Rare books from LIBRAIRIE CAMILLE SOURGET

Paris, around 1880-1885.4to oblong album [268 x 195 mm] composed of 1 title page and 30 plates. Preserved in its contemporary decorated green cloth, blind-stamped information on the upper cover: MAISON BINDER (founded in 1804) Binder Frères BINDER 170 Boulevart Haussmann Paris, large decorative blind-stamped border around the covers. Contemporary binding.Superb catalog executed in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, presenting the brand new collection of horse-drawn carriages offered for sale by the most famous Parisian house.Very rare witness of the crews that were to be found in Europe on the eve of the passage from the era of the carriage to that of the automobile. This precious album presents 30 models of carriages drawn and engraved with a great quality of execution, in superb colors. All the plates have been embellished with gold highlights to show off some elements of the carriages (door handles, axles, lanterns, fittings, decorations of the bodies, ...).The models of cars proposed are… Read More

Bologna, 1599-1667.
11 works in 13 folio volumes [338 x 228 mm]. Red morocco, spine ribbed and decorated, border on the covers in the style of Du Seuil, arms on the center of the covers, gilt edges. 17th century binding.
Nissen ZBI, p. 17-18, n° 66, 68, 70-72 & 74-78; Nissen, IVB, 18; Nissen, BBI, 14; Paul Delaunay, La zoologie au seizième siècle, 1962, p. 4 passim; DSB, I, 108-110.
Exceptional reunion of works by the naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi.
These wonderful volumes, printed in Bologna, are illustrated with copper-engraved titles and portraits. The text is illustrated with over 4 500 woodcuts showing birds, fish, reptiles, mammals, insects, crustaceans, human monsters, minerals, trees …
The eleven titles in thirteen volumes constitute Aldrovandi's complete works: each are in first edition except the De quadrupedis solidi pedibus.
Composition of the series:
1 – Ornithologiae, hoc est de avibus historiae. 1599-1603. 3 volumes.
2 – De reliquis animalibus exanguibus libri quatuor.… Read More

A Aix, chez Esprit David, 1777.
12mo [163 x 93 mm] of 1 portrait, 220 pp., ii pp., 13 folding plates.
Full straight-gained green morocoo, frames of gilt fillets and borders around the covers with gilt fleurs-de-lys in the corners, flat spine decorated with gilt fleurons, gilt edges. Binding from the very beginning of the 19th century.
First edition of this peculiar work on the celebrations instituted under the reign of King René. Their origin dates back to 1462, they were the occasion of games, processions, battles, tournaments, etc.
E. Rouard, Notice sur la bibliothèque d'Aix dite de Méjanes, p. 53 ; G. Mourey, Le livre des fêtes françaises, 284, 286-8 ; Jacques Billiord, Le livre en Provence du XVIe au XVIIIe siècle, pp. 17, 103 ;
Vinet, 819 ; Cohen-De Ricci 367-368 ; Lipperheide Sl 20 ; Rümann 859.
Complete copy with the 12 folding etchings with the captions in Provençal language, these picturesque figures being drawn and engraved by P. and G. Grégoire (sons of the author) who invented the… Read More

Paris, Germain Hardouyn, 1518.
8vo [171 x 110 mm] printed on vellum skin of (84) ll. in 11 quires signed A-K by 8 and L by 4. Roman characters, 31 lines. The mark of the Hardouins is printed on l. A1.
17 large figures including the anatomical Man. 21 small illuminated vignettes, 4 illuminated borders. Complete.
Full brown velvet from the 18th century, signs of wear.
Precious Book of Hours printed on vellum skin decorated with 17 full-page engravings illuminated with gold at the time, with 21 small vignettes equally illuminated and with numerous gilt initials on a blue or red background.
The calendar is dated 1518.
Lacombe 290 ; Van Praet Catalogue, p. 112, n°135 ; Brunet, Heures, n°251.
The iconography is composed, besides the printer's mark and the anatomical man, of 16 large full-page figures all colored with shimmering colours and inserted inside gilt framings.
The 16 engravings represent:


- St John the Evangelist.
- Arrest of Jesus.
- Adam and Eve.
- Annunciation.
- Visitation.
- Nativity.
-… Read More

Paris, Octave Doin, 1888.
Folio [355 x 265 mm] of (2) ll., xcviii pp., (1) bl. l., 265 pp., xii pp., 72 numbered plates in full page.
Bound in contemporary quarter green buckram, flat spine decorated with gilt title.
Rare first edition of this treatise dedicated to comestible and toadstool mushrooms of France and its bordering countries.
G.C. Ainsworth, Introduction to the History of Mycology, p. 320; Nissen BBI, 1691.
The Atlas des champignons comestibles et vénéneux de la France is composed of a first scientific part and a second one illustrated.
The first part deals with the history and the development of mycology, and presents a classification of mushrooms as well as a study of the 229 principal species of comestible and toadstool mushrooms of France.
The second part is made of coloured plates representing the mushrooms from different point of views and in cross section.
The abundant illustration of the present work is actually composed of 62 figures in the text reproducing antique engravings… Read More

