EACH ARTIST BREAKDOWN HAS FRENCH TEST, NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS/SKETCHES WITHIN THE TEXT, SMALL PHOTOGRAVURES AND ONE FULL PAGE PHOTOGRAVURE. ALL TEXT IS FRENCH
THE TEXT BLOCK OF THE BOOK, BEGINNING WITH THE TITLE PAGE AND GOING TO LAST PRINTED PAGE, IS IN FINE CONDITION WITH THE PAGES BRIGHT AND GENERALLY CLEAN. THERE ARE OCCASIONAL FINGERPRINTS THAT ARE MOSTLY DUST, FROM THE DETERIORATING EXTERIOR LEATHER, THAT WIPE OFF BUT A PAIR OF PAGES HAVE A SINGLE STAIN ON BOTTOM THAT LEECHED LIGHTLY INTO THE ADJACENT PAGES BUT WELL OUT OF THE MARGINS (PHOTO 9). WITHIN THE PRINTED TEXT BLOCK THERE ARE NO TEARS, CREASES OR WRITING.
THE EXTERIOR BOARDS/SPINE COVER/AND END PAPERS ARE A DIFFERENT STORY. THE BOARDS ARE CURRENTLY FULLY ATTACHED BUT WERE COMPLETELY DETACHED AT SOME POINT AND ARE NOW CONNECTED WITH LINEN TAPE THAT SHOULD HOLD FOR DECADES. (PHOTO 1,10, 11, 12)
THE LEATHER ITSELF IS WORN AND CHIPPED AND THE SPINE COVER LEATHER HAS SIGNIFICANT LEATHER LOSS. (PHOTO 10)
1- THE BOARDS WERE COMPLETELY DETACHED AT SOME POINT. TWO LAYERS OF LINEN TAPE COVER THE EDGES OF THE BOARDS AND GO BENEATH THE SPINE COVER ON BOTH THE OUTSIDE AND INSIDE OF THE BOARDS (PHOTO 2, 10 & 11). THE LEATHER EXTERIOR OF THE SPINE SHOWS SIGNIFICANT LOSS BUT HAS A DEFINITE CHARACTER. THE LEATHER OF THE BOARDS IS SIGNIFICANTLY CHIPPED AND CONTINUES TO CHIP. THE END PAPERS ARE STAINED, HAVE CREASES ( PHOTO 11). THE LEATHER HAS WHAT IS KNOWN AS "RED ROT". THIS IS COMMON IN LATE 19TH CENTURY LEATHER DUE TO THE WAY IT WAS ORIGINALLY TANNED. THIS CAN SOMETIMES RESULT IN GETTING RED DUST ON YOUR FINGERTIPS AND THAT IS THE MAJORITY OF ANY DISCOLORATION TO THE TEXT BLOCK ITSELF. THE BOARDS WILL HOLD TOGETHER FOR DECADES AT THE HINGES IF YOU ARE CAREFUL. THE TAPE IS ADEQUATE. The full page photogravures have tissue guards and the tissue guard for the title page is creased.
2- INTERIOR CONDITION IS EXCEPTIONAL. BINDING IS TIGHT. PAGES ARE ALMOST ALL CLEAN WITH DISCOLORATION IN THE GUTTERS OF SEVERAL, PRIMARIILY DUE TO THE GLUE USED AT THE BINDERY AND SMALL CHIPS OF LEATHER THAT HAVE FALLEN IN OVER THE DECADES.
THE ARTWORK WAS PRINTED BY GOUPIL & CIE, ONE OF THE TOP FRENCH PRINTERS. THE BOOK HAS A LIST OF THE "PHOTOGRAVURES" IN AN INDEX AT REAR. THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 60 PHOTOGRAVURES THAT ARE PARTIAL PAGE OR FULL PAGE. AS EACH ARTIST GOT ONE FULL PAGE PHOTOGRAVURE, THERE ARE TWELVE OF THEM TOTAL. THERE ARE ADDITIONALLY SKETCHES PERFORMED BY THE ARTISTS.
THE ARTISTS ARE:
1- HENRI BARON
2- EDOUARD DE BEAUMONT
3- CHARLES DELORT
4- ALPHONSE DE NEUVILLE
5- EDOUARD DETAILLE
6- GUSTAVE DORE (There are no Dante images)
7- ERNEST DUEZ
8- LOUIS FRANCAIS
9- HANRI HARPIGNIES
10- FERDINAND HEILBUTH
11- EUGENE ISABEY
12- JULES JACQUEMART
THE ALPHABET CONTINUES IN VOLUME 2, BUT THIS AUCTION INCLUDES VOLUME 1 ONLY.