BAUDELAIRE (Charles) Les fleurs du mal. Paris,... Lot 372

BAUDELAIRE (Charles) Les fleurs du mal. Paris, Poulet-Malassis et De Broise, 1857. In-16, [2] f. (half-title, title in red and black), 248 p., [2] f. (table), 19th c. half-Russian-style fawn leather with corners, 5-ribbed spine, gilt author, title and date, ornate bindings, double gilt fillet on covers, gilt coat of arms on upper cover (upper cover almost detached, lower jaw split, corners worn, gaps in cover at head of spine; some very moderate foxing and soiling). Rare and sought-after first edition. It is identified in particular by the error in the running titles on pages 31 and 108 ("Les Feurs du Mal"), and the pagination error on page 45 (marked 44). On the other hand, the error on page 12 has been corrected. It contains the six condemned plays that will not appear in the following edition: Les bijoux; Le Lethé; A celle qui est trop gaie; Lesbos; Femmes damnées: à la pâle clarté...; Les métamorphoses du vampire. This copy is distinguished by its provenance, coming from the library of Charles de Mandres (1805-1875), coal industrialist in Ronchamp, General Councillor of Haute-Saône (ex- libris). His collection was sold in 1887, and the catalog written by Lorédan Larchey. The bibliophile C. de Mandres was in the habit of "stuffing" his copies with original items, particularly letters, and this one is no exception. It is enriched by an autograph letter signed by Charles Baudelaire (loose, one page in-8, approx. 21 x 15.5 cm., 1 horizontal fold marked), Monday November 18, 18[5?]0, addressed to "Mon cher ami". He apologizes to his correspondent for the bad attitude of a "despicable wine merchant" for whom he feels responsible; he asks him to do his best to "hasten the publication of [his] article", and adds: "Forgive my unlucky friendship"... He then asks the addressee if the erratum published in the Moniteur concerns him, and if so, indicates: "I'm going to tremble for your existence again [...] I've just written to Rémi to absolutely forbid him to come and see me, to write to me, and to go and see you". It also contains a rare full-length albumen print of Baudelaire, taken by Carjat in 1861. Mounted on page [4], it shows some foxing and measures 88 x 53 mm. This copy has wide margins (h = 190 mm. excluding binding), and a number of pages are uncut (p.37, 93, 109, 113, 117, 133, 141, 149, 161, 165, 181, 205, 209, 233, 237). (Carteret I, 118-122)