination:[1-4] 5-285 [286] [2], total 288 pages. Collation: 8vo; [1]8 2-188; total 144 leaves. Binding: Publisher’s red cloth, black lettering to front cover and spine, price-clipped brown and grey dust jacket, lettered front: TO BEG | I AM ASHAMED | SHEILA | COUSINS |The authentic | autobiography | of a | LONDON | PROSTITUTE | KITABISTAN ||; annotation by Diana Frederics to the back. Size: 19 x 13 cm. Edition: 1st Indian edition. Contributors: Graham Greene (British, 1904 – 1991) – author. Ronald Matthews (British, 1903 – 1967) – author. Frances V. Rummell [pseudonym Diana Fredericks] (American, 1907 – 1969) – annotation author. Kitabistan (Allahabad, India) – publisher. J. K. Sharma at the Allahabad Law Journal Press – printer.
  • Description: Softcover volume 27 x 21.3 cm in publisher’s French flapped cream wrappers, with a vignette and lettered in red within a black frame to front "GAMIANI | OU DEUX NUITS D'EXCÈS". Printed on unmarked wove paper, outer and lower margins untrimmed. Illustrated with full-page frontispiece, 10 headpieces, and 5 smaller woodcuts (one repeated on the front wrapper and on t.p.) by Pierre Aubert after Jean-Gabriel Daragnès [pseud. Jean de Guethary], some with inlaid tissue guards. Copy enriched with one graphite pencil drawing signed "J. de Guethary", tipped in before h.t. Title-page (red and black): GAMIANI | OU DEUX NUITS D'EXCÈS | PAR A. DE M. | Avec | des vignettes | de | JEAN DE GUETHARY | {VIGNETTE} | — | CHEZ UN BOURGEOIS DE PARIS | Rue du Coq Hardi | 1845 || Pagination: [i-vi] (orig. drawing, h.t. / vignette, t.p./limit.) [vii] viii-xx, [1-3] 4-64 [4]; total 88 pages. Limitation: Edition limited to 110 copies. According to Dutel, 110 copies were printed on Japon ancient, 3 on Japon Impérial, and 3 on Whatman. This copy is № 115. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel (1920-1970): № 1630, p. 183; Pia (Enfer) 527, p. 286. Alfred de Musset (French, 1810 – 1857) – author. Jean-Gabriel Daragnès (French, 1886 – 1950) – artist, publisher. Pierre Aubert (Swiss, 1910 – 1987) – engraver.
  • Hardcover volume, 26.6 x 21.3 cm, ¾ blue crushed morocco over marbled boards, marbled endpapers, original wrappers preserved, raised bands; wove paper, watermarked Van Gelder Zonen, unpaginated, 2 ffl, 1 front cover, 2 blanks, 1 h.t., 1 t.p., 46 leaves of text and plates (18 full-page and 14 half-page lithographs by Marcel Vertès), 1 colophon, 1 blank, 1 back cover, 2 ffl; 52 leaves within the original covers, as per Dutel. Title-page: POÉSIES | ÉROTIQUES | D' | UN | AUTE | UR CÉ | LÈBRE, | ILLUSTRÉ | ES DE TR | ENTE-DEUX | LITHOGRAPHIES | ORIGINALES | DESSINÉES | PAR UN | ARTISTE | INCON | NU | | BARCELONE | ATARAZANAS (BARRIO CHINO) | L'AN I DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE | CATALANE || Limitation: A print run of 165 numbered copies, of which this is copy № 148, and 5 additional presentation copies. The text was printed by Massol, and plates were produced by Mme Duchatel. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 2228 ; Nordmann II (Christie’s) № 321; Éros invaincu № 92, p. 222; Vokaer № 36, p. 16. Contributors: Pierre Louÿs (French, 1870 – 1925) – author. Marcel Vertès [Marcell Vértes] (Jewish-Hungarian-French, 1895 – 1961) – artist. René Bonnel (French, 1884 – 1975) – publisher.
