BÉRALDI, Henri.
Mes estampes (1872-1884).
Lille: Imprimerie L. Danel, 1884.

Octavo (198 x 124 mm). Number 15 of 100 numbered copies of Beraldi's first publication of his own collections, privately printed. Contemporary broad half red crushed levant morocco over marbled covers, top edges gilt, others uncut, by Pagnant. Collates 114 pp.: [4], x, 1-95, [1], 1, [3]. Minor scrapes to cover, a very good copy attractively bound. Presentation copy, inscribed on the half-title: "H.B. à B 1884," with an illustrious subsequent provenance. The eight sections are mainly illustrative of the French eighteenth-century engravers and illustrators.

Provenance: Irwin Laughlin (bookplate); J.R. Abbey (bookplate); Bernard Breslauer.

Price: SOLD

[PAILLET, Eugène]; BÉRALDI, Henri.
Bibliothèque d'un bibliophile 1865-1885.
Lille: L. Danel, 1885.

Octavo (200 x 128 mm). Contemporary half tree calf over marbled boards, top edges gilt, others uncut, original wrappers bound in. Collates 184 pp: [10], xvi, 1-149, [1], 1, [7]. Some rubbing and flaking on spine and edges, corners worn, overall a very good copy, the binding attractive notwithstanding moderate aging. Only a small number of copies of this catalogue were printed on fine laid paper for the Société des Amis du Livre; a manuscript notation on the half-title designates this copy number 279. It is also initialled by Béraldi.

Provenance: Irwin Laughlin (bookplate); J.R. Abbey (bookplate); Bernard Breslauer (bookplate).

Price: SOLD

Eugène Paillet was a foremost bibliophile in mid-nineteenth century Paris, who established a salon in his magnificent library (later sold to Damascène Morgand for the then astonishing sum of 700,000 francs). Henri Béraldi, himself another giant of the bibliophily of the era, compiled these catalogues, the one of Paillet's library, "… amusant et humoristique donne bien la physionomie de la Bibliophilie de 1875 à 1885" (Escoffier 177), the other of his own renowned print collection, "… accompagnée de notes pleines d'humeur et de savoir--collection absolument unique par la qualité exceptionelle des épreuves il y a la des exemplaires et des états à faire pamer de jalousie les premiers cabinets d'estampes européens" (Bourcard 12).

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