Pierre Humbourg (drawings by Jules Pascin)
First edition of this amusing collection of light verse about travel, one of fifty numbered copies printed on Chiffon de Moirans wove paper. A UNIQUE COPY, ILLUSTRATED THROUGHOUT WITH ASTONISHING ORIGINAL DRAWINGS BY JULES PASCIN, EXECUTED WITH A MATCH AND A NAIL. The drawings--lively, funny, and extremely irreverent, and yet entirely relevant to the poems they illustrate--reveal Pascin to be at the height of his powers. At the end, a note in Pascin's hand: "à Pierre Humbourg / ces dessins faits / avec un clou / et une allumette / Pascin". Large 12mo. Original printed blue wraps. ENTIRELY UNCUT, with large margins. FINE AND BRIGHT. Unique, important, and absolutely stunning.
Roger Brocas / Yves Picart (editor), Marguerite Yourcenar, et al. (Virginia Woolf association copy)
Twenty issues bound in one volume, a complete run of this extremely rare literary journal (I could locate only the BN copy). VIRGINIA WOOLF'S SET, WITH THE RETAINED CARBON COPY OF HER UNPUBLISHED LETTER THANKING THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL FOR DEVOTING DOUBLE ISSUE 19-20 (the final issue, as it turned out) TO A HOMAGE IN HER HONOR. Marguerite Yourcenar (1903-1987), still in her twenties but already gaining recognition in French literary circles, had just translated "The Waves" into French and had gone to meet Virginia Woolf in Bloomsbury. Perhaps at Yourcenar's instance, the journal decided to devote an issue to Woolf. Woolf wrote a brief letter thanking the journal for this honor: the letter is printed on page four of the issue, just before Yourcenar's article. After the issue was published, the editors sent her a complete set (THE SET I AM OFFERING) and Woolf wrote a second letter of thanks (about 150 words), this one unpublished, HER REACTION TO THE FIRST HOMAGE SHE EVER RECEIVED FROM A LITERARY JOURNAL (please correct me if I'm wrong) and the only such honor she received before her early death (the letter is dated 31st March 38, less than three years before her death.) Her retained copy of this letter, neatly folded once, is laid into this book. While it is a carbon copy and thus unsigned, there are two tiny corrections in Woolf's hand--amusingly, she corrects "Tavisock Square" to "Tavisotck Square" [sic] in ink. A TRULY REMARKABLE ASSOCIATION COPY, AND A COMPLETE SET OF AN EXTREMELY RARE LITERARY JOURNAL. Thick 4to. Quarter cloth and decorated boards. FRONT AND BACK WRAPPERS OF ALL PARTS PRESERVED. Tiny traces of wear to extremities, else FINE AND BRIGHT. (NOTE: SInce Woolf's letter is unpublished, I WILL NOT send full pictures of it to interested parties.)
Edmond About (Edmond Adam and Juliette Lambert association copy)
COPY NUMBER 1. A charming illustrated edition, with dozens of wood-engravings by Huyot after Piguet, LIMITED TO ONLY 115 COPIES, ALL PRINTED ON FINE CHINESE PAPER WITH AN EXTRA SUITE OF THE WOOD-ENGRAVINGS PRINTED WITHOUT TEXT. This is COPY NUMBER 1, printed for About's close friend "Mme Edmond Adam", i.e., Juliette Lambert (1836-1936), noted writer, republican, and widow of prominent French politician Edmond Adam (1816-1877). She was an extremely accomplished and interesting woman, and among the regulars at her salon were Gambetta, Thiers, George Sand, Hanotaux, Alphonse and Julia Daudet, Hetzel, Bonnat, Sully-Prudhomme, Georges Clemenceau, Flaubert, Maupassant, Hugo, Turgenev, and About himself. 8vo. Original wraps. Light wear to extremities of wraps, else FINE AND BRIGHT, a pristine copy.
