HARRY (Myriam). — The Night of Jerusalem. - Lot 131

HARRY (Myriam). — The Night of Jerusalem. Lithographs by Raphaël Drouart. Paris, Ernest Flammarion, 1928. Quarto, 67 pp., paperback, illustrated cover featuring a black-and-white lithograph by Drouart, untrimmed. First edition, illustrated by Raphaël Drouart with 5 original lithographs as inserts, including the frontispiece, plus the cover design, a title vignette, and a tailpiece. The lithographs were printed on a hand press by Desjobert in Paris. A fine publication belonging to Flammarion’s “Nuits” collection, a series of illustrated works published in the late 1920s featuring contributions by Fouqueray, Suréda, Alexeïeff, Dignimont, and Renefer, among others. The print run, completed on September 15, 1928, on the presses of Imprimerie Lahure, is limited to 890 copies, distributed as follows: 5 on old hand-made Japanese paper with a suite; 20 on Imperial Japan paper with a suite; 25 on Madagascar paper; 50 on Van Gelder Zonen Dutch laid paper; 750 on vellum from the Papeteries de Rives, numbered 101 through 850; and finally, 40 non-commercial copies. One of the 750 copies on vellum from Papeteries de Rives, this one being No. 204. Myriam Harry (1869–1958), a traveler and woman of letters, maintained a special connection with the Middle East throughout her life. Born in Jerusalem, she offers here a very personal portrayal of the city, blending memories, contemporary observations, and Jewish, Christian, and Eastern traditions. The book is particularly appealing thanks to Drouart’s highly atmospheric lithographs. A fine copy, preserved in paperback with its original cover. A few small marks and stains on the cover, visible in the photographs; very faint pinkish marks on the front cover; interior is fresh. Generous margins preserved.