Paris au XIX Siècle
Year: 1855 ~ 1860
Edition: First edition
Publisher: s.n.
Category: Europe
Original red cloth-backed paper boards, upper cover with gilt title within ornate rococo floriate border. Extremities rubbed and some unobtrusive foxing throughout. Small 4to with 25 lithographed costume plates of Parisian citizens on accordion leaf, finely coloured by hand and heightened with gum arabic.
Christie's, their sales of 15th September, 2007:
"Paris au XIX. Siecle" [title stamped on front cover]. [?Paris: no imprint, c.1855-56]. Small 4o (151 x 100mm). 26 hand-coloured lithographed Parisian costume plates, heightened with gum arabic, on accordion leaf (some mainly marginal light spotting and staining). Original red cloth-backed paper boards, upper cover with gilt title within ornate rococo floriate border (extremities, particularly the corners, rubbed). A charming untraced alphabetical book of trades, depicting Artiste du Louvre, Bouquetiere, Chiffonier, Danseuse de l' Opera, Etudiant, Faiseur de Tours, Garcon de Cafe, Harengere, Italien M[archan]d de Figures, Joueur d'Orgue, Kabyle de l'Hippodrome (illustrated), Laitiere, Marchand de Coco, "Nougat! Mesdames!", Officier d'Artillerie, Porteur de Lettres (Factueur), Queteuse, Ramoneur, Soeur de Charite, Tambour Major, Un Porteur d'Eau, Vivandiere, [the letter X represented by an acrobat forming the letter X], Yvan l'Invalide, and Zoe la Blanchisseuse. Not in Colas (but see Colas 24 and 104 for similar alphabet books) or Lipperheide. RARE.Christies erroneously mentions 26 plates; it is complete with 25 plates, the letter "W" not depicted and the letter "X" represented by an acrobat. The other 24 letters all depicting trades and professions.
Rare, with only two auction records in RBH, the one mentioned above and another one with the plates apparently not heightened with gum arabic, while there are no records in ABPC.
Click on a picture to enlarge.
