FRANCE

Défense du Tropique du Cancer. Avec des inédits de Miller. Traduction de E. M. F. Rosé et de L. M. Rivière.

Author: 
Michael Fraenkel [Henry Miller]
Publication details: 
Paris: Variété, 108 Avenue du Maine. 1947.
£56.00

8vo: 93 [+1] pp. In original grey wraps with printed label on front and yellow wrap-around band ('Une pièce à verser au Dossier Miller | Variété a Paris'). Covered in glassine. Good, on lightly-aged paper. From the archives of Michael and Daphne Fraenkel's Carrefour Press.

Autograph Signature ('Jules de Polignac') on part of letter to 'mon cher Baron'.

Author: 
Jules Auguste Armand Marie, Prince de Polignac (1780-1847), French Prime Minister under Charles X.
Publication details: 
17 September [no year].
£28.00

On rectangle of paper roughly 9 x 17 cm. Cut from the head of a letter for an autograph hunter. Fair, on aged paper, with traces of previous mount on the reverse. Above the signature a florid five-line valediction in the best courtly style. Date and beginning of letter on reverse.

Wytsman's catalogue no. 9, in French, titled 'Entomologie'.

Author: 
P. Wytsman, science bookseller, Brussels [entomology]
Publication details: 
P. Wytsman, Librarie Scientifique, 1, Rue de l'Arbre, Bruxelles.
£35.00

8vo, 8 pp. Unbound. An unopened leaf, folded twice to make four leaves. Text clear and complete. On aged and worn paper.

Autograph Letter Signed and three Autograph Cards Signed ('jean Duranel' and 'J. Duranel'), to his patron Lawrence Ives, with two invitations to his shows and a paper cut-out.

Author: 
Jean Duranel (born 1946), French artist [Lawrence A. Ives]
Publication details: 
Between 1982 and 1992; France.
£100.00

All the items except the cut-out and the last card (in which he gives the price of a painting) are damp-stained, with part of the text of the letter illegible. One card in French. The first card, from 1982, thanks Ives for payment for 'watercolors'. The cut-out, in red paper, is roughly 10 x 10 cm. Intricately-cut, it depicts a long-leaved plant in a basket on legs. Although found with the other items, there is no indication that it is by Duramel. Ives made the news in 2000, when his extensive collection of paintings by L. S. Lowry was put up for sale.

Trade catalogue, in French, of books in 'Anthropologie et Zoologie', sold by H. Welter, 'Export-Agent and Dealer in Second-Hand Books'.

Author: 
H. Welter, Paris and Leipzig bookseller ('Librarie universitaire française et étrangère, ancienne et moderne') [bookselling; trade catalogues; anthropology; zoology]
Publication details: 
Catalogue Mensuel No 61. - 1893'. Paris: H. Welter, 59, Rue Bonaparte, 59. ['Imp. Mazereau. - Tours. - E. Soudée, Successeur.']
£56.00

12mo, 32 pp. Stapled. Text clear and complete. On aged and worn paper, with rusted staples causing the outer bifolium to detach. Items 2067 to 2786, with 'Supplément. Deutsche Werhe.' (Items from the firm's Leipzig branch.)

Autograph Letter Signed ('Péclet'), in French, to 'Monsieur Danjou'.

Author: 
Jean Claude Eugène Péclet (1793-1857), French physicist after whom the 'Péclet number' is named
Publication details: 
Postmarked September 1837.
£56.00

12mo, 1 p. Ten lines of text. Good, on aged paper with slight wear to extremities. In a bifolium, with address and four circular postmarks (two in black and two in blue ink) on verso of second leaf. He is 'a la fin de l'impression d'un ouvrage qui doit être pret pour la rentrée et qui depuis longtemps absorbe tous mes instants'. It is impossible for him to write the requested articles. He is 'tellement fatigué' that he awaits with impatience the end of the printing, so that he can take 'un peu de repos'.

