Another clandestine publication, by Maurice Duflou, this a reissue of the original edition, of Gamiani. despite being referred to as mono, in the limitation the, illustrations do have some light colouration, another oddity is that all of the 12 facsimile illustrations have significant foxing which does not appear elsewhere in the text. I cannot explain this. This copy is enhanced with 2 extra illustrations , one in colour and the other in pencil and lightly hand coloured, with a signature that I cannot identify. As usual I have presented the illustrations in the order they appear in the book.
Bibliographical information is courtesy of Patrick Kearney.
MUSSET, Alfred de, supposed author. – Gamiani, ou Deux nuits d’excès, par A.D.M. Réimpression conforme au texte original ornée des douze gravures de Dévéria et Grévedon. Paris: Pour les Amis de l’époque romantique [1924]. 4to. pp. 86. Twelve plates ‘en héliogravure’ reproduced from the lithographs of the original 1833 edition. (29 x 23 cm) Limited to 320 copies, this being Number 69. Pages 5-18 contain a Notice bibliographique signed ‘Helpey’[Louis Perceau] and the Preface the 3rd. edition, Amsterdam, 1864, comprising an extract of the Mémoires de la comtesse de C*** [Elisabeth Céleste Venard,comtesse Lionel de Chabrillon] on the author of Gamiani, who is generally thought to have been Alfred de Musset. [Bibliothèque Nationale: Enfer 934.]
This Book: In original publishers covers, pagination as above, enhanced with 2 additional illustrations, the 12 facsimiles have significant spotting (see images), overall condition is good and the book is complete, effectively a book within a book, a very pleasing and rare edition of this classic erotica.
Rare erotic work of the 1930s, signed by a certain Claude de Launies, a pseudonym behind which Renée Dunan (1892-1936 or 1944), a pioneer of the feminine, or perhaps Johannès Gros (?-1936/37) could hide. The book was published by Maurice DUFLOU (1885-1951), who used for the occasion a fictitious cover, “Sous le signe du grand écart”. It follows the sexual adventures of a young American woman, Marjorie. It is set on the ocean liner “Normandy”, on which she embarked from New York, that she will be seduced by a stranger, before perfecting her sexual knowledge in Paris where, as she says, she intends to “learn love”. For, you imagine, to believe the books and her friends, it would only be in Paris that we know how to dress… and undress.” The clichés have a hard life… Whether or not Paris deserves its reputation as the capital of love, Marjorie will have fun in every sense of the word: sodomy, lesbianism, sadomasochism, several affairs, “tester” of lovers for a Countess, etc. Almost everything goes with delight! Pleasant curiosa, fun and well written enough for the genre.
Title Page and Limitation
CROISIÈRE AMOUREUSE, roman érotique de Claude de LAUNIES, illustré en couleurs – EO, New-York – Paris, Sous le signe du grand écart [Maurice Dulflou], New York – Paris [Paris], no date, printing [around 1937] paperback, in-8 (about 21.5 H x 15 L cm) – (3 ff.) – 151-[1] – (1 ff.) cream-coloured textured wraps titled in blue; on front cover only, over plain card covers. With 12 free compositions in colours, unsigned, 12 off-texts (approx. 16.8 H x 11.2 L cm with about 8 mm bowls; drawings of approx. 15 H x 9.5 L cm) Text decorated with 9 wood cuts in bistre / red, attributed by Dutel to Louis BERTHOMMÉ SAINT-ANDRÉ (1905-1977) 2 headings (the first repeated five times; the second, four times), 6 cul-de-lamps and 1 title sticker. 120/ 350 ex. of the current print on velin pur fil.
Condition: Cover/ shirt: a little shabby, with some smudges.. There are various small spots or freckles on the first plate, and several smudges, especially at the back head (which seems to have been glued) and at the top right on the second plate, at the level of an old tear (about 4 cm) that has been (mischievously) restored (glued and paper inside). In addition, small slits in the head and tail of the back (about 2 cm and 1 cm). Brown traces of adhesive on the inner covers (likely adhesives of an old protection), with a slight transfer on the half title and the last page (see images) . Top slice a little dusty. Otherwise, nice overall freshness, generally clean if not a few small freckles isolated or discharges on some sheets: p. 8-10 (8 mm), 27 (gutter), 62-64 (lower corners), 70, p. 79, p. 88 – Text may be slightly affected (p. 8-10 or p. 88), but engravings are spared. A small line of zig-zag ink (8 mm) p. 119 at the gutter
20. LAUNIES, (Claude de). – Croisière amoureuse.
New York, Paris, sous le signe du Grande Ecart [c.