  • In-folio illustrated book, unbound, with sheets 38 x 28 cm in a red double slipcase (40 x 29 cm) with gilt lettering to the spine of the folder. Pagination: [1-8] 9-154 [5] in French flapped wrappers; 30 full-page lithographs. Title-page: PAUL VERLAINE | Parallèlement (ms, in crimson) | Lithographes originales | de | VERTÈS | EDITIONS VIALETAY | 1954 || Edition limited to 99 copies of which 12 copies on Japon nacré (№ 1-12); 25 on Rives (№ 13-37) enriched; 62 on Rives; and 20 (№ I-XX) “Exempliare d’Artiste”. This copy is printed on BFK Rives paper, marked as “Exempliare d’Artiste” and pencil-signed presumably by Vertés and Jacques Vialetay, however, the number is missing. Contributors: Paul Verlaine (French, 1844 – 1896) – author. Marcel Vertès [Marcell Vértes] (Jewish-Hungarian-French, 1895 – 1961) – artist. Jacques Vialetay (French, 20th century) – publisher Edmond & Jacques Desjobert, René Jeanne, Pierre Gaudin – printers. Henri Jonquières – mis en page. Other names: Marcel Vertès, Marcel Vertes, Marcell Vértes
  • Description: One volume, 20.2 x 14 cm, bound in tan cloth, lettered in red and embossing “И. БАБЕЛЬ | РАССКАЗЫ | {vignette} | ГОСЛИТИЗДАТ | 1934”, red lettering to spine. Title-page: И. БАБЕЛЬ | РАССКАЗЫ | ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОЕ ИЗДАТЕЛЬСТВО «ХУДОЖЕСТВЕННАЯ ЛИТЕРАТУРА» | 1934 || Contents: Конармия; Одесские рассказы; Рассказы. Pagination: [1-4] 5-282 [283] [284 blank] [2 contents] [2]; total 288 pages, +3 ils. Collation: [1]-188; total 144 leaves, plus 3 wood-engraved plates by Boris Gutentog extraneous to collation. Print run: 15.000 copies. Edition: 1st edition thus. Contributors: Исаак Эммануилович Бабель [Isaac Babel] (Russian-Jewish, 1894 – 1940) – author. Борис Наумович Гутентог [Boris Gutentog] (Russian-Jewish, 1902 – 1980) – artist.  
  • Softcover, 258 x 166 mm, publisher’s olive French flapped wrappers in owner’s glassine dustcover, edges untrimmed, some pages uncut, printed on thick wove paper with watermark “Hollande van Gelder Zonen”, in a slipcase. Pp.: [1-10] 11-129 [5], pages in wrappers included in the count, total 67 leaves; two-tone woodcuts by Jean-Gabriel Daragnès within the pagination. Title-page (red and black, in a double-fillet frame): PAUL VERLAINE | femmes | ÉDITION ORNÉE | DE TRENTE ET UNE | GRAVURES S/ BOIS | {vignette} | (under the bottom frame) PARIS | 1917 | {red triangle} || Limitation: Il a été tiré de cet ouvrage : 11 15 Exemplaires sur vieux papier de Japon numérotés de I à XV; 15 20 Exemplaires sur papier de Chine numérotés de XVI à XXXV; auxquels on a joint une suite des fumés sur même papier. 250 Exemplaires sur papier vélin de Hollande Van Gelder Zonen numérotés de 1 à 250. Après le tirage les bois ont été détruits. № 1. Numbers “15” and “20” corrected manually by Daragnès (per Dutel). This is copy № of vélin de Hollande print run. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel II: № 295; Nordmann II № 544. Seller’s description: Un volume broché in-8° sous couverture illustrée et rempliée. Etui cartonné. Illustré de 31 gravures sur bois en camaïeu, attribuées à DARAGNES, la plupart très libres, dont 18 à pleine page. Tiré à [226 ou 285] ex. numérotés. 1 des [200 ou 250] sur Hollande Van Gelder Zonen. Le nôtre porte le n°1. (Dutel : 295. Pia : 501. Carteret : IV, 392 : Belle édition rare, très estimée ». Monod : 11086). Dorgelès commenta ainsi ces illustrations : « Dans ces nus voluptueux et tragiques, qui semblent à la fois s’aimer et se haïr, on retrouve la même frénésie amère qui tourmente les poèmes interdits de Verlaine » (in Catalogue de livres... Daragnès, Drouot 1924, n°55). Très rares rousseurs. TRES BON EXEMPLAIRE, toujours recherché. Contributors: Paul Verlaine (French, 1844 – 1896) – author. Jean-Gabriel Daragnès (French, 1886 – 1950) – artist/publisher.  