THE ONLY LETTER FROM COCTEAU THAT MARAIS REFUSED TO PUBLISH, AND A KEY DOCUMENT FOR UNDERSTANDING COCTEAU'S THOUGHT. A beautiful letter from Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) to Jean Marais (1913-1998), a movie star, director (both film and theatre), painter, sculptor, writer, and photographer--and Cocteau's lover from 1937 to 1947. When the letter was sent, in April or May of 1940, Marais was mobilized in the French army. Aside from expressing his love for Marais (whom he addresses as "Mon bon ange"), Cocteau also mentions André Breton (1896-1966) and his wife. UNLIKE ALL OF THE OF THE OTHER LETTERS COCTEAU SENT TO MARAIS, THIS ONE WAS NOT PUBLISHED IN MARAIS' COMPILATION ("Jean Cocteau: lettres à Jean Marais." Paris: Albin Michel, 1987.) The reason is that COCTEAU CLEARLY REVEALS HIS PRO-GERMAN AND ANTI-BRITISH SYMPATHIES, AND FANTASIZES ABOUT A FRANCO-GERMAN ALLIANCE AGAINST ENGLAND. 27 x 21 cm. About 500 words, written very legibly in black ink. On very good wove paper, with some crinkling but no signs of aging. While Cocteau made little effort to hide his homosexuality, he didn't sign the letters he sent to Marais during the war.just in case. Cocteau has signed this letter, however, with his characteristic star. In excellent condition. A CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL DOCUMENT OF GREAT IMPORTANCE.
Jehan-Rictus (Lela Pascali, illustrator)
A wonderful livre d'artiste, illustrated with 44 HAUNTING ORIGINAL BURIN ENGRAVINGS BY LELA PASCALI, depicting the life of the poor, of which 16 are full-page and hors-texte. Edition limited to 197 numbered copies, of which this is ONE OF ONLY 23 COPIES PRINTED ON AUVERGNE LAID PAPER WITH (A) AN ORGINAL SIGNED DRAWING FOR ONE OF THE ENGRAVINGS; (B) AN ORIGINAL COPPER PLATE FOR ONE OF THE ENGRAVINGS; (C) A SUITE IN FIRST STATE OF THE HORS-TEXTE ENGRAVINGS, THE HEADPIECES, AND THE VIGNETTES (37 plates, including one in two states) ON EXTREMELY FINE, THIN ISLE-DE-FRANCE PELURE LAID PAPER; AND (D) A SUITE OF THE HORS-TEXTE ENGRAVINGS (16 plates) IN THE REMARQUE STATE ON FINE MARAIS WOVE PAPER. Complete. 4to. Loose as issued in original wraps. FINE AND BRIGHT, WITH NO DEFECTS. In this original trompe-loeil board chemise (somewhat worn), made to look like patchwork. An outstanding production.
Jean Cocteau (to Jean Marais)
A beautiful love letter from Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) to Jean Marais (1913-1998), a movie star, director (both film and theatre), painter, sculptor, writer, and photographer--and Cocteau's lover from 1937 to 1947. When the letter was sent, in April or May of 1940, Marais was mobilized in the French army. Aside from expressing his love for Marais, Cocteau also discusses his work with Colette (1873-1954), with whom he had spent the evening, on a play based on "Chéri" (in which Cocteau plans to cast Marais). 27 x 21 cm. About 200 words, written very legibly in black ink. On very good wove paper, with no signs of aging. While Cocteau made little effort to hide his homosexuality, he didn't sign the letters he sent to Marais during the war.just in case. THIS LETTER IS PUBLISHED IN FULL in "Jean Cocteau: lettres à Jean Marais." (Paris: Albin Michel, 1987.) In excellent condition.
