BALLOUL (Patrick). — The On-Call Room, or the Pleasure of th - Lot 21

BALLOUL (Patrick). — The On-Call Room, or the Pleasure of the Gods. Volume I. Urrugne, Éditions de Loya, 1993. Oblong quarto, 156 pp., publisher’s red cloth binding, title gilded on the front cover and spine, with a color-illustrated dust jacket. First edition of this spectacular work devoted to the world of hospital interns’ on-call rooms, their traditions, their rituals, and above all, their famous murals. The specialized bibliographic catalog *Le Plaisir des Dieux* lists this first volume as having been published in 1993; a second volume appeared the following year. Texts and photographs by Patrick Balloul, edited by Catherine Lucchesi, graphic design by Sarbacane in Paris. First edition, legal deposit October 1993, ISBN 2-9507941-0-6. The book is listed as having 156 pages in the 22 × 26 cm format. It features a wealth of black-and-white and color illustrations documenting the decor and frescoes in the on-call rooms, as well as the history and customs of the Internat. The book now serves as a documentary source on decorations that have in some cases disappeared or been altered; it is also cited as an iconographic source in works devoted to the history of hospital frescoes. A beautiful copy, complete with its illustrated dust jacket. The red cloth binding is in very fresh condition; the dust jacket shows a few very slight signs of wear, with no notable defects.