1937]. 8vo. pp. 152. Twelve colour plates and many
culs-de-lampe, the latter being designed by Berthommé
Saint-André. Limited to 352 copies. [No repository
copies located, but cited in the important “Curiosa”
auction held at Nouveau Drouot on March 11th 1987,
lot no. 70. Dutel, no. 1317.]
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And an extraordinarily beautiful book it is too. Purchased as an investment piece. I must admit that I am not a particular fan of the artist Viset, (Luc Lafnet), even though I have had many books illustrated my him, his Viset identity is usually reserved for his explicit work, Jim Black, mainly for his flagellation material. If I have to choose, then the Viset material, to me is comically obscene, and Jim Black, just weird but not really weird enough.
As for clandestine publishing, and its mysteries, then the combination of Perceau, Briffaut and Duflou, singularly or in any combination, have produced some of the finest of books and this one is no exception, I leave the decision making to the experts and my favourite expert is Patrick Kearney and the bibliographical description is his.
Note: The images are in book form and taken in a way that does not stress or damage the book, as a result they are not flattened images, and may have shadows caused by the curvature of the page when the image is taken, I adjust exposure to give the clearest picture for presentation on this site, the images in the book are clearer and sharper than the images presented here, they are after all engraved plates and not photographs.
Title Page
This Book: GAUTIER, Théophile. – Lettres à la Présidente et galanteries poétiques. édition contenant soixante-cinq lettres inédites et le texte exact de la lettre d’Italie. Publiée avec une introduction et des notes par Helpey [Louis Perceau]. Accompagnée d’une étude sur la Présidente par Sylvestre Bonnard [Pierre Dufay]. Neuilly [Paris]: éditions du Musée secret [?Maurice Duflou],
1927.
Beautifully bound in quarter black leather, with 5 raised bands, author and title in gilt on spine, on blue and grey marbled boards, with matching inner lining. Three sets of additional fep’s, Original covers and spine preserved. Photographic frontispiece of the author, title page printed in red and black matches the cover exactly, 199 numbered pages, printed on Japon Imperial. Letter “I” of 15 copies lettered A-0. (dimensions in binding (23.5 x16 cm) (Weight 1kg)), photographic image on page 101. The 11 engraved plates signed “Viset”, with artists embellishments are all in the latter part of the book after page 121. The list of contents are as detailed in the image below. A fine collection quality copy.
Table of contents
Bibliographical description courtesy of Patrick Kearney
GAUTIER, Théophile. – Lettres à la Présidente et galanteries poétiques. édition contenant soixante-cinq lettres inédites et le texte exact de la lettre d’Italie. Publiée avec une introduction et des notes par Helpey [Louis Perceau]. Accompagnée d’une étude sur la Présidente par Sylvestre Bonnard [Pierre Dufay]. Neuilly [Paris]: éditions du Musée secret [?Maurice Duflou],
1927. 8vo. 199 pp., pl. et portrait. photographiques deThéophile Gautier et de Mme Sabatier, pl. gr. à l’eauforte signées Viset [Luc Lafnet]. Limited to 465 lettered and numbered copies. [Bibliothèque Nationale (3 copies).
I am embarking on a short list, of titles which are all , what I refer to as rescued books, this is because although the general condition is at best Fair to Good, they are such rare titles that their importance outweighs any consideration of condition.
R. de B. Voluptueux souvenirs ou Le Souper des douze. Pour la bibliothèque des “Disciples d’Éros” [Maurice Duflou], Romainville. [Paris]1927. Contents 143 pp ,Rebound in red boards. Original frontcover, preserved. 12 B&W inset illustrations by Achille Devéria, reproduced in half-print and drawn in bistre on coated paper. Specifications : In-4 ecu. Book reserved for subscribers only and not for the trade. Edition limited to only 350 copies, this one being no 215/350, on paper Pur Fil Lafuma.
Notes : This work was written to accompany two series of engravings by Devéria: The Five Senses and The Seven Deadly Sins .