AULNOY (Marie-Catherine Le Jumel de Barneville, Baroness of) - Lot 20

AULNOY (Marie-Catherine Le Jumel de Barneville, Baroness of). — Three Tales. With a preface by Jacques Hérissay. Illustrated by Jacques Cassegrain. Paris, published by the Société Normande du Livre Illustré, 1950. Large quarto, loose-leaf, with a blue-printed cloth-covered jacket, along with the publisher’s cardboard slipcase and folder. 141 pp. and proof of print run. A fine bibliophile edition bringing together three of Madame d'Aulnoy’s famous tales: *La Biche au bois*, *L'Oiseau bleu*, and *La Belle aux cheveux d'or*. The BnF confirms this composition as well as the preface by Jacques Hérissay and the illustrations by Jacques Cassegrain. The volume is remarkably illustrated based on watercolors by Jacques Cassegrain, engraved on stone by Charles Sorlier, and printed by Marcel Durassier and Albert Cœugnet. It includes 50 two-tone lithographs, including a frontispiece and three插图. Each tale has its own distinct color scheme: red for *La Biche au bois*, blue for *L’Oiseau bleu*, and yellow ochre for *La Belle aux cheveux d’or*. The print run was extremely limited to just 140 copies, all on Rives vellum: 100 copies for Society members, 30 for corresponding members, and 10 reserved for contributors and for legal deposit. One of the 10 copies reserved for contributors—this one, no. XXXVIII—was specially printed for the Carteret Bookstore. This detail is of particular interest to bibliophiles: Carteret is, of course, a prominent name in the world of antiquarian books and the bibliography of French illustrated books. Provenance: René Barbot, with his large typographic bookplate: “René BARBOT acquired this book, loved it, preserved it, and passed it on,” accompanied by a handwritten note dated Paris, 1988. This provenance lends the copy additional character, even if it does not in itself result in a significant increase in value. The copy remains in loose-leaf format, as originally published, with its cover, slipcase, and publisher’s case. The interior is in very fresh condition on beautiful Rives vellum, with wide margins. A few stains or small marks on the cover; the slipcase and, especially, the dust jacket are scuffed and worn, with wear along the edges, though this does not affect the body of the book. This edition is significantly more interesting than the standard illustrated editions of Madame d’Aulnoy’s works: its print run of only 140 copies, the quality of the lithographic printing, and—in this case—the fact that it is one of ten “collaborator’s copies” bearing the recipient’s name are its main attractions. Another copy of this edition is well documented on the market, featuring the same 50 lithographs and the same print run of 140 copies.