No. 271. Essai sur le Plaisir, considéré relativement a la Médecine; Thèse présentée et soutenu a la Faculté de Médecine de Paris, le 28 novembre 1820, pour obtenir le grade de Docteur en medecine.

Author: 
Augustin Haguette, de Saint-Denis, Départment de la Seine [Didot le jeune, Paris printer]
Publication details: 
A Paris, De l'Imprimerie de Didot le Jeune, Imprimeur de la Faculté de Médecine, rue des Maçons-Sorbonne, no. 13. 1820.
£40.00

4to: viii + 47 pp. Disbound. On foxed paper with occasional light staining. On the title-page Haguette is described as 'Bachelier-ès-lettres; ex-Officier de santé des armées; ancien Elève de l'Ecole pratique et des hôpitaux civils de Paris.' 'No. 9.' in manuscript at head of the title-page. Dedicated, somewhat unusually for a thesis, 'Au meilleur des pères. A la mère la plus tendre. Leur fils reconnaissant. A Monsieur Fouquier, [...] Hommage de respect et de reconnaissance. Aug. Haguette, son élève.

Les vacances de Lumineux petit cheval de cirque.

Author: 
Cécile Aubry
Publication details: 
Paris: Éditions Émile-Paul Frères, 14 Rue de L'Abbaye, VI. 1955.
£60.00

PRESENTATION COPY: inscribed on half-title 'Pour Louise | avec mon bien amical souvenir - | Cécile Aubry'. 32 pages, quarto. In printed coloured boards, with decorated endpapers. llustrated by Aubry in colour (one double-page and nine full page) and black and white (five vignettes) and red (final page and endpapers). On the poor side of good, with minor staining, spotting and wear; negligible damp damage to boards.

Autograph Letter Signed ('W Beattie. MD.') to the editor of the 'Naval and Military Gazette'.

Author: 
William Beattie (1793-1875), Scottish physician and poet
Publication details: 
13 August [1858]; St James's Street, London, on embossed letterhead of the Conservative Club.
£56.00

16mo (11 x 9 cm) bifolium, 3 pp, 16 lines of text. Mourning border. Good, with slight discoloration to the external pages. He is sending a manuscript 'At the suggestion of the Author, an officer residing in Paris'. If 'on examination' the recipient considers it 'unsuitable for the pages' of the Gazette, he asks for it to be returned to him at 13 Upper Berkeley Street 'when your messenger happens to pass that way'. The author 'is a man of high character and well acquainted with Paris & the Parisians'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('A Guinnard'), in French, to an unnamed male correspondent.

Author: 
Auguste Guinnard, French traveller, who wrote an account of his three-years' captivity in Patagonia [Jules Verne; Pierre Kalfon; Benard]
Publication details: 
7 January 1863. 4 rue St Louis en l'Ile [Paris].
£100.00

8vo, 2 pp. Bifolium. Thirty-two lines of text. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged and creased paper. It is only now that he is able to thank him for the 'bon accueil que m'a fait Monsieur Benard grâce à votre Gracieuse recommendation'. Benard has lent him 'quelques ouvrages', including 'ceux que vous aviez bien voulu <?> sur la petite note'. He has not had time to look at them, 'pressé que j'etais tout d'abord de vous remettre ceux que vous m'avez bien voulu prêter'. He has not been able to 'les compulser', but has 'sommairement lu le contenu qui je l'espere me suffira'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Quatremère'), in French, to 'Monsieur Feuillet, Bibliothecaire de l'Institut'.

Author: 
Étienne Marc Quatremère (1782-1857), French Orientalist [Laurent François Feuillet (1768-1843), from 1823 chief librarian of the Institut de France]
Publication details: 
Undated [between 1823 and 1843].
£45.00

12mo: 1 p. Eight lines of text. Fair, on lightly-aged paper. A bifolium, addressed by Quatremère on the reverse of the second leaf. He is returning a work borrowed from the library of the Institut, and asks Feuillet 'de vouloir bien me communiquer le Voyage de l'Anglois en Afrique, et le 5e. volume de la nouvelle histoire des voyages.'

