• 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.    
  • Description: Softcover volume in publisher’s pictorial wrappers, with a b/w medallion portrait and lettering in a frame over geometrical pattern in blue to front; 23 x 16.3 cm, collated 8vo. Title-page: РУССКАЯ ЖЕНЩИНА | ВЪ | ГРАВЮРАХЪ И ЛИТОГРАФIЯХЪ | – | ВЫСТАВКА ПОРТРЕТОВЪ | – | КРУЖОКЪ ЛЮБИТЕЛЕЙ | РУССКИХЪ ИЗЯЩНЫХЪ ИЗДАНIЙ | 1911 || Collation: 1-48, last blank, total 32 leaves plus 15 plates (collotype reproductions) with tissue guards, incl. frontispiece, and a few headpieces; catalogue with 180 entries. Pagination: [1-6] 7-63 [64] [2], total 64 pages, ils. Incl. article "Русская женщина в искусстве" барона Н. Н. Врангеля. Барон Николай Николаевич Врангель (Russian, 1880 – 1915)
  • Softcover, in pictorial flapped wrappers, 28 x 21.6 cm, 21 entries, with colour illustrations. Catalogue # 10 of the sales exhibition on March 30 - April 6, 2005 in NY; pagination: [1-3] 4-50 [2], ils. Contributor: Sebastian Izzard
  • Description: One volume, 20.6 x 13.7 cm, pictorial glossy paper boards; pp.: [1-6] 7-480 [481] [7 advert.]; total 488 pages, ils. ISBN: 978-5-4448-0627-2. Contributor: Вера Аркадьевна Мильчина [Vera Miltchina] (Russian, b. 1953)
  • A book about the history and collections of The Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg; hardcover, 22 x 17 cm, collated 8vo, cream buckram blind stamped and lettered in gilt to front cover and design elements and lettering to spine, profusely illustrated. Title-page (in brown rules): С. ВАРШАВСКИЙ • Б. РЕСТ | ЭРМИТАЖ | 1764 – 1939 | ОЧЕРКИ ИЗ ИСТОРИИ | ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОГО ЭРМИТАЖА | под редакцией | академика | И. А. Орбели | {fleuron} || Collation: π2 [1]-158 166; total 128 leaves. Pagination: [2] [2] i-ii [1-4] 5-250 [2], total 256 pages, in-text b/w illustrations. Print run: 5,000 copies. Joseph Orbeli [Иосиф Абгарович Орбели] (Russian-Armenian, 1887 – 1961) – editor. Sergei Petrovich Varshavsky [Сергей Петрович Варшавский] (Jewish-Russian, 1906 – 1980). B. Rest [Б. Рест; Юлий Исаакович Шапиро] (Jewish-Russian, fl. 1940 – 1980).
  • Description: Hardcover, 19.3 x 15 cm, printed on thick wove paper watermarked “J. PERRIGOT MBM ARCHES (France)”, bound by Thomas Boichot (signed 'BOICHOT' on front pastedown) in silver buckram with a white floral diaper, original front wrapper preserved, top margin gilt; engraved bookplate of Roger Peyrefitte by Pierre-Yves Trémois, 1972, to front pastedown lettered “SEX | LIBRIS | ROGER | PEYREFITTE | {vignette} | Trémois | 72”; bookplate of J.-P. Dutel to binder’s flyleaf. Description by the seller: Plein papier à la Bradel, tête dorée, non rogné, premier plat de couverture conservé. (Boichot). Édition originale publiée en 1927 par René Bonnel ornée dans le titre d’une vignette gravée par Foujita. Tirage : 5 ex. sur Japon ancien. 100 ex. sur vélin d’Arches. EXEMPLAIRE UNIQUE. UN DES 100 SUR VÉLIN D’ARCHES (N°97), ENRICHI DE 8 AQUARELLES LIBRES. Provenance: Roger Peyrefitte (Ex-libris érotique gravé par Trémois). Collation: Pink front wrapper, lettered in frame “P. L. |—| PYBRAC |—| 1927”, 2 blank leaves, [1] h.t., [1] t.p. in red and black with engraved vignette by Foujita, [2] (Sur la chemise…), [2] f.t. / blank,  [5] 6-98 [2 colophon/blank], 2 blank leaves, total 52 leaves plus four blanks and a wrapper. Title-page (red and black): PIERRE LOUŸS | PYBRAC | POESIES | {vignette} | CYTHÈRE | AU COQ HARDI || Edition: Limited edition of 105 copies of which this is copy № 97 on Arches paper, enhanced with eight in-text colour drawings by an anonymous artist (unique copy). Another unique copy of the same edition illustrated by an anonymous artist in this collection LIB-3130.2023. Contributors: Pierre Louÿs (French, 1870 – 1925) – author. Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita (Japanese-French, 1886 – 1968) – artist (t.p. vignette). Roger Peyrefitte (French, 1907 – 2000) – provenance. Pierre-Yves Trémois (French, 1921 – 2020) – artist (bookplate) René Bonnel (French, 1884 – 1975) – publisher. Thomas Boichot – bookbinder.
