Alvare. Paris, Imprimerie de Firmin Didot, no date [1818].
In-12 of (4) ff. the first blank, 533 pp, (1) blank f.: paperback, blue paper cover, with full margins: flap case by G. Mercier in half red morocco decorated with gilt fillets, case.
First edition printed in 25 copies: one of the 8 known copies, the only one preserved in paperback.
Long unobtainable, this unique novel written by Aimée de Coigny, Duchess of Fleury (the model of the "young captive" immortalized by André
Chénier) is one of the white marbles of bibliophily.
First cited in 1820 by Népomucène Lemercier in his obituary of the author, but nowhere to be found, the work was reputed never to have been printed before Barbier mentioned it in his Dictionnaire des ouvrages anonymes: he cited it without having seen it (erroneously mispronouncing the title, Alvar, and indicating two volumes). In 1902, Aimée de Coigny's biographer, Etienne Lamy, was unable to obtain a copy, despite systematic research. It was only on September 24, 1912 that a Parisian bookseller, Marcel Duchemin, was fortunate enough to discover five bound copies and to acquire them at the sale of the Château de Coigny in Normandy: four of them were immediately bound.
Three other copies have since been discovered.
An important copy that belonged to a fine line of collectors:
Henri Beraldi, with bookplate (cat. III, 1934, no. 78) - Léon Lascoutx (1948, no. 268) - Robert von Hirsch, with bookplate (1978, no. 76) - Daniel Sickles (cat. IV, 1990, no. 1075).
The seven other known copies: 1 - Marquis de Piolenc, sale of 29 November 1913, bound in blue morocco by Noulhac. Bought by
Beraldi and offered to the Bibliothèque nationale.
2 - Claude-Lafontaine (1923, n° 25), purple morocco lined by Marius Michel. Then Maurice
Escoffier, Le Mouvement Romantique, 1934, n° 279.
3 - Sale of 2 December 1976, midnight blue calf binding by Mercier - Christian Galantaris (cat. n° 8, 1979, n° 52).
4 - Harvard Library, bound in dark green morocco, ex-libris Jacques Boulenger.
5 - René Descamps-Scrive (cat. II, 1925, n° 397), bound in contemporary fawn half calf -
Marquis de Bouillé (ex-libris) - René Schumann (1931, n° 406).
6 - Paul Voûte (1936, n° 93), bradel blue paper binding, blue half-maroquin folder and slipcase - Bibliothèque d'un lettré (2007, n° 92).
7 - Sold on June 15, 1950 (no. 575), contemporary hardback.
We use cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience, perform site traffic analysis, and deliver content and advertisements most relevant to your interests.
Cookie management:
By allowing these cookies, you agree to the deposit, reading and use of tracking technologies necessary for their proper functioning. Read more about our privacy policy.