Mauritius; Or, The Isle of France: Being an Account of the Island, Its History, Geography, Products, and Inhabitants.

Author: 
Rev. Francis P. Flemyng [Mary Addison]
Publication details: 
[1862.] London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge; Sold at the Depositories; 77, Great Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields; 4, Royal Exchange; 48, Piccadilly; and by all booksellers. [London: R. Clay, Son, and Taylor, Printers.]
£220.00

12mo: xiv + 256 + [ii] pp. Detailed fold-out map of the island, in black, blue and pink. Frontispiece and seventeen illustrations. A tight copy on lightly-aged paper, in worn original embossed green cloth binding, gilt. Map creased and with short closed tear. A nice copy of an interesting little book, bearing the bookplate of the botanist Mary Addison, to whom it was presented, according to an inscription on the front free endpaper, by the Reverend J. Hoding on 30 August 1867. A few neat synoptic notes in the margin, presumably by Addison. Four-page SPCK catalogue at rear.

Autograph Letter Signed ('La Ctesse. De Maudet'), in French, to an unnamed 'Chevalier' [English knight?].

Author: 
The Countess de Maudet [La Comtesse de Maudet], wife of the Count de Maudet [Le Comte de Maudet], Governor of Corsica, who surrended Toulon to Admiral Hood in 1793 [Samuel Hood, Viscount Hood]
Publication details: 
Docketed 'Comtesse De Maudet | Apl. 11th. 1795.'
£85.00

4to: 1 p. Twenty-four lines of text. On a bifolium of laid paper, and docketed on the reverse of the second leaf. Good, in faded ink on lightly-aged paper. Begins 'La france republicainne [sic] me fait perdre des renttes [sic] viageres'. She complains of the attack on her 'legitimes droits a mes biens de Corses que le roy de france garrante par un Contract', and speaks of 'droits inalterables et inprescriptible'. She asks for a 'paquet' to be passed to 'Milord Hood'.

Large engraved armorial bookplate of Hereson de Brecksel.

Author: 
Hereson de Brecksel [bookplate]
Publication details: 
Date and place not stated. [Eighteenth century?]
£50.00

On one side of a piece of wove paper 19 x 14.5 cm, and with the image extending almost to the edges. Lightly aged and creased, but good overall. An usual design, with the coat of arms within a fleece held up by two figures of Hercules, both on pedestals, the one of the left marked 'HUMUS' and that on the right 'SUMUS'. The fleece folds over the left-hand Hercules's right shoulder and reads 'LE CULTE EN' with 'DIFFICULTE' over the left-hand Hercules's left shoulder. Topping the whole design, above a coronet, is a harpy, and at the foot of the paper is 'Hereson de Brecksel'.

French broadside celebrating the accession of 'Napoléon III, Empereur des Français.', containing a biography, a panegyric poem, and a handcoloured engraved portrait.

Author: 
Pellerin, Imprimeur-Libraire, à Epinal, Vosges, France [Napoléon III, Empereur des Français]
Publication details: 
[1852.] 'Fabrique de PELLERIN, Imprimeur-Libraire, à EPINAL.' [Vosges, France]
£250.00

Printed on one side of a piece of wove paper, dimensions roughly 65 x 41.5 cm. Within a ruled border. On lightly aged paper, with chipping and slight loss to extremities. Three closed tears (two of them affecting the portrait) have been repaired on the reverse with archival tape. Text entirely legible and portrait clear, bright and without loss. The full-length portrait (31 x 25 cm), crudely coloured in yellow, red and blue, depicts the Emperor, in full regalia, standing in a sumptuous throne room. Sixty-six line biography, arranged in two columns.

Belle Fresque Napoléonienne', in the form of a broadside poster in a wallet, inscribed by de Régie to Jules Dechamps, together with twenty cuttings of newspaper and magazine articles by de Régie.

