Peter Bichsel   Fine Books

Les Français peints par eux-mêmes, encyclopédie morale du dix-neuvième siècle. 5 vols. – Province. 3 vols. – Le Prisme. Together 9 vols. (all published).

With 6 frontispieces, 1 engr. portrait of Napoléon, 1 coloured map of France, 407 wood-engraved plates, and more than 2000 illustrations in the text, all by Gavarni, Monnier and others. Small 4to. Contemp. brown hal morocco, spines richly gilt. – Paris, L. Curmer, 1841–42.

Edition originale with volumes 1 and 5 in second issue, dated 1841 on title. Maybe the most voluminous illustrated mirror of French society in the 19th century. Volumes 1 to 5 describe the people and professions from Paris, volumes 4 to 8 the province people. The ninth volume, titled „Le Prisme“, contains scenes from Paris and is considered as prelude to the famous „Physiologies de Paris“ which were published in the following years. Text contributions a.o. by Balzac and Dumas. – Vicaire III, 794–803; Carteret III, 245ff.; Brivois 157ff.; Sander 275; Lipperheide Fc 37-38 and Fe 10. – Clean copies, nice set. – Best.-Nr. 22471