  • 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.
  • Binding: Pink French flapped wrappers 38.5 x 29 cm, in a frame: LES JEUX | DU DEMI-JOUR | PAR | PIERRE MAC ORLAN | {vignette} | AVEC | DOUZE LITHOGRAPHIES DE | VERTÈS | LES ARTS ET LE LIVRE || Title-page (turquoise and black): LES JEUX | DU DEMI-JOUR | PAR | PIERRE MAC ORLAN | {vignette} | AVEC | DOUZE LITHOGRAPHIES DE | VERTÈS | LES ARTS ET LE LIVRE | 47, RUE LAFFITTE, PARIS | | 1926 || Pagination: [2] blank, [2] h.t. / limitation, [2] t.p. / blank, i-iii [iv] 1-45 [46 blank] [2] table / colophon, [2] blank; total 60 pages, plus 12 plates extraneous to collation, by Marcel Vertès. Edition: text printed by Robert Coulouma in Argenteuil (director H. Barthélemy), lithographs printed by Edouard Duchâtel in Paris, print run of 600 copies, 500 on vélin pur fil Lafuma, this copy on that paper, though unnumbered (№ blank). Contributors: Pierre Mac-Orlan (French, 1882 – 1970) – author. Marcel Vertès [Marcell Vértes] (Jewish-Hungarian-French, 1895 – 1961) – artist. Other names: Marcel Vertès, Marcel Vertes, Marcell Vértes
  • Hardcover volume, 19 x 13 cm, collated in-12mo, bound by Henri Creuzevault (signed) in full crushed brown morocco, spine with raised bands, gilt lettering “H. DE RÉGNIER | – | LA PÉCHERESSE” and “PARIS 1920” in the bottom compartment; gilt fillet to cover margin, five gilt fillets inside, marbled endpapers, bookplate of J.-P. Dutel to flyleaf, original yellow publisher’s wrappers preserved, top edge gilt, in a marbled slipcase; printed on dense wove paper (Japon). Inset: Receipt from Librairie ancienne et modern – Georges Venot (Lyon), dated April 16, 1938. Title-page / Cover: HENRI DE RÉGNIER | DE L’ACADÉMIE FRANÇAISE | – | La Pécheresse | HISTOIRE D’AMOUR | {publisher’s device} | PARIS | MERCVRE DE France | XXVI, RVE DE CONDÉ, XXVI | MCMXX || Limitation: 158 copies on Japon (№№ 1-158), 95 copies on Chine (№№ 159-253), 515 copies on Hollande (№№ 254-768), 1,650 copies on vélin pur fil de Lafuma (№№ 769-2393, and 25 copies not for sale marked A-Z. This is № 75 (on Japon), a unique copy enriched with 7 original watercolours by Serge de Solomko. Collation: 3 blank flyleaves, front wrapper, π6 (1 h.t./advert., 1 t.p./limit., 1 dedication, 3), 1-206, 212, back wrapper, spine, 3 blank flyleaves, list of illustrations pasted to recto endpaper “La Pécheresse. | 7 aquarelles de Solemko (sic.) | 57, 64, 168, 256, 289, 320, 