  • Hardcover, 28.8 x 22.3 cm, green cloth, gilt lettering to spine, pictorial dust jacket; pp.: [i-iv] v-xiv, 1-274, total 288 pp., ils. ISBN: 9780521392228, 9780521457330, 0521392225, 0521457335. Title-page: COLOR | AND | MEANING | Practice and Theory in Renaissance Painting | MARCIA B. HALL | CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS | Cambridge | New York   Port Chester   Melbourne   Sydney || Marcia B. Hall (American, b. 1939)
  • Lavishly illustrated manuscript bound in brown cloth with a red cloth border, 12.3 x 7.5 x 1.6 cm, green marbled endpapers with the inscription “Mein | Kampf” to free leaf, front pastedown with a pocket; written with blue ink and drawn with colour crayons on checkered notepaper with rounded corners, unpaginated, 104 leaves total. Frontispiece: ☆ | AMOUR | {two cupids and a heart pierced with an arrow, sunbeams} | VOLUPTE | IVRESSE || Title-page: FOLIES | D'AMOUR | PAR | • Roger Cotteret • | {raising sun and sunbeams} | row of dots || A copy of the whole manuscript is presented here.
  • 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)
  • Paperback, 21.3 x 14 cm, original grey wrappers, vignette and lettering in frame, lettering to spine, publisher’s device to back, all in blue; pp.: [1-4] 5-112. Title-page: МАРКО ВОВЧОК | МАРУСЯ | ПОВIСТЬ | {fleuron} | ВИДАННЯ | СОЮЗУ УКРАÏНЦIВ У ВЕЛИКIЙ БРИТАНIÏ | ЛОНДОН 1967 || Title-page verso: “MARUSIA” | by | MARKO VOVCHOK | NOVEL IN UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE | — | REPRINT | — | Republished by | ASSOCIATION OF UKRAINIANS IN GREAT BRITAIN LTD. | (PUBLISHING DEPARTMENT) | {four lines of text in double-rules} | Printed in the United Kingdom for Association of Ukrainians | in Great Britain Ltd. by | Ukrainian Publishers Limited, 200 Liverpool Rd., London, N. 1. || The French version of the Ukrainian name Маруся —> MAROUSSIA. The French version of the book: LIB-2674.2021; another copy of the Ukrainian edition (1943): LIB-3136.2023. Other variants of the author's name Марко Вовчок: Markowovzok and Marko Vovtchok. Contributors: Марко Вовчок [Marko Vovchok; Марія Олександрівна Вілінська] (Ukrainian, 1833 – 1907) – author. Василь Миколайович Доманицький [Василий Николаевич Доманицкий; Vasyl Domanytskyi] (1877 – 1910) – translator from Russian to Ukrainian. Святомир Фостун (Ukrainian, 1924 – 2004) – foreword.    
  • Softcover, french flapped wrappers, 29 x 19 cm, in glassine dustjacket, text printed on laid paper, pp.: [1-10] 11-256 [8], total 264 pages plus 11 plates out of 12, hand-coloured etchings on wove paper laid in, extraneous to collation. Wrappers detached from the block. Some pages uncut. Below is the missing plate, according to honesterotica.com: Title-page: LES FILLES | DE LOTH | • | et autres poèmes | érotiques | recueillis par le | Vidame de Bozegy | • | A SODOME | — Imprimerie de la Genèse — | 1933 || Edition limited to 500 copies, this is copy № 54. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 1575. Edmond Dardenne Bernard [Vidame de Bozegy] (French, 20th c.) – author. André Collot (French, 1897 – 1976) – artist.
