A Paris, chez Lattré, graveur ordinaire de Monseigneur le Dauphin, n.d. [1767].
Small 8vo [182 x 108 mm] of (4) ll. including 1 engraved title with the royal arms and cyphers watercolored and 3 engraved index ll., 120 full-page plates.
Red morocco, triple gilt fillet around the covers, flat spine and decorated with gilt fleurons, lettering piece in green morocco. Contemporary binding.
First edition, first issue.
Precious volume, entirely engraved, representing the uniforms of the infantry of King Louis XV’s army.
The collection contains a very rare first suite of 103 engravings representing the French and Swiss Guards, 3 unnumbered engravings, the different regiments of infantry, from 1 to 93 and the light troops by rank of seniority, from 94 to 101.
Our copy does not include a plate 40 but does contain 103 plates as indicated in the index and unlike the copy described by Glasser that only mentions 99 plates.
Very rare work complete of its 103 plates.
“Engraved plates, a figure on each plate, no background. Double line. Size of the frame 0,07 x 0,129.
Frontispiece inside a colored frame decorated with the royal arms.
99 plates.
Very interesting collection remarkably engraved.” (Glasser, Costumes militaires, Catalogue des principales suites de costumes militaires français, p. 262).
“This beautiful suite is very rare when complete”. Colas, Bibliographie du costume, n°2936.
To this suite were added the suite of 8 engravings dedicated to the French marine regiments as well as the suite of 9 engravings dedicated to the regiments of the colonies.
The collection thus presents in first issue the figures related to the regiments of Ile de France, Ile Bourbon, Port Louis, Pondicherry, America, Cape, Port au Prince, Martinique, and Guadeloupe.
The refined title decorated with the royal arms and cyphers as well as the 120 engravings have been watercoloured at the time.
Superb copy, bound with an attractive contemporary red morocco.