Author: 
René de Vivie de Régie, 'Rédacteur à la "Revue des Études Napoléoniennes" [Napoleon Bonaparte; Professor Jules Dechamps (1888-1968), Queen Mary College]
Publication details: 
The poster dated 1925; the cuttings circa 1928-29.
£250.00

The poster is printed on one side of a piece of paper approximately 110 x 75 cm. Good, on lightly-aged paper. With its green printed wallet (21 x 28.5 cm), lightly worn and creased. Wallet covered in text, including the words 'NAPOLÉON FLORILÈGE' in large type. A curious piece of Napoleonic hagiography, with the text, consisting of a large number of unconnected effusions on his greatness ('Astre humain. Dieu terrestre'), in a variety of types and point sizes, arranged in six columns.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Philippe de Larenaudière'), in French, to unnamed male editor of a journal.

Author: 
Philippe de Larenaudière [Philippe François de La Renaudière], nineteenth-century French mining engineer, geographer and traveller in the Americas
Publication details: 
Date and place not stated.
£65.00

4to, 1 p. Fourteen lines of text, on the recto of the first leaf of a bifolium. Text clear and complete, on lightly aged and creased paper. Slight staining at foot of text (affecting part of signature), and on the reverse of the second leaf of the bifolium, which is docketed 'la renaudié | A. S.' He is sending an article on 'la Bibliotheque des voyages'. Asks that the article on the work entitled 'Des Beaux arts en Angleterre', 'que Buisson vous adressa il ya prés de Deux mois', be inserted. 'Je vous prie en grace de laisser ma Signature en entier.

Autograph Letter Signed ('S. Bannister'), in French, to 'Monsieur de Monglave, l'Institut Historique'.

Author: 
Saxe Bannister (1790-1877), English writer and lawyer, the first Attorney-General of New South Wales [Eugène Garay de Monglave (1796-1873)]
Publication details: 
Au Mai, Jouy, Près Versailles, 23 Juin 1834'.
£85.00

12mo, 4 pp. Bifolium. Good, on lightly aged paper. Addressed to 'Monsieur et Confrère'. He replied to de Monglave's last letters a couple of days previously, and he has addded 'deux ou trois propositions que je vous de traduire en bon François, et de lire à notre comité, au Conseil'. He wants to get to know 'quelques uns de mes voisins dans ce village où j'ai l'intention de passer six mois', and asks for letters of introduction. Lists four families he wishes to get to know and names some individuals with whom he is a little acquainted.

Autograph Letter Signed ('C Crapelet'), in French, to 'Monsieur Deterville'

Author: 
Charles Crapelet (1762-1809), French printer, based in Paris
Publication details: 
27 October 1807. [Paris.]
£75.00

12mo: 1 p. Eight lines of text. On a piece of grey laid watermarked paper. Complete and clear. Lightly aged and creased. Unusually frank business communication. He is angry at having to tell Deterville that he cannot have 'd'exemplaire des Rudimens'. He will do his best to let him have them soon. However weak the excuse, it is nevertheless true that the 'ouvriers ne m'ont pas tenu parole'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Mel. Alcan'), in French, to 'Monsieur le Conseiller d'Etat Commissaire Général'.

Author: 
Michel Alcan (1801-1877), French politician and engineer who made numerous innovations in the field of textiles [Exposition Universelle de 1867, Paris, France]
Publication details: 
Paris le 13. Dbre 1866'.
£65.00

4to (27 x 21 cm), 1 p. Nine lines of text. Text clear and complete on lightly aged, creased and foxed paper. Small closed tear at edge along crease line (not affecting text). Bearing the numbered stamp of the Exposition Universelle de 1867, Commission Imperiale. Accepting the position, conferred on him by the Commission, of 'membre de Jury de l'Exposition dans la 55me. classe': 'J'accepte cette tâche de confiance, et ferai tous mes éfforts pour la remplir avec l'activité reclamée par le reglement concernant les travaux du Jury'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('de Tessan'), in French, to 'Monsieur Pingard, Chef du Secretariat de l'Institut'.

