Bibliothèque d’un ami des livres.
Paris, 1914.
In-8 (250 x 165 mm), Jansenist brown morocco, top edges gilt on the rough, brown morocco doublures with mosaic morocco flowers at the corners, inner gilt fillets, woven silk endleaves, double endleaves, original wrappers preserved (Marius Michel).
Extremely rare private catalogue of the library of the banker Raymond Claude-Lafontaine (1866–1914), a member of the Société des Amis des Livres.
In his preface, the bibliophile introduces his collection and pays tribute to the Society’s president, Henri Beraldi.
The catalogue is illustrated with a burin-engraved portrait by Léon Boisson as frontispiece, together with numerous facsimiles and reproductions of bindings on plates.
The 704 works described are highly representative of the bibliophilic taste of the period and are arranged in several sections: Eighteenth-century and early nineteenth-century books; Nineteenth-century illustrated books; Bibliophile societies; Contemporary illustrated books; First editions and manuscripts; English books; and Albums of prints and works on bibliography.
The library contained the celebrated copy of Madame Bovary inscribed by Flaubert to Victor Hugo, with the presentation inscription reproduced in the catalogue: Au Maître, souvenir et hommage [“To the Master, as a token of remembrance and homage”].
The library was dispersed much later, in two sales held in 1923 and 1924 by the Librairie Giraud-Badin.
One of only 36 copies privately printed, probably all on BFK Rives laid paper; this is copy no. 1, specially printed for Madame Raymond Claude-Lafontaine.
A very fine copy in a sumptuous Marius Michel morocco binding with morocco doublures.
The Société des Amis des Livres consisted of 50 full members and 25 corresponding members. Its first president was Eugène Paillet, while the Duc d’Aumale—already a member of the more prestigious Société des Bibliophiles François, the majores, in contrast to whom the members of the Société des Amis des Livres were sometimes disparagingly referred to as the minores—became honorary president in 1881.
Its membership included many of the leading bibliophiles of the period, among them Brivois, Gallimard, Adolphe Bordes, Jules Claretie, Descamps-Scrive, Henri Beraldi, and Octave Uzanne.
1 200€
In stock
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