  • Hardcover volume, 19 x 13 cm, grey cloth with gilt lettering to spine, grey/cream dust jacket lettered throughout, price “10s 6d | NET” unclipped. Covers rubbed, dust jacket has a purple ink stain on the back bottom. Black ink inscription to recto ffl. Collation: a-o8 p10, total 122 leaves; pp.: [6] 1-237 [238]. 1st edition, 1st issue / Great Britain. Title-page: THE END OF THE | AFFAIR | by | GRAHAM GREENE | {publisher’s device} | — | WILLIAM HEINEMANN LTD | MELBOURNE :: LONDON :: TORONTO || Imprint: FIRST PUBLISHED 1951 | PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN | AT THE WINDMILL PRESS | KINGSWOOD, SURREY || Dedication: To C. (Catherine Walston, nee Crompton, American, 1925 – 1978) Contributors: Graham Greene (British, 1904 – 1991) William Henry Heinemann (Jewish-British, 1863 – 1920)
  • Hardcover volume 20.7 x 13.4 cm, bound in black buckram with blind and grey lettering to front and grey lettering to spine, in a pictorial dust jacket, yellow pictorial endpapers, pp.: [2] 3-287 [1], collated in 16mo, 1-916, 144 leaves, 288 pages. Title-page: ПИСЬМА АЗЕФА | — | 1893 – 1917 | — | [blank] | {publisher’s device} | МОСКВА | «ТЕРРА» — «TERRA» | 1994 || Print run: 10,000 copies. Азеф, Евгений Филиппович [Евно Фишелевич], [Azef, Yevno] (Jewish-Russian-German, 1869 – 1918) Павлов, Дмитрий Борисович (Russian, b. 1954) Перегудова, Зинаида Ивановна (Russian, b. 1934)

    ISBN: 5-85255-395-6. Azef Letters (Rus).

  • Vol. 1 title: OVID'S | METAMORPHOSES | IN LATIN AND ENGLISH, | TRANSLATED BY | THE MOST EMINENT HANDS. | With HISTORICAL EXPLICATIONS | Of the FABLES, | WRITTEN IN FRENCH BY | The ABBOT BANIER, | MEMBER OF THE ACADEMY OF INSCRIPTIONS | AND BELLES LETTRES. | TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH. | Adorned with Sculptures, by B. Picart, and other able Masters. | VOLUME THE FIRST. | [Device] | AMSTERDAM, | Printed for the WETSTEINS and SMITH. | MD CC XXII || — Pagination: [26 – Half-title, frontis., t.p., dedic., The Bookseller's Preface To This Edition, Mr. Banier's Preface To The French Translation, Contents], [1] 2-247 – Text of books 1-7, with illus., [1 blank]. Vol. 2 half-title: OVID'S | METAMORPHOSES | IN LATIN AND ENGLISH | TWO VOLUMES || — Pagination: [2 – half-title / blank], 249-524 – Text of books 8-15, with illus., incl. 3 leaves of pl., [4 – Index]. Three leaves between pages 264 and 271 are included in the pagination as pp. [265-70] but do not carry page-numbers or letterpress text. They each carry two prints on their rectos and are blank on the verso. Vol. II without the engraved title page. The names of the translators are given in the list of Contents as Dryden, Addison, Eusden, Arthur Mainwaring, Croxall, Tate, Stonestreet, Vernon, Gay, Pope, Stephen Harvey, Congreve, Ozel, Temple Stanyan, , Catcot, Rowe, Samuel Garth, Welsted. The frontispiece is signed as made by B. Picart. The six plates on pages [265, 267, 269] are all signed as painted by C. Le Brun and engraved by Iakob Folkema. Of the 124 illustrations, most are unsigned by a draughtsman, but some are signed as designed by G. Maas, one as designed by Jul. Romain, two as designed by G. Maas and drawn by J. de Wit, one as drawn by 'HA', one as painted by C. le Brun, one as made by B. Picart, one as designed by P. Testa and drawn by B. Picart, one as designed by S. Le Clerc, one as designed by B. Picart. Many are signed by their engravers - Philip à Gunst (one as directed by B. Picart and engraved by Phil. à Gunst), J. Vandelaar (or I. Wandelaar), Martin Bouche, Jan Schenck, 'MB', Petr. Paul. Bouche, Iakob Folkema, W. Jongman, Fred. Bouttats. The title-page vignette of Volume I is signed as drawn by B. v. Overbeke and engraved by F. Mulder. Many tailpieces are signed 'VLS'. The book is dedicated by the publishers, R. and J. Wetstein and W. Smith, to the Countess of Pembroke. [Description is cited from the Royal Academy of Arts] Physical description: Two large 4to volumes, first title page printed in red and black, added engraved title in the first volume; half-title in the second volume; illustrated throughout with copperplate engravings in text; text printed in parallel columns in Latin and English; three leaves extraneous to collation each with two engravings in the second volume; bookplate pasted to the front endpaper in each volume: Ex Libris Theodore C. Tebbetts (Theodore Charles Tebbetts, American, 1871 – 1920) designed after Francis Carruthers Gould (British, 1844 – 1925); pages 517-520 of the second volume torn with loss of bottom blank corners and a word or two; original full leather, spines tooled elaborately in gilt; some boards detached, endcaps and corners rather worn, contents bright and fresh. Size: Large 4to; 47.5 x 31 cm.
