//Social life and customs
  •

    Album du Bon Bock. — Paris, 1884 / Privat edition by Émile Bellot.

    An album of the "Le Bon-Bock" dinners for the year 1884. Author, designer and publisher – Emile Bellot (French, 1831 – 1886), a Parisian artist and engraver. "Le Bon-Bock" was a monthly dinner of artists and men of letters, who gathered in Paris for good food, good company, and artistic performances, from 1875 to at least 1925. The story behind these gatherings as told by Emile Bellot, the founder, is this:
    In February 1875, Pierre Cottin1 came to me and said: 'I discovered a poet and tragedian of immense talent and who interprets the poems of the Great Victor Hugo in an astonishing way. Monsieur Gambini. I promised him that I would make it heard by an audience of artists and men of letters. I am counting on you who have many connections to keep my promise to him'. I gathered about 25 of my friends and acquaintances in a picnic dinner which took place at a restaurant 'Krauteimer' on the rue Rochechouart in Montmartre. They heard from Mr Gambini first, then my friends Étienne Carjat2, J. Gros3, Adrien Dézamy4, etc. performed. These gentlemen completed the evening so brilliantly that it was unanimously decided that we would start a similar dinner every month. Poets, musicians, men of letters, singers would be invited to this dinner. I was in charge of the organization of this little party and as it was the dream of my life to bring together old comrades, I was careful not to refuse and I pursued this good idea. Cottin and René Tener5 were kind enough to help me in this joyous task and especially my old friend Carjat. The following March began our 1st monthly dinner.
    The name "Le Bon-Bock" means "The Good Bock", whilst Bock is a kind of beer, a dark, malty, lightly hopped ale. The dinner was named "Le Bon-Bock" in honour of the Éduard Manet painting (1873), a famous portrait of Emile Bellot, called "Le Bon-Bock". The invitations to the dinner were also produced by the artists and looked like this one by Alexandre Ferdinandus (October 3, 1883). Ferdinandus (attrib.), 1870   Besides this sketch of the Parisian social and artistic life at the end of the 19th century, the provenance of the album in our collection generates additional interest. The ink stamp to the front flyleaf reads: "Docteur Henry Uzan, 29 Avenue Perrichont, Paris XVI". Doctor Henry Uzan was Jewish. He was arrested by the Pétain police on October 1, 1941, and interned in Drancy. With the few means at his disposal, he undertook to treat the sick whom he then saw leaving, week after week, towards their terrible destiny in the extermination camps. In October 1943 doctor Uzan was deported to the island of Alderney. After the Normandy Landing of June 6, 1944, Nazis evacuated the island detainees and transfer them to the Neuengamme camp, via northern France and Belgium. During the transfer, doctor Uzan managed to escape from the train on the night of September 3 to 4 around Dixmude in Flanders. He was taken in by the Belgian Resistance, which he joined before being repatriated to France. In France, he continued working as a physician and was one of the founders of Association des internés et déportés politiques (AIDP). In 1945, together with his friends, the doctor designed the symbol for the Fédération nationale des déportés et internés résistants et patriotes: The story behind the number on the emblem (178284) is fascinating but it is out of the scope of this material.
    1. Pierre Cottin (French, 1823 – c. 1887) – Engraver, mezzotinter, genre and landscape painter; born in Chappelle-Saint-Denis (near Paris), a pupil of Jazet. Exhibited at the Salon from 1845, also in London from 1876 to 1879.↩ 2. Étienne Carjat (French, 1828 – 1906) – Journalist, caricaturist and photographer. ↩ 3. Jean Baptiste Louis Gros (French, 1793 – 1870) – Painter. ↩ 4. Adrien Dézamy (French, 1844 – 1891) – Writer, poet, general secretary of the Théâtre des Bouffes in Paris. ↩ 5. Rene Tener (French, 1846 – 1925) – Painter. ↩ Sources: 

    Le chercheur indépendant

    Auguste Lepage. Les dîners artistiques et littéraires de Paris / Bibliothèque des Deux mondes (2e éd.) – Paris: Frinzine, Klein et Cie., 1884. [Accession № LIB-2606.2021 in this collection]

    Le matricule 178284, un emblème de solidarité.

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  • [Marcel Vertès]. Trois filles de leur mère. — [Paris: Marcel Cotinaud, 1927].

