Notes Et Souvenirs, De Mai a Decembre 1871 (Notes And Memories, from May to December 1871)
Paris: Boussod, Valadon et Cie, 1889. Limited first edition. Hardcover. 1/200. Folio. 142pp. [2]. 3/4 light brown Morocco over marbled paper boards with gilt ruling. Spine with gilt lettering, tooling, and raised bands. Marbled endpapers. This is #27 from a limited edition of 200 numbered copies printed on Japan paper. Top edge of the book block in gilt. Yellow and red ribbon marker. Publisher's engraved device on the title pages, of which there are two.
The work is French playwright and author Ludovic Halevy's (1834-1908) memoir of life in Paris in the direct aftermath of the Franco-Prussian war and the Paris Commune. Illustrated throughout with b/w and sepia-toned gravure reproductions after original artwork by Jules Girardet (1856-1938), images from Édouard Detaille and Hector Giacomelli, and original photographs. Includes 15 interleaved full page plates, as well as other in-text images. The first plate is double-sided, containing a beautiful photo-portrait of Halevy, taken by well known Parisian photographer Isidore Alphonse Chalot (aka "M. Chalot", 1846-1893) and a facsimile reproduction of an original handwritten letter from the author.
Binding with some light bumping and rubbing to corners, as well as some cracking along the front hinge at the head and tail of the spine. Interior with a small piece of tape and a small abrasion to the front endpapers. There is some foxing to the first title page as well as the final two blanks, but other than that pages throughout are in near fine condition. Binding in good+, interior in very good+ condition overall. g+ to vg+. Item #47671
* There are two title pages, the first one is dated 1889, while the second is dated 1888.
Price: $450.00