Literature & Cinema

First edition of the French translation, for which no deluxe paper copies were issued, with the correct "achevé d’imprimer" dated February 1939.

A fine copy, complete with its illustrated dust-jacket, as usual showing only slight rubbing and minor marginal tears, not affecting its overall appearance.

The work is illustrated, facing the title-page, with a map of the south-eastern United States during the Civil War.

New edition, issued a few months after the first edition.

Copy complete with its wraparound band : """Prix Goncourt 1970 à l'unanimité"

Autograph inscription signed by Michel Tournier to Monsieur Deslignières.

Later edition.

Publisher's full green cloth binding, smooth spine, copy complete with its illustrated dust jacket which shows a few small tears and minor losses.

The verso of the front panel of the dust jacket shows an angular loss affecting the printed price.

Dated and signed autograph inscription from Richard Wright to Ganan Bocca.

First illustrated edition, in the very first issue and complete in a single volume; a three-volume issue, more common and published later in the course of 1836, was subsequently produced. With a frontispiece title and 11 steel-engraved plates hors-texte on heavy wove paper, after Johannot, Boulanger, Raffet, Rogier & Rouargue, engraved by Finden, Staines… The work is attractively printed in an airy type with generous margins, closely following the original edition published in 1831. The plate entitled "De l'utilité des fenêtres" is present; according to Clouzot it is most often lacking, as it was printed later than the initial release of the work.
Contemporary full wine-coloured morocco binding, signed at the foot of the spine Ulmann-Herzog. Smooth spine decorated with two mirrored rocaille panels linked by fillets. Boards stamped in gilt with a large urn surrounded by flowers, birds and cherubs. Spine sunned, now uniformly light brown. Some rubbing. Tissue guards present. Scattered browning. Gilt edges. A few leaves slightly sprung. A good copy.
Like most major novels of the period, very rare in a full signed binding.

Autograph letter signed and dated September 26, 1955, by Georges Simenon, addressed from Cannes to André David.

18 lines in black ink on one leaf bearing his American address in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Mailing fold as usual.

Georges Simenon apologizes for his delayed response: "mais j'étais en plein roman. Parbleu ! si je me souviens de vous !" and indicates his upcoming availability to his correspondent, even specifying his future address in Cannes. He authorizes André David's project to adapt his novel "Maigret et la Grande Perche" for the screen, while setting his terms: "vous pouvez travailler sur La Grande Perche mais, bien entendu, mon acceptation ne peut dépendre que du résultat (duquel, d'ailleurs, je ne doute pas). Tenez-moi au courant."

First edition, with no deluxe paper issue stated.

An attractive copy, complete with its publisher’s wraparound band; "Moi, dit Pierrot, je les mettrais pas entre toutes les mains..."

A few scuffs to the band.

Rare signed autograph inscription from Bertrand Blier to Germaine Beaumont.

Two years later, Bertrand Blier adapted his novel for the screen, starring Patrick Dewaere, Gérard Depardieu, Miou-Miou, Jeanne Moreau and Brigitte Fossey in the leading roles. 

First edition, standard issue.

Spine lightly faded as usual; some leaves with brittle margins resulting in minor losses.

Signed autograph inscription from Raymond Queneau to Yvon Belaval.

First edition, one of 170 numbered copies on pure rag paper.

Shadowed endpapers; a small loss at the head of the upper board of the original front cover.

A pleasant copy, preserved in its double wrapper.

Black-and-white photographic postcard depicting Dolores del Rio in a frontal portrait.

A very attractive example. Envelope sent from Mexico included.

Inscribed and signed by Dolores del Rio in blue felt-tip pen to the renowned autograph collector Claude Armand: "To Claude Armand best wishes Dolores Del Rio."

Black and white photographic postcard depicting Ginger Rogers in profile.

A fine copy.

Inscribed and signed by Ginger Rogers for the renowned autograph collector Claude Armand: "To Claude Armand kindest wishes. Ginger Rogers."

Photographic postcard inscribed by Laurent Terzieff to the renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.

Postcard reproducing a black-and-white photograph by Studio Harcourt, showing Laurent Terzieff resting his head on his arms.

Autograph inscription signed by Laurent Terzieff in black ink to the right of the image: "A Claude Armand merci de votre très aimable lettre. L. Terzieff."

Photograph signed by Tyrone Power in violet ink.

A handsome print. Printed stamp of a London dealer on the verso of the image.

Provenance: from the collection of the noted autograph collector Claude Armand.

