Manuscripts, Dedications

The Duke of Orleans’ travel through Algeria

One of the rare dedication copies contemporary bound with the Duke of Orleans’ monogram
of the Journal de l’Expédition des Portes de Fer.
From Henri Beraldi’s collection.

NODIER, Charles. Journal de l’Expédition des Portes de Fer rédigé par Charles Nodier de l’Académie française.
Paris, Imprimerie Royale, 1844.

Large 8vo [270 x 177 mm] of (1) bl. l., (2) ll. for the half-title and the title, XVI pp., 329 pp., (1) bl. l. 40 plates out of pagination and 1 folding map. Slight foxing.

Bound in green shagreen, covers decorated with important gilt corner patterns joined with filets, with two gilt filets and another wide blind-stamped on covers, crowned gilt monogram in the centre of covers, spine ribbed and decorated, inner gilt filets, white paper doublures and fly-leaves, gilt edges. Binding signed Andrieux.

First issue of the historical account written by the writer Charles Nodier on the Duke of Orleans’ demand meant to be offered to his companions in arms.
Sole edition of this remarkable work which was not issued for sale, one of only 1520 copies printed.
Carteret 434-437.

« In 1839, the Duke of Orleans, the elder son of king Louis-Philippe, had accomplished a long, difficult and sometimes dangerous journey through barely conquered and still not pacified Algeria. The young prince had brought back some notes from this expedition; then he asked the master writer Charles Nodier to write this ‘Expédition des Portes de Fer’.
The book’s printing was entrusted to the Imprimerie Royale and the illustration to masters like Raffet, Decamps and Dauzats[…]
The incurred expense was of 91 205 fr. 35 cents, an important sum at the time.
The work, a private book, familiar, written for a few, was meant for the members of the royal family, State dignitaries, dignitaries of the Court, officers, non-commissioned officers and for soldiers who took part in the expedition. […] Time has passed and copies became scarce, mainly dedication copies bearing a name, that you shouldn’t let escape.  »Carteret.

The illustration is composed of around 150 vignettes in the text, 40 out of pagination woodcuts after Raffet, Dauzats and Decamps, printed before the letter on China paper and mounted on thick vellum, and of a folding map representing  « la route de Philippeville à Alger suivie par la colonne expéditionnaire » in October 1839.
Each out of pagination engraving is protected by a captioned silky paper.
One of the rare copies having a binding decorated with special tools and with a monogram.
« Few copies were contemporary bound in red morocco or shagreen with special tools; they are very scarce and preferable to the copies presented in the original cased binding. » Carteret.

A precious copy contemporary bound by andrieux with the Duke of Orleans’ monogram and offered by him to his friend Scheffer.
In front of the title-page is written this dedication: « Donné au nom de Monseigneur le duc d’Orléans à son ami Monsieur A. Scheffer ».

The present copy comes from the great bibliophile and expert’s collection, Henri Beraldi and figured in the catalogue of his auction in 1934 (Vente III, 1934, n°360).
It was described in it like a « very beautiful copy», preserved in a « fine and rare binding of Andrieux, with the Duke of Orleans’ monogram » that was reproduced in full page.

Price: € 8 500

Exceptional copy dedicated by Jean Paul Sartre to Simone de Beauvoir

1908-2008: we are celebrating the centenary of the birth of Simone de Beauvoir
by presenting an exceptional copy of Situations II from Sartre
which testifies to the unique relationship of this legendary couple.

SARTRE, Jean Paul. Situations, II.
[Paris], Gallimard, 1948.

8 vo [187 x 107 mm], 330 pp., (6). Sewed, untrimmed.

One of 5 copies printed on velin pur fil navarre (marked E) from a total edition of 1109, the second paper after 14 copies printed on velin de Hollande.

“Situation II (1948) assembles three texts: “Présentation des Temps modernes”, “La nationalisation de la littérature” and “Qu’est-ce que la littérature?” all published between 1945 and 1947 and all about the role of literature in society. “Présentation des Temps modernes” is the manifest of this review, which Sartre created in 1945. Sartre expounds his plans and his intentions.“La nationalisation de la littérature” exposes the situation of literature after the war. Literature played an important part during the Resistance, that’s why we tend to consider it as a national property, as an official speech. (…)
The most important article of this collection ”Qu’est-ce que la littérature?” was published in the “Temps modernes” in 1947. Sartre analyses his matter in three questions, “Qu’est-ce qu’écrire?” (“What is it to write?”), « Pourquoi écrire? » (“Why to write?”), “Pour qui écrit-on?” (« Who do we write for? »), that form the three parts of this work, ended with a fourth survey, “Situation de l’écrivain en 1947” (“Situation of the writer in 1947”). In the first part, “Qu’est-ce qu’écrire?” (“What is it to write?”) Sartre underlines the specificity of literature in comparison with other arts. Literature is responsible for the senses that it develops (…). The writer has to be fully aware of his means and his intentions, which leads to the question: “Pourquoi écrire?“ (“Why to write?”) . First of all the writer writes to be read. (…) Writing refers to a lecture, which leads to this third question: “Pour qui écrit-on?” (« Who do we write for? »). Sartre insists on the contradictions caused to the writer by his usually “bourgeois” origins and the universality to which he aspires: he wants to apply to everybody. […] In the last part, “Situation de l’écrivain en 1947” (“Situation of the writer in 1947”), Sartre defines in a more precise way the role of the French writer.” (Dictionnaire des Oeuvres, VI, 154).

Exceptional copy dedicated by the author to Simone de Beauvoir. Jean-Paul Sartre judiciously used the term “Situations” of the half-title to write a very personal dedication: “To Simone in remembrance of all the painful or pleasant [Situations] in which we found ourselves together with best wishes from Jean-Paul.”

It was in 1929 that Simone and Sartre met at the Sorbonne and began their communal life as well as their permanent collaboration and intellectual dialogue, which lasted for over fifty years. The couple Beauvoir-Sartre represents an ideal: this unique relationship relies on the respect of each other freedom and on the intellectual equanimity of the two lovers. This couple put his stamp on the 20th century and continues to fascinate.

Price: € 12 000

Dedicated first edition of Cesar

First edition of Cesar,
a copy bearing a moving double-dedication from Marcel Pagnol to the actress Josette Day.

PAGNOL, Marcel. César.
Paris, Fasquelle éditeurs, 1937.

12mo [183 x 116 mm], 246 pp., (1) l. Bound in half-vellum, flat spine, blue marbled paper covers, original wrappers and spine bound in.

First edition, review-copy, after 25 copies printed on Japanese paper and 50 on Dutch paper.

Precious association copy, dedicated to the author’s wife Josette Day, with this moving double dedication signed by the author on the half-title: “Pour Josette Day, en souvenir de Brotonneau. Marcel Pagnol. (18/01/39)”, followed by “qui est devenu ton mari. Je t’aime. Marcel. 25 oct. 1939 » (= « For Josette Day, in remembrance of Brotonneau. Marcel Pagnol. (01/18/39)” and “who became your husband. I love you. Marcel. 25th of October 1939. »)

Marcel Pagnol met Josette Day (1914-1978) on the shooting of his film Monsieur Brotonneau, in January 1939. They got married few months later hence the double dedication, written before, and after the wedding (January, then October 1939).

The choice of this novel by Pagnol to dedicate it to his beloved is moving as Cesar relates the reunion and the wedding of Marius and Fanny.

Price: €2 500