346”, seven plates bound in as per the list. Pagination: [1-5] 6-350, ils. OCLC Number / Unique Identifier: 715077259. Contributors: Henri de Régnier (French, 1864 – 1936) – author. Auguste Gilbert de Voisins (1877 – 1939) – dedicatee. Sergueï Solomko [Сергей Сергеевич Соломко, Serge de Solomko] (Russian-French, 1867 – 1928) – artist. Henri Creuzevault (French, 1905 – 1971) – bookbinder. J.-P. Dutel description: RÉGNIER, Henri de. LA PECHERESSE. Paris, Mercure de France, 1920. In-12 (18,3 x 11,4 cm) de [1] f., 350 pp., maroquin janséniste grenat, dos à 5 nerfs, filets dorés intérieurs, tête dorée, filets dorés sur les coupes, non rogné, couverture et dos conservés, étui bordé. (Creuzevault). ÉDITION ORIGINALE. Tirage : 95 ex. sur chine. 158 ex. sur japon. 515 ex. sur hollande. UN DES 158 EXEMPLAIRES SUR JAPON. EXEMPLAIRE UNIQUE ENRICHI DE 7 AQUARELLES ORIGINALES HORS-TEXTE SIGNÉES PAR SERGE DE SOLOMKO. Sergueï Sergueïevitch Solomko « Serge de Solomko », (Saint-Petersburg, 1867- Sainte Geneviève des bois, 1928) est un illustrateur, graphiste et aquarelliste russe qui vécut en partie en France. Qualifiée d'histoire d'amour, cette œuvre d'Henri de Régnier est dédiée à Gilbert de Voisins, poète et romancier, en témoignage de fraternelle amitié. Elle est placée par son auteur sous les auspices du moraliste et critique libertin Saint-Evremond dont une citation figure en exergue du livre : « Il y a des temps où l'on pleure les plaisirs perdus, des temps où l'on pleure les péchés commis. » Et l'auteur d'incipiter comme suit : « J'ai toujours été si curieux des particularités que l'on découvre au caractère des femmes que, pas une fois, je n'ai négligé de m'instruire sur le sujet. » « (...) le point où se montre le mieux et le plus ouvertement ce que la nature les a faites, est celui de l'amour. »
  • Cover: To beg | I am ashamed | by | Sheila Cousins | An autobiography | of a London prostitute | Only authorized edition | Complete and unexpurgated | PUBLISHED IN PARIS || Title page: SHEILA COUSINS | TO BEG | I AM ASHAMED || Pagination:[4] 1-252], total 256 pages. Binding: Original wrappers, black lettering to front, spine, and back: Price in France and Continent 75 Frs. | Price in America Two Dollars |—| OPERA PRESS || Size: 20.2 x 14.5 cm. Edition: Pirated edition. Contributors: Graham Greene (British, 1904 – 1991) – author. Ronald Matthews (British, 1903 – 1967) – author. Opera Press (Paris) – publisher.
