Gallerie des modes et costumes français, dessinés d’après nature, gravés par les plus célèbres Artistes en ce genre et colorés avec le plus grand soin par Madame Le Beau. Ouvrage commencé en l’année 1778.

“The most beautiful book about 18^th century fashions”.

Colas, Bibliographie générale du costume et de la mode.

First edition of one of the most precious European books of the 18^th century and one of only three copies recorded preserved in their contemporary binding with James de Rotschild (n°242) and Delbergue-Cormont’s (n°49) copies.

Exceptional copy entirely contemporary hand-colored, here  in the first state not mentioned by Cohen and Colas, with many etchings before the letter and the number.

This very first state doesn’t bear a title or a text; contemporary bound, the two volumes open on the first etching entitled: “I^st suite of French costumes by the hairstyle since 1776.”

“There are, in my knowledge, no copies complete with all the plates” mentions Colas, page 419.

“Incomplete copies are in Lyons and Dijon’s libraries, at the French National Library, at the Arsenal, at the Opera, at Mr. Pierpont-Morgan, at the baron Edmond de Rothschild, at Mr. Decloux and at Mr. Beurdeley”. Cohen, 421-422.

“The copy of the art and archeology library enclosed over 400 uncolored plates, it comes from the count Octave de Behague’s collection, it is the most complete copy ever known, it has very few deficiencies; the copy of James de Rothschild’s collection counts 346 plates; the ones of the de Jonghe’s auction contained 238 and 180 plates”. Colas.

The most complete copies are generally lately composed copies, in modern binding.

Colas mentions the rare copies that appeared on the public market at the beginning of the 20^th century, before the publication of his bibliography:

Beurdeley’s copy, 192 plates, sold for 25 200 Fr. in 1920.

Besombes’s copy, 162 plates in colors, sold for 30 000 Fr. in 1925.

De Jonghe’s copy, 189 plates in colors, sold for 45 000 Fr. in 1930.

The present copy is apparently the only one known to gather 216 plates in contemporary coloring and binding including many engravings from the first issue before the letter and the numbers.

Costumes of court, town, or theater, often described at length, with the name of their costumer (today, some say designer) or the name of the actor and the play (for instance the Barbier de Séville, Athalie). Each plate is preceded by a leaf on verge paper as silky paper (watermark: O. Ouvrard / Enmarche / 1778).

This books is one of the most precious of the history of bibliophily.

Cohen writes: “There might be no complete copy of this charming collection; even separated engravings are very expensive; one quire only of six plates was recently sold for 1 800 Fr at auction!”

One quire only of 6 of these magnificent engravings was sold for 1 800 Fr in the 20^th century, which is twice the price of a nice copy in 1^st issue of La Fontaine’s Fables, illustrated with 275 engravings by Oudry bound in 4 folio volumes printed in Paris between 1755 and 1759. The value of such copy was at this time, according to Cohen of 600 to 800 Fr.

“The most beautiful, the most varied and precious collection of 18^th century fashion plates. Published periodically in quires of 3 to 6 leaves, this set is never complete” wrote the experts of the Giraud-Baudin bookshop in a former catalogue about a copy bound in a modern binding.

A superb copy of the “most beautiful collection existing about 18^th century fashions.” (Colas, Bibliographie générale du costume et de la mode).

Besides this book is of the highest importance since it is it that established the primacy of French fashion in all Europe.