First edition, limited to 1,100 copies, divided into four fictitious editions within the same year, in order to create the illusion of commercial success. These were subsequently reissued with a new title-page bearing an edition statement and the author’s name, together with a volume designation on the half-titles (cf. Clouzot). Our copy carries the designation “third edition.” Contemporary bookplate traces on the upper pastedowns. Expert restorations to headcaps and joints, with a tiny loss at the foot of the lower joint of vol. I. A clean copy, entirely free of foxing.

Contemporary half chocolate calf bindings, smooth spines decorated with gilt fillets and romantic fleurons with gilt Gothic motifs, marbled paper boards, pebbled paper endpapers and pastedowns, marbled edges, strictly contemporary bindings.

The title-pages are illustrated with two wood-engraved vignettes after Tony Johannot by Poiret, showing Esmeralda offering water to Quasimodo (vol. I) and L’Amende honorable (vol. II).

A fine copy, in handsome period bindings and entirely without foxing, a state of preservation very seldom encountered. “This first edition, in fine condition, is the rarest of all the author’s works; it enjoyed worldwide renown, and is among the most difficult to obtain from the Romantic period” (Carteret).

First edition in French, a Service de Presse (advance) copy.

Spine sunned with dampstains, pale dampstain to right margin of front board.

Autograph inscription signed by the translator Maurice Edgar Coindreau to Pierre Ripault.

Autograph quatrain and tercet from Jean Cocteau's youth, comprising fourteen stanzas penned in black ink across 15 lines on grey paper bearing the poet’s silver monogram in the upper left corner.
Two pencil corrections in the poet’s hand.
This poem presents a variant of the version published in the collection "Le prince frivole," released by Mercure de France in 1910, Cocteau’s second published work; “Versailles dont on a tant dit” (appearing as “Le vieux parc dont on a tant dit” in the printed edition).



 

First edition for which no limited issue printed.
Publisher's original black full cloth binding, smooth spine, illustrated boards.
Some rubbing to the headpieces.
Numerous illustrations.

Precious and rare autograph signed inscription from François Truffaut: "Pour, Georges Pellegrin qui me faisait la courte échelle pour repérer les extérieurs de jules et jim, bien amicalement François Truffaut." ('For Georges Pellegrin, who gave me a leg up to scout the exteriors for Jules et Jim, with warm regards, François Truffaut.')

Georges Pellegrin, along with Robert Bober and Florence Malraux, served as assistant director to François Truffaut on Jules and Jim and Love at Twenty. He also collaborated with Jean-Pierre Melville on Army of Shadows and Le Samouraï, for which he worked as a screenwriter.
 
 

New edition, illustrated with 111 drawings by Neuville and Riou. 7 plates, some in color.
Publisher's gilt Globe binding, upper cover signed Blancheland, Engel relieur, spine with lighthouse motif, rear cover of Engel H type, publisher's Y catalogue at rear of volume.
Spine with minor discoloration, a few small stains to upper corner of front cover, endpapers discolored, corners slightly twisted, the engraving between pages 122-123 with small corner lacks, occasional light foxing mainly to edges.
Undoubtedly the most famous of Jules Verne's novels, featuring the mythical figure of Captain Nemo and his legendary submarine, the Nautilus.

First edition, one of 25 numbered copies on bouffant vellum paper from the Salzer mills, ours being No. 1, the only deluxe paper issue.
Handsome copy of this work awarded the Grand Prix du Roman of the Académie française. 
 

First edition, of which there were no deluxe copies.

Autograph inscription signed by Henri Charrière to journalist and historian Gilbert Guilleminault.

Henri Charrière, known as Papillon, ward of the state and petty criminal, had been sentenced to the penal colony in 1931 for a murder he always denied. More than thirty years later, he recounts his terrible experience in this autobiographical text. He describes the violence, injustice, diseases and escape attempts, crowned by years of exile in South America: « Pure of all contact, his publisher noted, and of all literary ambition, what he writes is "as he tells it to you", you see it, you feel it, you live it [...]. » The book met with immense success before being adapted for cinema with Steve McQueen in the leading role.

 

First 12^o edition published a year after the very rare first edition.
Light dampstains to the joins of the volumes, a small hole at foot of a joint on the first volume, slight rubbing to the spines, an upper corner of volume 1 rubbed, small part of leather lacking and a hole to a joint of the third volume.

Bound in half bronze sheep, smooth spines framed in gilt and cold-stamped fillets, modern black morocco title labels and volume labels, marbled paper boards, spotted edges, contemporary bindings.

Provenance: from the library of Michel Marie de Pomereu with his engraved bookplates pasted on the pastedowns.