  • Description: Softcover 4to volume 25 x 19.7 cm in publisher’s French flapped tan wrappers, in glassine DJ, lettering to front. Printed on watermarked “Arches” laid paper, margins untrimmed, pages uncut. Illustrated with 24 in-text coloured etchings, and 59 vignettes, initials, and tailpieces engraved on wood by Gilbert Poilliot after Maurice Leroy. Front wrapper: GABRIEL SOULAGES | LE | MALHEUREUX | PETIT | VOYAGE {vertical} | AUX ÉDITIONS DU CHARME || Title-page (red and black): GABRIEL SOULAGES | LE MALHEUREUX | PETIT VOYAGE | Illustrations de MAURICE LEROY | {fleuron} | ÉDITIONS DU CHARME | PARIS – 1942 || Pagination: [1-8] (leaf in wrapper, t.p., dedication, d.t.p.) 9-187 [188] [4] (table, colophon, leaf in wrapper), total 192 pages , incl. in wrappers. Limitation: Limited to 750 copies, 25 copies (№ 1-25) on Vélin d’Arches with the original drawings and several suites of plates, 59 copies (№ 26-84) on Vélin d’Arches with the original drawings and several suites of plates, 100 copies (№ 85-184) on Vélin d’Arches with one suite of woodcuts and one of the etchings, 216 copies (№ 185-400) on Vélin d’Arches without enrichment, 350 copies (401-750) on Vélin des Papeteries Lana (Docelles); besides there are 10 copies numbered I-X for the artist and collaborators. This copy is № 266. Edition made under the direction of Sven Nielsen and Robert Meiffrédy; printed on April 29, 1942, at Dumoulin under the direction of H. Barthélemy. Etchings were printed at La Tradition under the direction of H. Durupt and the artist. Gabriel Soulages (French, 1876 – 1930?) – author. Maurice Leroy (French, 1885 – 1973) – artist. Gilbert Poilliot (French, fl. 1938 – 1952) – wood engraver. Sven Nielsen (Danish, 1901 – 1976) – publisher. Robert Meiffrédy (French, 20th century) – publisher.
  • Hardcover volume, 21.8 x 15.5 x 6 cm, bound in black cloth with blind-stamped lettering to front and gilt lettering to spine, yellow endpapers, outer margin trimmed rough, pp.: [i-xiv] h.t./blank, advert./blank,t.p./copyright, dedicat./family, family/blank, edit./blank, [1-2] f.t./blank, 3-589 [5 blanks]; 608 pp (304 leaves) total; blue ink ms to fep “…from the Pembroke College Club of New York”; in a black dust jacket with yellow and green lettering to front and spine, portrait to back, unclipped $8.95. Title-page: VLADIMIR | NABOKOV | ADA | OR ARDOR: | A FAMILY | CHRONICLE | McGraw-Hill Book Company • New York • Toronto || Nabokov, Vladimir [Набоков, Владимир Владимирович] (Russian-American, 1899 – 1977)
  • Title-page: GRAHAM GREENE | — | A Burnt Out Case | {publisher's device} | HEINEMANN | LONDON MELBURNE TORONTO || Black buckram with silver lettering to spine, green pictorial dust jacket, unclipped (16s | NET), [2] h.t. / books by GG, [2] t.p. / copyright, [2] quotations / blank, [2] dedication to Doctor Michel Lechat; [1, 2] d.t.p. Part I / blank, 3-256. Total 264 pages. Publisher: William Heinemann Ltd. Printer: Windmill Press Ltd., Kingswood, Surrey. Copyright: © Graham Greene 1960, 1961. Wrapper design: Lacey Everett. Graham Greene (British, 1904 – 1991) William Henry Heinemann (Jewish-British, 1863 – 1920) Michel Lechat (Belgian, 1927 – 2014)
  • Description: one volume, 20.7 x 13.3 cm, bound in cream cloth with red and black lettering to front cover and spine, author’s photographic portrait frontispiece. Title-page (black and red): ИЗБРАННОЕ (vertical, red) | И. БАБЕЛЬ | {publisher’s device “ИХЛ”} | Издательство | «ХУДОЖЕСТВЕННАЯ ЛИТЕРАТУРА» | Москва | 1966 || Contents: Конармия; Одесские рассказы; Рассказы; Воспоминания; Пьесы; Статьи, выступления; Письма; Комментарии. Imprint: Вступительная статья | Л. ПОЛЯК | Комментарии | Е. КРАСНОЩЕКОВОЙ | Оформление художника | Ю. БОЯРСКОГО | 7–3–2 / 57–66 || Pagination :[2] 3-493 [494] [2]; total 496 pages, ils. Collation: 8vo; [1]-318; total 248 leaves plus author’s photographic portrait frontispiece. Contributors: Исаак Эммануилович Бабель [Isaac Babel] (Russian-Jewish, 1894 – 1940) – author. Лидия Моисеевна Поляк (Russian-Jewish, 1899 – 1992) – author, foreword. Елена Александровна Краснощекова (Russian-Jewish, b. 1934) (see Александр Михайлович Краснощёков) – author, commentary. Юлий Александрович Боярский (Russian, 1924 – 2009) – artist.