    Seventeen drypoint prints in purple plus one original ink sketch by Marcel Vertés (French, 1895 – 1961) – illustrations to the book by Pierre Louÿs Trois filles de leur mère, in a paper folder. Front : DIX-SEPT POINTES SÈCHES | D'UN ARTISTE INCONNU | POUR | TROIS FILLES | DE | LEUR MÈRE | {space} | AUX DÉPENS D'UN AMATEUR | NON MIS DANS LE COMMERCE || Pencil manuscript Vertés under “ARTISTE”, autograph vignette above “AMATEUR”, erased dedication inscription above “DÉPENS” À L’AMI [erased] X. Back: JUSTIFICATION DU TIRAGE | 17 EXEMPLAIRES SUR VÉLIN D’ARCHES CONTENANT | UNE SUITE DES DIX-SEPT POINTES SÈCHES EN | NOIR : UNE SUITE EN COULEURS COLORIÉE PAR | L’ARTISTE ; UN DESSIN ORIGINAL ET SA PLANCHE | DE CUIVRE ; DIX-SEPT CROQUIS ORIGINAUX | MARQUÉS A à Q. | 50 EXEMPLAIRES SUR VÉLIN D’ARCHES CONTE- | NANT UNE SUITE DES DIX-SEPT POINTES | SÈCHES ET TROIS CROQUIS ORIGINAUX | NUMÉROTÉS DE 1 à 50. | {space} | EXEMPLAIRE № {by hand} H. C. || Size : folder 28 x 17.5 cm; sketch 26.6 x 17.6 cm; prints 27.5 x 19 cm. Printed on wove paper with MBM watermark (Arches MBM Paper). Bookplate pasted to the makeshift extra folder with title: “EX-LIBRIS | Jacques | Crepineau”. Provenance: Jacques Crepineau (French, 1932 – 2017). Description by seller: [CURIOSA - VERTÈS (Marcel)]. Dix-sept pointes sèches d'un artiste inconnu pour Trois filles de leur mère. S.l. : Aux dépens d'un amateur, [1927]. — In-8, en feuilles. Dutel 2517*. Rare suite de 17 pointes-sèches libres réalisées par Marcel VERTÈS, probablement publiée par Marcel Cotinaud. Elle était destinée à accompagner l'édition originale de Trois filles de leur mère de Pierre Louÿs publiée un an plus tôt. Tirage à 67 exemplaires sur vélin d'Arches. Les épreuves sont tirées en violet. Exemplaire sans le feuillet de titre, ni celui de la justification. Il comprend un croquis original de l'artiste, non signé, ayant servi d'étude pour l'une des planches. Selon les tirages, chaque exemplaire devrait comprendre 17 croquis pour les 17 premiers, ou 3 pour les 50 autres, non n'en avons ici qu'un seul. Envoi de Vertès sur la couverture, accompagné d'un dessin original. Le nom du destinataire a été effacé. Manque la chemise et l'étui. Description by DUTEL v.3, p. 389, № 2517: In-4 (28 x 19) de 2 ff., 17 pointes sèches, étui, chemise. … publiée en 1927 probablement par Marcel Cotinaud (SV : publisher of Vertés was Paul Cotinaud)… Les planches sont tirées en violet (SV : like this one). Tirage : 17 ex. …avec une suite coloriée par l’artiste, un dessin, un cuivre et 17 croquis. 50 ex. … avec 3 croquis. Other names: Marcel Vertès, Marcel Vertes, Marcell Vértes
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  • Charles Virmaître. Paris-Canard. – Paris: Albert Savine, 1888. – pp.: ffl [2 blanks] [2 orig. yellow cover, verso blank] [2 - ht, advert.] [2 - t.p., blank] 1-319 [320 blank] [2 back orig. cover, recto blank]. [Autograph].

    Charles Virmaître. Paris-Canard. – Paris: Albert Savine, 1888.