22 août 1498.
Small gothic 4to [208 x 145 mm] printed on vellum skin of (72) ll., a-i8, 33 lines per page, mark of the printer on the title, historiated borders on each page, 21 large full-page engravings not including the anatomical man, numerous small initials illuminated with gold on red or blue background.
Full light brown morocco entirely decorated with blind-stamped motifs with a dark brown morocco mosaïc, spine ribbed and decorated, double inner gilt fillets framing, gilt edges. Elegant binding signed by Marius Michel.
Incunabular partly first edition printed on vellum skin in Paris by Philippe Pigouchet for Simon Vostre considered by a large number of critics as the most beautiful French illustrated book of all times.
" The back of the title contains the almanac from 1488 to 1508, the front of the 2nd l. the anatomical man, and on the back the Holy Grail different from the edition of 1497. There is in the text 21 figures, 6 more than in the one from 1497, and we notice among them the Tree… Read More

Paris, Didot, 1814.
4 volumes 8vo [216 x 132 mm] of : I/ (1) bl. l., (2) ll., 1 portrait, xxiii pp., (1) bl. p., 175 pp., (1) bl. p., 1 full-page plate, 164 pp., (1) bl. l. ; II/ (1) bl. l ., (2) ll., 1 full-page plate, 460 pp., (1) bl. l. ; III/ (1) bl. l., (2) ll., 1 full-page plate, 395 pp., (1) bl. l. ; IV/ (1) bl. l., (2) ll., 1 full-page plate, 496 pp., (1) l. of errata.

Contemporary blue straight-grained morocco, richly decorated covers with diverse blind-stamped and gilt borders, richly decorated ribbed spines, gilt inner border, gilt edges. Contemporary binding signed Thouvenin.
"This edition well printed and on vellum paper, should be preferred to all the others". (Brunet, III, 1175).
First edition given by Meon, dedicated to the count Daru, illustrated with 4 superb engravings by Monnet and a Gothic portrait of Jean de Meung by Girardet.
Bulletin Morgand an Fatout, 11334 ; Graesse, IV, p. 263.
"Which surprises every time we approach the 'Romance of the Rose' is that it's a work of… Read More

Heidelberg, Jacobus Milius, 1582.
(17) ll., (1) bl. l., 495 pp., (1) p. and 6 folding plates.
[Preceded by:]
I - Peucer, Caspar. Elementa doctrinae de Circulis coelestibus et primo motu, recognita et correcta.
Wittenb., Joh. Crato, 1576.
(8) ll., 304 pp. (gap in the pagination without loss), 8 folding plates.
Two astronomical works bound in one volume 8vo [155 x 98 mm], full overlapping ivory vellum, remains of ties, flat spine contemporary painted with the author's name, title and library marks handwritten in black ink, sprinkled edges. Contemporary binding.

II/ Precious and extremely rare first edition of the "Epitome Astronomiae", the major work of Joannes Kepler's (1571-1630) master, the astronomer Michael Maestlin (1550-1631).
Caspar, Kepler S. 4/; Houzeau/L. 2747; Zinner 3041; vgl. Admas M 85 ff u. STC 585.
"Michael Maestlin (also called Mästlin, Möstlin or Moestlin), was born on September 30th 1550 in Göppingen in Bade-Württemberg and died on October 20th 1631 in Tübingen. He was a German… Read More

Francfort, Christian Egenolff, 1537.
Small 4to of (39) ll. and one final blank, A-K4 (last blank) ; brown morocco, covers decorated with cold and gilded fillets, spine ribbed decorated, gilded edges (F.Bedford).
135 x 144 mm.
First edition of this masterpiece by Hans Schäufelein (1480-1538), student and assistant of Albrecht Dürer until about 1505.
Brunet, II, 780 ; Dodgson II, p. 14 ; Muther 913.
This masterpiece illustrates the passion of Christ with 73 full-page engravings by Schäufelein, a student of Albrecht Durer.
" First edition: others appeared in 1542, 1550.
Title in 10 lines, Latin in roman and German in gothic, with woodcut mark of Schäufelin (IS interlaced, on a large shovel) above the lower line. The book consists of 73 cuts, c. 140 x 102 mm, one on each page with the title in Latin above with Scriptural reference and the German equivalent below.
The series of cuts ends K2 vo…
All the cuts are by Schäufelein except the first (Annunciation) which is probably by a different, though… Read More

