Paris, Charles Gosselin, 1831.
Two 8vo volumes [209 x 126 mm] of: I/ (4) ll. for the half-title, title and foreword, 404 pp.; II/ (2) ll., 536 pp. Both titles are illustrated with Tony Johannot’s woodcuts.
Edition: first issue, without mention of edition or author name on the title-page.
Flat spines in light-brown calf decorated “with a beautiful cathedral pattern” and corners in light-brown calf, covers in marbled paper, marbled edges, upper joint of volume 2 slightly cracking at foot. Contemporary binding signed by Ledoux.
Rare first edition of the first issue – without fictive mention of edition – of “ Notre-Dame de Paris” in a beautiful contemporary binding.
Escoffier 870; Vicaire, Manuel de l’amateur de livres du XIXe siècle, IV, 256-257.
“This first edition, in good condition, is the rarest of all the author’s works; it had a worldwide impact, and it’s one of the most difficult to get from the Romantic period” (Carteret, I, pp. 400-402).
“Since Gosselin’s copy appeared at auction (Leroy auction, March, 26-27th, 1931, N°328), it became indisputable that the mention of a second or third edition doesn’t take anything from the first edition nature of a book.
Gosselin-Leroy’s copy bore indeed on a fourth edition of Notre-Dame de Paris, 1831, the following autograph note:
‘First edition published in 1100 copies that have been, following the habits of the book trade at the time, divided into four editions. [Signed]. Charles Gosselin, editor’ ”.
(Escoffier, Le Mouvement romantique, 870).
Remarkable copy, with wide margins (height: 209 mm), preserved in its elegant signed contemporary binding with a cathedral pattern.
He comes from the library of H. Béraldi with ex-libris thus described: “Very rare and precious copy with its contemporary binding signed Ledoux. The spines are decorated with a cathedral pattern”. (Ref.: H. Béraldi, III, n°214).
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