  • Softcover, 257 x 168 mm, publisher’s cream French flapped wrappers with red lettering to front in a beige double slipcase, printed on wove paper watermarked “Marais” in italic script; edges untrimmed; pp.: [8] [2] [1] 2-130 [131] [3]; collated 4to as 184, 72 leaves incl. those in the wrappers, plus 9 photomechanical stencil-coloured plates extraneous to collation and 9 b/w headpieces (in-text etchings) after anonymous artist. According to the seller and J.-P. Dutel: “In-8 of 130 pages... Illustrated with 10 full-page in colour and some headbands. Limited edition of 500 copies on vélin du Marais". Title-page (red and black): GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE | LES | ONZE MILLE VERGES | OU | LES AMOURS D'UN HOSPODAR | BRUXELLES | 1942 || Limitation: Il a été tiré de cet ouvrage réservé uniquement aux souscripteurs particuliers 500 exemplaires tous sur vélin du marais. Exemplaire n° 147. Edition: The clandestine edition on vélin de Marais paper limited to 500 copies for subscribers only; this copy is № 147. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 2109. In my copy, similarly to the one of STEVE M., it is only 9 colour plates, while Dutel sites 10. Author: Guillaume Apollinaire (French, 1880 – 1918). Micro photo of a colour plate: Micro photo of an etching:
  • Front cover: UNCORRECTED PROOF COPY | (NOT FOR SALE) | {rule} | OUR MAN IN HAVANA | Graham Greene | {rule} || Half-title: Our Man in Havana ||; stamp on top: LAURENCE POLLINGER LTD. | 18 MADDOX STREET, LONDON, W.1. Title page: {double rule} | Our Man in Havana | AN ENTERTAINMENT | GRAHAM GREENE | {Heinemann’s device} | HEINEMANN | LONDON MELBOURNE TORONTO || Title verso: William Heinemann Ltd | LONDON MELBOURNE TORONTO | CAPE TOWN AUCKLAND | THE HAGUE | First published 1958 | © by Graham Greene 1958 | All rights reserved | Printed in Great Britain | at The Windmill Press | Kingswood, Surrey || Pagination: [6] [1, 2] 3-273 [274]. Binding: 19.5 x 13 cm, cream wrappers with black lettering to front and spine; Cover is verso of the cover for Anne Piper’s Green for Love, a book published by  Fletcher & Son in 1954. Edition: Advance copy / Uncorrected proof. Contributors: Henry Graham Greene (British, 1904 – 1991) – author. William Henry Heinemann (British-Jewish, 1863 – 1920); William Heinemann Limited – publisher. Laurence Pollinger Ltd. (London) – literary agent.