    Cover: (original wrapper) PARIS-CANARD| PAR | CH. VIRMAITRE | A. SAVINE, Édeiteur, rue Drouot, 18, PARIS || Wood engraving to cover signed LeNatur — Michelet, sc. Title page: CHARLES VIRMAITRE | PARIS–CANARD | {publisher’s device} | PARIS | NOUVELLE LIBRAIRIE PARISIENNE | ALBERT SAVINE, ÉDITEUR | 18, RUE DROUOT, 18 | 1888 | Tous droits réservés. || Pagination: 2 blank leaves, original pictorial wrapper, [4], [1] 2-319 [320 blank], original back wrapper with publisher’s advertisement, 2 blank leaves. Collation: 12mo; π2, 1-1712 184. Binding: 18 x 12 cm, hardcover; quarter blue percaline, marbled boards, red title label ruled gilt with gilt lettering, gilt double tail ruler, fleuron to spine; original paper wrappers preserved. Bookplate to front pastedown: "EX LIBRIS EUGENE SELIGMANN" written on a ribbon; ink inscription to half-title in french: "To my good friends Paul Vogler and Maurice Radiguet, former – for a new acquaintance, latter – to become great." Signed: Ch. Virmaitre. Paul Vogler (French, 1853 – 1904) – painter in the Impressionist style. Jules Maurice Radiguet (French, 1866 – 1941) – illustrator , caricaturist and cartoonist. Father of Raymond Radiguet (French, 1903 – 1923).  
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  • Henry Monnier. Les Bas-fonds de la société / avec 8 dessins à la plume de F. R. [i.e. Félicien Rops]. — [Bruxelles: H. Kistemaeckers, 1879].

    Small softcover volume, ‘édition minuscule’ in-32, 13 x 8 cm, publisher’s wrappers, pp.: [1-6] (h.t., t.p., advert.), [7] 8-160 [2 table/blank], included in pagination 8 pasted etchings on India paper after Félicien Rops and one blank leaf next to plate 1; laid paper with watermarks, some pages uncut. Title-page: DOCUMENTS | POUR SERVIR A L’HISTOIRE DE NOS MŒURS | – | LES | BAS-FONDS | DE LA SOCIÉTÉ | PAR | HENRY MONNIER | AVEC | 8 dessins à la plume | de F. R. | {fleuron} | ÉDITION MINUSCULE | tirée | à 64 exemplaires. || Pencil handwriting on top: 8 gravures de Felicien Rops | 250 –, in the bottom: [1879]. Print run: 64 copies; clandestine edition. Catalogue raisonné: Vicaire V, 1019; Bory p. 100 (though here is the frontispiece for Les Bas-fonds de la société par Joseph Prudhomme [Henry Monnier], 1864, with all the sheets together; Dutel I, A-134. Ref: (1) Poulet-Malassis & ses amis № 90 [LIB-3118.2022] ; (2) Félicien Rops: L'oeuvre graphique complète. / Ouvrage établi et présenté par Jean-François Bory. Avec un texte contemporain de l'artiste par J. K. Huysmans. — Arthur Hubschmidt, 1977. [LIB-2241.2019] Contributors: Henry Monnier (French, 1799 – 1877) – author. Félicien Rops (Belgian, 1833 – 1898) – artist. Henry Kistemaeckers (Belgian, 1851 – 1934) – publisher. Auguste Poulet-Malassis (French, 1825 – 1878)
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  • [Feodor Rojankovsky]. Idylle printanière. — [Paris: Henri Pasquinelli, 1938].

    Title: IDYLLE | PRINTANIÈRE || Verso: {Headpiece} | Justification du tirage | {7 lines of text} | Exemplaire № 56 (digits by hand) | HP (monogram by hand) | {tailpiece} || Album of 30 hand-coloured lithographs and frontispiece in a cardboard folder; each sheet mounted in a 32.5 x 25 cm passepartout with 19 x 13 cm window; published in Paris in 1938 by Henri Pasquinelli (attributed). No artist, no publisher name indicated. According to Justification du tirage, the print run of 516 copies on Arches laid tinted paper (vergé), copy A – control artist’s uncoloured, 15 copies B–P reserved for collaborators and friends, copies 1–500 – for bibliophiles. This copy № 56, autographed by the publisher's monogram: "HP". Catalogue Raisonné: J.-P. Dutel, vol 2 (1920–1970), #1726, p. 207-8. Provenance: J.-P. Dutel.
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  • Maurice Joly. Les affamés. Études de mœurs contemporaines. — Paris, E. Dentu, 1876. — pp.: [1 half-title, verso colophone] [1 title, verso blank] [i] ii-xvi, 1-340.

    Maurice Joly. Les affamés : Études de mœurs contemporaines. — Paris: E. Dentu, 1876.

