Yet another departure for me, as this is an odd volume, worthy of recording here because of the rarity of the illustrations. This volume is number 3 of a 4 volume set dated 1797, but actually printed in 1865. Bound in quarter red leather on mottled boards, 354 pages (9.5 x 14.5 cm), with a frontispiece and 10 full page illustrations by Acier. Any other information on this edition would be most welcome.
Donatien Alphonse François, marquis de SADE (1740-1814). Histoire de Justine ou Les Malheurs de la vertu illustrée de 44 gravures sur acier. En Hollande: 1797 [Bruxelles: vers 1865]. vol 3 of 4 volumes.
Jean de Chancènes, Esclave Amoureuse. Roman sur la Flagellation de la petite fille, de la maîtresse, et de l’épouse. Collection des Orties Blanches,Paris 1930.Printed by Imprimerie Darantière à Dijon. 267pp,(19.5 x 14 cm),in original paper wraps printed in red and black over plain card covers. 1 frontispiece, 7 B&W illustrations by Black, Jim [Luc Lafnet].Catalogue at the beginning of the volume. Prosecuted at the tribunal of the Seine in May 1950, appealed in October 1953,Condemned by The Tribunal of the Seine in May 1954.
This is by far the most recent publication I have ever listed on this blog, however as recent as the story “The English Academy ” may be, the sumptuous illustrations are from the end of the 1800’s not the 1900’s. The text claims to be from a hand written (in French) manuscript found in a box of of such material, found somewhere in France and eventually translated into English, the text apparently matches the beautiful illustrations it appears with. Whatever the truth of this tale, it gives me an excuse to post the images, and I hope you like them.
Anon ,The English Academy, Mihaly Von Zichy, The Erotic Print Society 2000.
Rather a good find this one and quite a surprise, though far from being an expert on flagellation novels, as evidenced by this blog a significant number of them have passed through my hands and been recorded on this site. I cannot ever remember seeing any depiction of pubic hair in any of these books and most definitely not a depiction of a vagina. This little volume has both. These images are of course commonplace in clandestine erotica, but not so in flagellation novels which were not illegal or subject to prosecution when originally published, although large numbers were prosecuted in the 1950’s for unknown reasons.
I have difficulty finding other complete copies to reference, Bibliocuriosa (link at the base of this listing ) reference the illustrator of this edition as Leon Roze, but as they do not appear to have the illustrations they cannot have seen that they are clearly signed G.Topfer. I have previously had to apologise for difficulty in scanning images in rebound books and must do so again for this title, it is simply not possible to get the image flat to the scanner in a tightly bound book,but I have done my best.
cover
Title Page
Professeur Alexander, Max, Satyres et Flagellants, Librairie Artistique et Édition Parisienne réunies, Paris, 1909. illustrations by G.Topfer. Rebound in quarter blue leather on marbled boards. Title in gilt on spine with 5 raised bands inter-spaced with gilt fleurons, date 1909 at base of spine.Original colour cover bound in at the back of the book, Monochrome frontispiece and 12 full page illustrations by G Topfer, decorated with chapter headings and endings, 223 pp, 20.5 x 13 cm. Very good condition.
I generally do not list items which are after 1965, however I allow myself certain exceptions, specifically when any illustrations are from an earlier period, such as this small item, which has the added attaraction of text in English and using the very old fashioned device of text in the form of letters. There are links below the listing to some of the original titles, from which the illustrations in this pamphlet were copied.
UNIQUE – For Lovers of the Unusual , Small undated (1970?) booklet side stapled with illustrated cover in brown and green, (10.5 x 14 cm), inked numericals on font cover, order form inside back cover.41 pages of text, in the form of letters, 7 illustrations which are cropped versions of the illustrations from various Editions Prima publications from the 1930’s, the artist is Herric:- (Chéri Hérouard). Very Good.
Before anyone gets too carried away, this is a facsimilie, here because I dont expect ever to have the original, and it allows me to share the images, which in this case, consist of some of the original illustrations supplemented by hand retouched (badly) colour pornographic photographs. This item, although a lump of a book, with individual taped in page sections, with copied text pasted in, is somehow quite an appealing object in its own right, and as close as I (or you) are ever likely to get to the original.
I have shamelessly stolen the text of an old book sellers description as the only useful bibliographical information I can find, please bear in mind that it does not describe my copy which has no mention of any publisher or place, and appears to be a partial text ending on page number 75, apparently mid-sentence. Still as usual I am sharing this because I like it. I have done my best with the image scans, and mine are a slight improvement on the ones in the book.
One more thing, I have seen copies of this for sale that look very much like my copy, but purporting to be original, also referencing Rojan as the illustrator, i am happy to say that if they are talking about the same illustrations as this volume, they are not the work of Rojan. My copy has age and is clearly a facsimilie, I believe of a pirate copy of the original title, anyone with any comments or information please utilise a contact form.
(DESCRIPTION OF THE ORIGINAL)
Johannes GROS, aussi un temps attribué à Renée DUNAN] – P. BELOTTI, illustrateur (?) MOI, POUPÉE. Texte et eaux-fortes d’une Jeune fille à la page. A l’enseigne “des petites vertus”, s.d. (1930). [Maurice Duflou, Darantière imprimeur] – Clandestine erotic published by Maurice Duflou and illustrated 9 beautiful free etchings attributed to P. Belotti. Rarity among rarities! [Johannes GROS, also a time attributed to Renée DUNAN] – P. BELOTTI, illustrator (?) ME, DOLL. Text and etchings of a girl on the page. At the sign “small virtues”, nd (1930). [Maurice Duflou, Darantière printer] 1 volume in-8 (19.5 x 14.5 cm), paperback, 255- (1) pages. 1 etching in frontispiece and 8 etchings inset. Good copy as published. Some slight foxing in places. Solid broaching. Gray-blue paper cover printed in pink-red on the first dish (title and floret), on the back we read the title ” Neither Dutel (who simply quotes them) nor the other bibliographers (Alexandrian, Pauvert, Kearney) evoke the illustrations that adorn this volume. We believe we recognize as author of these pretty free etchings P. BELOTTI who illustrated at the same time several erotic works published clandestinely (Jacinthe or the images of sin). Reference: Dutel, 2003 – Volume that was missing from the main collections of clandestine erotic books (Nordmann, etc.)