  • Binding: Grey double-slipcase 34 x 16.5 cm, pictorial folder, French flapped pictorial wrappers, both folder and wrapper with green ms lettering and vignette in sanguine, green ms lettering to spine. Collation: folio in-4to, two leaves in wrappers at the front and back, π8, 104 [11]2, total 50 leaves, incl. plates. Pagination: [4], [2] h.t. / limitation, [2] blank, [1-3] blank, [4-6] frontis., t.p., blank. 7-86 [2] [4] colophon, 100 pages total. Title-page (sanguine and black): COMPLEXES | 40 | DESSINS DE | Vertès | PREFACE DE | PIERRE MAC ORLAN | ANDRÉ SAURET | ÉDITIONS DU LIVRE ★ MONTE-CARLO || Illustrations: One on the front covers, one on the back one headpiece vignette, 37 plates, incl. frontispiece in colour and three on a double-page (full leaf), and one original pencil drawing. Limitation: 890 copies of which 40 (№ 1-40) signed by the artist and contain one original drawing; this copy is № 27. Edition: published by André Sauret, lithographs after Vertès drawings by Georges Duval, printed by Fernand Mourlot; text printed at “La Ruche” under the direction of A. and P. Jarach. Print run completed on November 9, 1948. Contributors: Pierre Mac-Orlan (French, 1882 – 1970) – author. Marcel Vertès [Marcell Vértes] (Jewish-Hungarian-French, 1895 – 1961) – artist. André Sauret (Monaco, fl. 1952 – 1976) – publisher. Other names: Marcel Vertès, Marcel Vertes, Marcell Vértes
  • A three-volume unique copy of Louÿs’s poetical work ‘Pybrac’; edition published in 1928 by Marcel Vertès limited to 30 copies; contains 31 drypoints by Marcel Vertès, incl. frontispiece, nine full-page plates and twenty in-text vignettes; enriched with a volume of three suites of plates (first state b/w on Van Gelder paper, final state b/w on Japon nacré paper, final state hand-coloured on Van Gelder paper) plus 5 refused plates; and with a volume of one original watercolour, five ink drawings, three suites of plates (first state b/w on Van Gelder paper, final state b/w on Japon nacré paper, final state hand-coloured on Van Gelder paper) plus similar 5 refused plates, one b/w plate and one coloured plate, and a drypoint metal plate; two volumes of three are in a slipcase. Same edition in this collection: LIB-2919.2022. Details: (1) The ‘Texte’ volume, collated in-4to, 26 x 20.5 cm bound by Creuzevault (signed inside the front cover, in the bottom) in full tan morocco, blind fillets and a brown strip in the bottom to boards, double gilt fillet and a brown label along the spine, gilt-lettered vertically “PYBRAC | TEXTE”; gilt on black faux marbled endpapers, printed on watermarked Van Gelder Zonen laid paper; collated as follows: [3] blank flyleaves, [1] wrapper ‘PYBRAC’, [5] leaves with pasted original ink drawings on white paper, [1] leaf with pasted original hand-coloured ink drawings on blue paper, [1] drypoint frontispiece, [2] blank leaves, [1] half-title/limitation, [1] t.p., [2] blank leaves, 1-104 (pp. 1-78 [2]), [4] blank leaves plus nine full-page drypoint plates; total 70 leaves. Title-page: PYBRAC | ILLUSTRE DE TRENTE POINT SÈCHES | D’UN | ARTISTE INCONNU | PARIS | AUX DÉPENS D’UN AMATEUR | — | M. CM. XXVIII || Limitation: Edition limited to 30 copies; 1 copy unique on Japon Nacré with 30 original sketches, one suite in colour, two suites in black and 5 cancelled plates; 29 copies on Hollande Van Gelder, with one original watercolour, four original sketches, one suite in colour, two suites in black and 5 cancelled plates. This is copy № 12. (2) The ‘Suites’ volume, 26 x 20.5 cm, uniformly bound in quarter tan morocco over faux marbled paper, blind fillets, horizontal brown strip in the bottom, a vertical brown strip along the border, double gilt fillet