    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.
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  • [William Alexander.] Costume of the Russian Empire. — London: John Stockdale, 1811.

    Engraved title: The | Costume | of the | Empire of Russia | {copper horseman vignette} | signed under: Printed for E. Harding at the Crown and Mitre Pall Mall || English title: COSTUME | OF THE | RUSSIAN EMPIRE, | ILLUSTRATED BY UPWARDS OF | SEVENTY RICHLY COLOURED ENGRAVINGS. | DEDICATED BY PERMISSION TO | HER ROYAL HIGHNESS | THE | PRINCESS ELIZABETH. | LONDON: | PRINTED BY T. BENSLEY, BOLT COURT, FLEET STREET; | FOR JOHN STOCKDALE, PICCADILLY. | 1811. || Paper: thick wove paper, the leaf with “Copper Horseman” watermarked J. Whatman 1808; the French title – Edmeads & Co 1809, E2 – E & P 1807, plates are not watermarked [NYPL: An “1803” copy of The Costumes of the Russian Empire has watermarks from 1796 (W Elgar), 1809 (Edmeads & Co), 1811, 1813 (J. Whatman), 1818, and 1829]. Collation: 4to; (1) engraved title by E. Harding (“Copper Horseman” monument of Peter the Great), (2) English title, (3) French title, (4) Dedication to her Royal Highness the Princess Elizabeth by E. Harding (1803), (5) Contents —> π5 a2 B-S4 T2, all second leaves in all quires but C and T signed “2”, 77 leaves total, unpaginated, plus 72 plates (34.5 x 25.5 cm), stipple and line engravings, hand-coloured, by John Dadley after William Alexander. Binding: 36 x 27 cm, straight-grain green morocco, blind-stamped palmette border withing gilt-stamped palmette border to boards, raised bands decorated in gilt, gilt in compartments, two brown morocco labels with gilt lettering, brown endpapers, 2 additional flyleaves at front and back, AEG. Authorship and artistic work are attributed to Alexander and Dadley, but not signed. 1st edition in 1803 was published by William Richard Beckford Miller (British, 1769 – 1844). Catalogue raisonné: Tooley (1906): p. 151. Contributors: William Alexander (British, 1767 – 1816) – artist, author. John Dadley (British, 1767 – 1817) – engraver. Thomas Bensley (British, 1759 – 1835) – printer. John Stockdale (British, 1750 – 1814) – publisher. Edward Harding (British, 1755 – 1840) – publisher of 1803 edition (author of dedication) Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom (British, 1770 – 1840) – dedicatee.
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  • Auguste Lepage. Les dîners artistiques et littéraires de Paris / 2e édition; (Bibliothèque des deux mondes). — Paris: Frinzine, Klein et Cie., 1884.

    Cover: Publisher's wrappers, to front cover with black and red lettering: DEUXIÈME ÉDITION |—| AUGUSTE LEPAGE | Les Diners | ARTISTIQUES ET LITTÉRAIRES | de Paris | {publisher's device} | PARIS | BIBLIOTHÈQUE DES DEAUX MONDES| FRINZINE, KLEIN et Cie, ÉDIREURS | 1, RUE BONAPARTE, 1 | 1884 | Tous droits réservés || Title page: Similar lettering t.p. in black only, with "DEUXIÈME ÉDITION" below "de Paris". Pagination: front wrapper with a pasted leaf, [iii-vii] viii-xi [xii] [1-3] 4-360, back wrapper with a pasted 3/4 leaf, black lattering to spine. Collation: 18mo; π5, 1-1918-206.
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  • 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.

    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.
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  • La Caillette (XVIIIe siècle), by E. Charreyre after Juan Antonio González, 1884.

    Coloured etching by E. Charreyre (French, fl. 1880 – ?) after a watercolour by Juan Antonio González, (Spanish, 1842 – 1914). A book illustration for 'Son Altesse La Femme' by Octave Uzanne (1851 – 1931), chapter: 'La Caillette' (Le lever d’une petite-maitresse au XVIIIe siècle). Published by Albert Quantin (French, 1850 – 1930) in 1885.

    Size: print 17.5 x 12 cm, pasted to leaf 27.7 x 19.5 cm.

