LE MONNIER (Gaston-Louis). Sidi-Bou-Saïd. A Suburb of Cartha - Lot 159

LE MONNIER (Gaston-Louis). Sidi-Bou-Saïd. A Suburb of Carthage. Tunis, Imprimerie Laporte, 9 rue du Soudan, 1936. In-4, 131 pp., paperback, cover lined with cream-colored embossed paper, title printed in blue and Arabic calligraphy in red on the front cover, small vignette of a vase of flowers on the back cover. Original price of 20 francs printed on the spine. First edition, printed in Tunis, of this monograph devoted to Sidi-Bou-Saïd and its Carthaginian surroundings. The National Library of Tunisia lists the book as comprising 131 pages and 24 plates, in a 25-cm format. The book is illustrated with 84 drawings by the author, as indicated in the title, in addition to numerous photographic reproductions and inset views. The illustrations document both the landscape and vegetation of the Carthage promontory and the architecture, streets, gardens, and aspects of daily life in Sidi-Bou-Saïd. A bibliographic description of another copy specifies 23 full-page plates and a map. A particularly appealing local publication, serving as a historical and archaeological monograph as well as a evocation of Sidi-Bou-Saïd in the 1930s. The work also retains genuine documentary value: it is still cited in historical and archaeological studies devoted to Sidi Abû Sa'îd and its heritage. A paperback copy preserved in its original cover, which is in good condition for this type of Tunisian publication. The cover is slightly discolored and pitted, with a few small foxing spots and signs of wear; the spine shows some scuffing. There are a few scattered foxing spots inside, but overall the book remains well-preserved. A removable transparent slipcase currently covers the book.