and a brown label along the spine, gilt-lettered vertically “PYBRAC | SUITES”; gilt on black faux marbled endpapers; collated as follows: [3] blank flyleaves, three suites of prints: first state on Van Gelder paper, the final state on ‘Japon nacré’ paper, and hand-coloured final state on Van Gelder (31 x 3 = 93 leaves) plus [5] refused plates and [3] blank leaves; total 104 leaves. ‘Texte’ and ‘Suites’ volumes are placed in a faux marbled slipcase. (3) The ‘Suites 2’ volume, 26 x 21.5 cm, bound similarly to the ‘Suites’ volume (quarter morocco), gilt-lettered vertically “PYBRAC | SUITES 2” to spine; front cover with a hollow placement with the drypoint metal plate inside (plate #3), [3] blank wove paper leaves, [1] section title (s.t.) ‘AQUARELLE ORIGINALE’, [1] ink and crayon drawing, [1] s.t. ‘CROQUIS ORIGINAUX’, [5] ink drawings, [1] s.t. ‘PREMIER ÉTAT DES PLANCHES’, [31] plates on Van Gelder, [1] s.t. ‘SUITE EN NOIR SUR JAPON NACRÉ’, [31] plates, s.t. ‘SUITE COLORIÉE A LA MAIN’, [31] plates, [1] s.t. ‘PLANCHES REFUSÉS’, [5] plates, [1] coloured plate #13, [1] uncoloured plate #10, [3] wove paper blank leaves; total 118 leaves. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel (1920-70) № 2279 ; Fekete № 216; Nordmann (I) № 235; Vokaer 23. Ref.: honesterotica.com Contributors: Pierre Louÿs (French, 1870 – 1925) – author. Marcel Vertès [Marcell Vértes] (Jewish-Hungarian-French, 1895 – 1961) – artist. Henri Creuzevault (French, 1905 – 1971) – bookbinder. Seller's description: [ENRICHI & HORS-COMMERCE NON JUSTIFIÉ] Pierre LOUŸS - Marcel VERTÈS. Pybrac, illustré de trente pointes sèches d’un artiste inconnu. Paris, aux dépens d’un amateur, 1928. 3 volumes in-4 de 79 pages, 98 et 76 feuillets. Le volume contenant le texte est relié d'un plein chagrin havane à dos lisse, une pièce de titre en long et un filet doré à froid en bas (Creuzevault). Les deux autres volumes sont reliés à l'identiques, demi chagrin havane, dos lisse, pièce de titre en long, filets dorés sur le dos et filet doré à froid sur le bas et le long du mors. Le cuivre est placé dans le plat intérieur du volume 3, les suites dans le 2. Les deux premiers volumes sont rassemblés dans un étui. Illustré de 31 gravures originales dont 11 hors-texte par Marcel Vertès pour l’une des premières publications obscènes de Pierre Louÿs. Tirage à 30 exemplaires. La justification indique : "Il a été tiré de ce livre 30 exemplaires : 1 exemplaire unique sur Japon nacré avec trente croquis originaux, une suite en couleur, deux suites en noir et une épreuve des cinq planches refusées ; 29 exemplaires sur grand papier de Hollande Van Gelder avec une aquarelle originale, quatre croquis originaux, une suite en couleur, deux suites en noir et une épreuve des cinq planches refusées.". Exemplaire n°12 (Volume 1 Texte). Cet exemplaire est composé différemment soit : Volume 1, Texte : La couverture conservée, 5 dessins originaux à l'encre, 1 dessin sur papier bleu à l'estompe de couleur, le texte, les gravures in-texte et hors-texte. — Volume 2, Suites : les 31 planches en 3 états (1 en couleur et 2 en noir) et une épreuve des 5 planches refusées. — Volume 3, Suites 2 : 1 cuivre, 1 aquarelle, 5 dessins originaux à l'encre, 2 suites en noir, 1 suite coloriée à la main, 1 épreuve des 5 planches refusées, 1 dessin refusé à l'encre et à l'aquarelle et 1 dessin refusé à l'encre. Dutel précise : « Elle est ornée de 11 gravures originales hors-texte dont un titre et 20 gravures dans le texte par Marcel Vertès qui fut aussi l’éditeur de cet ouvrage. Il s’agit d’une des plus belles et des plus rares productions bibliophiliques de l’artiste. » Et surtout la plus rare… (Dutel 2279, pas à l’Enfer de la BnF).