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  • Джон Фаулз. Подруга французского лейтенанта. Роман. Пер. с англ. М. Беккер и И. Комаровой под ред. Н. Рахмановой. / Л.: Художественная литература, 1985.

    Джон Фаулз. Подруга французского лейтенанта / Пер. с англ. М. Беккер и И. Комаровой под ред. Н. Рахмановой. — Л.: Художественная литература, 1985.

    Hardcover, 20.8 x 13.2 cm; publisher's original green cloth with black and gilt lettering to front and spine; pictorial endpapers. Gift ms inscription from Irina Komarova to Yury and Elvina Varshavsky to front free endpaper's verso: "Прослышав, что теперь для Юры / Нет ничего милей гравюры, / Литературу я отныне / Дарю из принципа Эльвине! / И. / Февраль 86". Pp.: [2] 3-477 [3], collation 16mo: 1-1516 (total 240 leaves) plus portrait frontispiece. Title-page: Джон Фаулз | ПОДРУГА | ФРАНЦУЗСКОГО | ЛЕЙТЕНАНТА | РОМАН | Перевод с английского | М. Беккер и И. Комаровой | под редакцией Н. Рахмановой | {vignette} | {publisher’s device} | ЛЕНИНГРАД | «ХУДОЖЕСТВЕННАЯ ЛИТЕРАТУРА» | ЛЕНИНГРАДСКОЕ ОТДЕЛЕНИЕ• 1985 || T.p. verso: […] | JOHN FOWLES | THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN | Вступительная статья А. ДОЛИНИНА | Примечания М. БЕККЕР | Оформление художников | Н. ВАСИЛЬЕВА и Э. КАПЕЛЮША | […] || Contributors: Беккер, Мэри Иосифовна (Russian, 1920 – 2010) Комарова, Ирина Бенедиктовна (Russian, b. 1933) Рахманова, Наталия Леонидовна (Russian, b. 1930)    
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  • Stefano della Bella. La perspective du pont Neve de Paris; etching, 1646 (2nd state).

    Etching on laid paper, backed. Massar (1971): 59-61. View of the Pont Neuf in Paris, with the statue of Henry IV at centre in front of the Seine, the church of St.-Germaine l'Auxerrois and the Louvre to the right, and the Hôtel de Nevers and Tour de Nesle to the left (MET). in the banner below: LUDOVICO XIIII GALLIARUM ET NAV REGI; below image: PONS LVTETIÆ STRVCTVS, DICTVS NOVVS, ET QVÆ EX EO PROSPICI POSSVNT.; bellow: En pulcherrimus toto ... caufatus, vifere; along the bottom: Ste. Della Bella Florentinus In. e Fecit DD. 1646. Cum Privilegio Regis; additional lettering a lower left and right identifying places depicted.

    State: 2nd, with the weathercock on the belltower of Église Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois (under 8). Size: 35.5 x 67.6 cm. Condition: Three vertical folds, these partly cracked and backed at the bottom, dusty or slightly stained, partly slightly rubbed, a small diagonal crease on the upper left, tiny marginal blemishes.

    Quotation from Phyllis D. Massar. Presenting Stefano della Bella. — NY: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, [1971]: "For size and complexity, one of Della Bella's most impressive achievements is his view of Paris across the Pont Neuf from a point between the buildings bounding the Place Dauphine. Besides the well-known landmarks-the Hộtel de Nevers, the Tour de Nesle, the church of Saint Germain l'Auxerrois, and, at the centre, the bronze equestrian statue of Henri IV by the Florentines Giovanni Bologna and Pietro Tacca – the print provides a microcosm of Paris in transit across the Seine. With a glass, one can compile a census of 451 people, thirty-eight horses, nineteen dogs, three donkeys, and one lamb. All but lost in the vast scene, nevertheless, all contributing to it, are duelists, men fighting with staffs, brawlers routing passers-by, a tooth-puller making an extraction, sellers of sweetmeats and fruits, falconers, hunters with a pack of dogs, a legless cripple, many begging gypsies (one of them telling a fortune), and a hurdy-gurdy player with an audience. Moving among the splendid carriages is a humble water cart, and back among the market stands at the right is an early Seine-side bookstall."

    Catalogue raisonné: Massar (1971): pp. 58-61; De Vesme p. 132, № 850ii/ii. Contributor: Stefano della Bella (Italian, 1610 – 1664) – artist and engraver.
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