A UNIQUE COPY of this evocative livre d'artiste, illustrated with 29 ORIGINAL COLOR LITHOGRAPHS BY YVES BRAYER, sympathetically depicting daily life in Mexico. One of 150 copies printed on very fine Arches wove paper. This copy printed for "Le Docteur Zerbib", with a SIGNED PRESENTATION INSCRIPTION from Brayer to Zerbib on the half-title. In addition to the book itself, this copy includes: (A) One of ten suites of the lithographs printed on Auvergne wove paper (another ten suites were printed on Japanese paper); (B) A menu from the gala dinner of the Bibliophiles de l'Automobile-Club de France, at which the book was presented, printed on Arches wove paper (4 pp, the last blank). The full-page lithograph on the cover has been signed in ink by Brayer. The third page, with the list of dishes to be served, includes a signed presentation inscription from the author and a SIGNED DRAWING by Brayer of a Mexican on a horse; (C) A CHARMING SIGNED ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR BY BRAYER; (D) Two signed and annotated bons à tirer for lithographs appearing in the book; (E) Page proofs for pp. 29-32, with a lithograph SIGNED by Brayer, and three color separation proofs for that lithograph, of which two are annotated. Folio. Loose as issued in original wraps. FINE AND BRIGHT. Housed in the original cloth chemise and slipcase. The suite is housed in a matching chemise and slipcase. AN OUTSTANDING COPY OF A SENSITIVE AND ENGAGING LIVRE D'ARTISTE.
A marvelous signed autograph letter from Max Jacob (1876-1944) to his close friend and protégé Maurice Morel ("l'abbé Morel", 1908-1991). 2 pp (front and back of a leaf measuring 27 x 21 cm), about 400 words written neatly in ink. Jacob had encouraged Morel to paint in 1925, when the latter was only 17, and had organized his first exhibition. Morel became a successful painter. In 1934 Morel was ordained a Roman Catholic priest. The present letter begins with a meditation on communication and friendship, as Jacob forgives Morel for not having written for some time: "Le silence est proportionnel à la sécurité en matière d'amitié. Mes meilleurs amis sont ceux qui m'écrivent le moins : c'est un fait. Les relations veulent être cultivées, les amitiés s'assurent elles-mêmes sans certificat épistolaire. Je ne suis nullement surpris de trouver les plus silencieux de mes amis quand l'ai besoin d'eux ou qu'ils ont besoin de moi." The letter is dated August 18, and the envelope (included) is postmarked August 20, 1943, several months before Jacob's arrest by the Gestapo (and his death). A bit of toning, but in very good condition. An outstanding item.
AN ENTIRELY UNCUT COPY OF THIS MASTERPIECE OF NINETEENTH CENTURY PRINTING. xl, 222, 2 pp. One of a series of French and classical texts printed by Didot, on the orders of Louis XVI, for the education of his son, the heir to the throne (who, it turns out, died in captivity in 1795 at age 10, two years after his father was beheaded.) This is the first volume of the series printed by Pierre Didot. It is a gorgeous example of fine printing, with large and clear types on the best paper (one of 250 copies on Angoulême wove paper). Huge untrimmed margins with deckle edges. Folio in 4s (page size 32 x 24 cm, as issued). Entirely uncut in the original plain blue boards, spine gone but stitching solid. A bit of old, faint staining to inner margins of some leaves, else FINE AND BRIGHT, a pristine copy of a rare and beautiful book, almost never found in original condition.
A FASCINATING SIGNED UNPUBLISHED AUTOGRAPH LETTER FROM AUGUSTE RODIN (1840-1917), one of the greatest of all sculptors and at the height of his career, TO ASPIRING POET (and Manet's model) NINA DE VILLARD (pen name of Anne-Marie Gaillard, 1843-1884). About 65 words, neatly written in brown ink on the recto of the first leaf of a folded bifolium of fine laid writing paper (15.5 x 21 cm). Gaillard had sent Rodin a draft of "Feuillets parisiens", presumably in 1883 or early 1884, without mentioning that she, under another name, was the author. Rodin thanks her for the poems, and mentions that he already has "her portrait by Cross [sic], from which he has acquired "un aperçu de l'âme de cette artiste si musicienne aussi." He means not Cross but Henri Cros, her lover Charles Cros' brother, whose statue of Gaillard (1869) was then owned by Rodin, and is with the rest of his collection in the Musée Rodin to this day. Rodin concludes that he will get back to her once he has read the poems. The collection was published in 1885, the year after Gaillard's death. Gaillard was very much in the center of Parisian salon culture--Manet's portrait of her, "La Dame aux éventails" (1873), is a masterpiece. In excellent condition. Unique and fascinating.