Author: 
Urbain Dortet de Tessan (1804-1879), French geographer who between 1836 and 1839 circumnavigated the world
Publication details: 
Paris le 11 Avril 1866'.
£56.00

12mo, 1 p. Good, on lightly aged paper. Asking Pingard, as Secretary of the Institut de France, to convene a meeting of the members of the 'Section de Géographie et Navigation'. Postscript: 'P.S. Je suis, connais vous, près <?> une Jambe.'

Five hand-coloured prints of French actors performing in French and Italian plays at the Comédie Française in the eighteenth century.

Author: 
Robert Sayer of Fleet Street, London printseller [theatrical prints; Comédie Française; Bellecour; Marie Favart, Trial, Clerval; Laurette]
Publication details: 
All five prints 'Publish'd by Robt. Sayer, No. 53 Fleet Street London, as the Act directs, 1st. Septr. 1772.'
£200.00

Each of the five on a piece of good laid paper, roughly 15 cm square. Wide margins, with indentation of plate 9.5 x 8 cm. All five good, with occasional light creasing to margins. The second and third items more aged that the others, but all good and suitable for framing. Delicately engraved and skillfully coloured. Item One: 'Mr. Bellecour. 3 Comed. Franc. Le Joueur. dans la Comédie du même nom.' Item Two: '19 Comed. Franc. Michau et Henri. dans la Partie de Chasse d'Henri IV. Qu'êtes-vous? allons, qu'êtes-vous?' Item Three: 'Made. Favart. 22 Coméd. Ital. La Vieille.

Le Chapitre des Accidents.

Author: 
Maurice Alhoy, French author; Victor Adam, lithographic engraver and artist [Le Figaro]
Publication details: 
1845. Paris: Soulié, Editeur, 10, Rue de Seine. [Paris. - Typographie Lacrampe et comp., Rue Damiette, 2.]
£100.00

Landscape 8vo (leaf dimensions roughly 15.5 x 23.5 cm): [iv] + 98 pp of letterpress, and 24 tipped-in full-page lithographic engravings ('taille-douce' over a tinted background), one illustrating each of the book's twenty-four chapters. Woodcut engraving on title-page. In contemporary brown cloth with green patterned endpapers. A tight copy, with the first few leaves somewhat grubby and worn at bottom outer corners. Occasional foxing throughout. Alhoy (1802-1856) was co-founder of 'Le Figaro'. Second and last edition.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Ragoulleau Bouron') to 'Monsieur Guillon, Propriétaire et Maire de Montereau'.

Author: 
[Charles Etienne Ragoulleau (b. 1774)] 'M. Ragoulleau-Bouron, Avocat, Propriétaire et Directeur de l'ancien Bureau royal de Correspondance'
Publication details: 
18 March 1825; on letterhead of the Bureau, with address amended in autograph to 'Rue Ste. Anne No. 41'.
£35.00

4to: 2 pp. 35 lines of text. Good, on aged paper. Text clear and entire. Minor damage to one corner (not affecting text) through breaking open of wafer. He has received the letter with the 'observations de milord', whose 'propositions' are not 'acceptables'. Mentions a 'Mr. Tournal'. How could he offer 'Mr. Gerrard' 'les quatre cent quarante francs proposé par milord et meme les six cent francs fixé par vous?' Mentions Madame la Marquise de Sainte-Aulaire. Suggests a sum which would be acceptable to Gerrard and would thus avoid a trial the success of which would be uncertain.

Autograph Signature.

Author: 
Christine Nilson (1843-1921), Swedish singer, the subject of Corot's famous painting 'The Bohemian with a Mandolin'
Publication details: 
Place and date not stated.
£35.00

On a piece of laid watermarked paper roughly 11.5 cm square. Good firm underlined signature, about 8 cm long. On aged paper, with pin holes above and below, and a vertical fold about 1 cm above.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Cha de Paravey') to the Abbé Guerin, 'chez l'abbé Tesson, aux Millions Etrangeres, Paris'.