  • Title: РУССКIЕ ГРАВЕРЫ | И | ИХЪ ПРОИЗВЕДЕНIЯ | СЪ 1564 ГОДА | ДО ОСНОВАНIЯ АКАДЕМIИ ХУДОЖЕСТВЪ. | Изследованiе Д. Ровинскаго. | Изданiе графа Уварова. | МОСКВА. | Въ Сѵнодальной типографiи, на Никольской улицѣ. | 1870. || Pagination: [2] orig. wrapper / advert., [2] t.p. / imp.[i] ii-x, [1] 2-403 [404], [2] orig. wrapper / advert. Collation: 8vo; π6 (incl. t.p.), 1-258 χ2 Binding: Owner’s ½ black morocco over marbled boards, raised bands, gilt-ruled, florets and lettering in compartments, blue endpapers, uncut, untrimmed, original wrappers preserved. Size: 29.5 x 19 cm
  • Of the limited edition of 1150 copies, this is №54 (on Japan paper, signed by Bartsch and by von Bayros). Owner's binding imitating quarter-morocco, a red label with gilt lettering to spine (possibly by Ms Hunt, who was an amateur bookbinder). Bookplate on front pastedown: "Ex libris Rachel McMasters Miller Hunt | S. B. Hill Dec 1913 | A.J. Downey Sc." Alfred James Downey (1882-1944). Rachel McMasters Miller Hunt (1882-1963). Sarah B. Hill had done lettering for Ms Hunt. On back pastedown: Stamp "Hunt Libraries CMU" and sticker "Gotham Book Mart | 128 West 45th street | New York". This is from an edition of Carcassonne:
  • Half-title: THE CONNOISSEURS LIBRARY | GENERAL EDITOR : CYRIL DAVENPORT | […] | ENGLISH COLOURED BOOKS || Title: ENGLISH | COLOURED BOOKS | BY | MARTIN HARDIE | [device: THE CONNOISSEURS LIBRARY] | METHUEN AND CO. | 36 ESSEX STREET | LONDON || Dedication: TO MY WIFE | LOVE’S LABOUR : LOVE’S GIFT Pagination: ffl [i, ii] – h.t. / blank, [2] – blank / frontis. In colour, [iii, iv] – t.p. / First Published in 1906, [v, vi] – dedication / blank, vii-xxiv; 1-339 [340] bfl; 27 sheets of plates, colour and b/w. Collation: 8vo; a8 b4 A-X8 Y2. Binding: Hardcover, 26.3 x 19 x 5.7 cm; red cloth, blind-stamped with repeated fleuron, gilt floral designs and lettering in the frame to front cover, elaborate gilt floral design and lettering to spine; top margin gilt, other untrimmed, some pages uncut; plates w/guards. Printed on laid paper. Printed in Scotland by T. and A. Constable, at the Edinburgh university press. Contributors: Martin Hardie (British, 1875 – 1952) – Author Cyril Davenport (British, 1848 – 1941) – Editor of the series Sir Algernon Methuen (British, 1856 – 1924) – Publisher Thomas Constable (British, 1812 – 1881); Archibald Constable (British, 1774 – 1827) – Founders of the Publishing House "T. and A. Constable".  
  • ATLAS | SHRUGGED | AYN RAND | {Publisher's device} | RANDOM HOUSE | NEW YORK || Pagination: [2] - h.t. / advert., [2] – t.p. / colophon, [2] – dedication / blank, [2] – contents / cont., [1, 2] ¬ f.t. / blank, [3] 4-1168 [1169] blank, [1170/71] about the author [1172] blank, two blank leaves. Original green cloth with gilt lettering, black label with gilt lettering and publisher device to spine; top margin green, lateral margin untrimmed. Stated first edition, first printing. Original dust jacket with $6.95 printed price and 10/57 code present on the front flap.