Author: 
Charles de Paravey [Charles-Hippolyte de Paravey] (1787-1871), French orientalist, palaeographer and engineer
Publication details: 
12 September 1848; Paris.
£56.00

16mo (13.5 x 10 cm): 2 pp. A bifolium, addressed on the reverse of the second leaf. The first leaf has been slightly trimmed at the bottom, resulting in some loss to the bottom line of the recto. A formal letter in the third person, written in a close, difficult hand. Carefully detailing the missing sections in his copy of the 'Dictionnaire Anamitique-Latin'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Ernest Havet'), in French [to someone living in Sainte-Beuve's old house].

Author: 
Eugène Auguste Ernest Havet (1813-1889), French scholar.
Publication details: 
21 February 1872; Vitry.
£56.00

16mo: 1 p. 14 lines of text. Close hand. He is touched that Sainte-Beuve has found time, in the midst of his labours, to write a letter expressing his 'adhésion'. 'Je suis heureux de penser, en vous écrivant rue Montparnasse [Sainte-Beuve lived at no. 11], que la philosophie et l'esprit d'indépendence ont toujours un ami dans la maison de Sainte-Beuve'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('le Cte de Montalembert'), in French, to an unnamed male correspondent.

Author: 
Charles Forbes René de Montalembert (1810-1870), French historian
Publication details: 
3 March 1849; Paris.
£56.00

12mo: 2 pp. Very good on lightly aged paper. Asks if it might be possible, as previously, to forward a packet to 'Mr. d'Abbadie': 'depuis deux ans je suis sans nouvelles de lui'. It is six months since he had the honour of forwarding a similar packet via the French legation at Lisbon. Good firm signature, but with the words '(Le comte de Montalembert)' in another hand beneath it, and interfering with the flourish (paraph).

Three Autograph Letters Signed (all 'E. Beulé'), in French, to (severally) Messieurs Jalabert and Duvivier, and an unnamed woman.

Author: 
Charles Ernest Beulé (1826-1874), French archaeologist and politician [Jalabert; Duvivier]
Publication details: 
The letters to Jalabert and Duvivier without date or place; the letter to the woman dated '<?>, 16 Novembre [no year]'.
£100.00

All three letters 12mo. The letter to Jalabert (with a mourning border) is 2 pp, the others 1 p each. All three in good condition. The Jalabert letter (18 lines) mentions his wife and 'M. Goupil'. The Duvivier letter (6 lines) is a letter of introduction to a 'Monsieur Pietsch, artiste distingue de Berlin'. Asks him to give the artist 'toutes les facilités pour visiter l'Hémicycle de Delaroche et la galérie des Plâtres'. The letter to the woman (11 lines). His return has been delayed by the death of the King of Portugal.

Two Autograph Letters Signed (both 'Jaubert') to 'monsieur le Baron Grenier, Procureur général de la Cour Imperiale, membre de la Légion d'honneur à Riom'.

Author: 
Comte François Jaubert (1758-1822), Conseiller d'Etat à Vie; Gouverneur de la Banque de France under the First Empire [Jean, Baron Grenier (1753-1841), Premier Président de la Cour Royale de Riom]
Publication details: 
Letter One: 'Paris, le 27 mai 1811', on letterhead of 'Le Comte de l'Empire, Conseiller d'Etat à Vie, [...]'. Letter Two: 'Paris ce 12 Janvier 1814'.
£150.00

Both items 4to,1 p. Both items good, on lightly aged and foxed paper. Both bifoliums, with the second item addressed, with broken wafer, on verso of second leaf. Both docketed in pencil in a nineteenth-century hand. Letter One (nineteen lines of text): He is grateful to Grenier for sending 'le procès verbal de l'installation de votre Cour'. Grenier was right to think that Jaubert would be interested in 'l'historique d'une cérémonie qui rend aux Cours la dignité convenable à la magistrature, et qui vous touche particulièrement'.

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