Paris, Calmann Lévy, 1888.Large 8vo [200 x 135 mm] with (5) pref. ll. including the portrait of the author in triplicate, 93 pp, (1) p., (1) l., 7 full-page engravings in double state and 2 in triplicate. Full blue morocco, triple gilt fillet framing the covers, richly decorated spine ribbed, double gilt fillet on the edges, gilt edges on witnesses, covers and spine preserved. Binding signed by Chambolle-Duru.
Superb deluxe edition of this short novel by George Sand.
Limited edition of 225 numbered copies on Marais vellum paper, this one bearing the number 10.
The story is about the Marquise de R., an attractive young woman who is wounded by an unhappy marriage but who soon discovers a devouring and platonic passion for Lélio, a humble actor of unknown talent.
Alas, we soon discover that the beautiful woman is only in love with a shadow, since, as soon as he is stripped of his finery and taken off the stage, Lélio turns out to be a vile and ordinary man.
The abundant illustration comprises a… Read More

Strasbourg : Johann Mentelin, 1469 - (not after 1470).
Folio [312 x 214 mm] with (4) bl. ll., 160 leaves [a-q10] the last blank. 2a : 34 lines. Type : 112b. Marginal worming at end; 1st leaf soiled & with patch in upper margin; superior corner folded. Contemp Ms table of topics on 3 blank leaves bound in at the beginning of the volume. Back of the last leaf is covered with contemporary manuscript annotations. Large capitals in red, small capitals, initial-strokes, paragraph-marks, and underlines in red.
A copy described by Panzer has a manuscript colophon : Presens Valerii Maximi opus pre-clarissimum, in nobili urbe Argentina Reni terminatum, anno m.cccc.lxx, xvii kalendis Julii, per virum quendam egregium, impressorie artis maiistrum, foeliciter est consummatum.
Full ivory vellum from the 18th century.
Exceedingly rare complete and precious editio princeps of Valerius Maximus, printed in 1469 (Brunet), on the press of Johannes Mentelin in Strasbourg. Not after 1470, mention Goff, V22 and BMC I 27.… Read More

[Auguste Vindelicorum, Ant. Sorg], 1475.
Gothic folio [301 x 212 mm] of (1) bl. l., 484 leaves with 40 lines per page, thus complete, handwritten inscription at the bottom of the title, a few minor waterstains, annotations in the margins, contemporary bookmarks. Monastic binding in blind-stamped brown calf on wooden boards, rebound, richly ornamented covers, corner spandrels and central metal cabochon, title of the work handwritten in monastic hand on the upper cover. Binding made around 1475.
Rare princeps edition printed by Anton Sorg in November 1475.
ISTC ic00292000; BMC II 342; BSB-Ink D-189; Goff C292; GW 6277; HC 4711; IGI 2601.
"Rare edition described by Panzer, vol. 1. p. 106, and by Hain; it was sold for 9 pounds 19 sh. 6 d. Alchorne Library, in 1813; 20 and 48 flor. Butsch"
(Brunet I-1666).
This princeps edition reached considerable prices reported by Brunet: 9 pounds 19 sh or 200 F gold in 1813, a higher price than the first edition of Les Précieuses ridicules.
"First edition, very rare;… Read More

Venice, Aldus Manutius, July 15th 1498.
Folio [317 x 210 mm] of (347) ll. Many comments from 41 to 42 lines a page, on the borders of the text. Bound in limp vellum, flat spine with the title handwritten in ink, blue edges. Binding from the end of the 16th century.
Editio princeps of Aristophanes' Comedies.
HC 1656; BMC, V, 559; GW 2333; Goff A 958; Essling 1163; Renouard, Alde, 16; Brunet, I, 451; Picot, Catalogue Rothschild, n°1061.
"First edition, fine and rare." (Brunet)
In this first edition, Aldus Manutius presents to the educated audience of the Italian Renaissance 9 of the 11 complete comedies of Aristophanes of which manuscripts reached us: Ploutos, les Nuées, les Grenouilles, les Cavaliers, les Acharniens, les Guêpes, les Oiseaux, la Paix and l'Assemblée des femmes.
Aldus had the intention to include in this editio princeps a tenth play, Lysistrata,
but he did not manage to find a manuscript containing the full text of this comedy.
In his Latin letter of dedication to Daniele Clario, a… Read More

Paris, Jacques du Puys, 1580.
4to of (14) ll, 255 ll. numbered 252. Handwritten ex libris on the title. Bound in granite calf, large arms gilt-stamped in the center, spine ribbed decorated with gilt stars, red speckled edges. Armorial binding of the 17th century.
225 x 168 mm.
Rare original edition of this famous work of Jean Bodin which "had a great vogue in the time and was translated into Latin from 1581".
Brunet, I, 1025; Caillet, I, 182; Tchemerzine, I, 720; Obadia, Bibliographie française de la sorcellerie, n°842.
Often reprinted, translated into Latin as early as 1581, it quickly imposed itself at the time as a "breviaire des juges dans les actions pour malefice" (F. Renz, Jean Bodin, p. 73) and constitutes today one of the best documents on 16th century witchcraft trials.
"True first edition of the epoch-making treatise on demonology and witchcraft of the French lawyer Jean Bodin (1529-1596)".
"I think in contrast to Bodin" says Montaigne (Essais, II, 32) and "In fine and in conscience, I… Read More

Paris, Pierre Lafitte & Cie, 1910.
12mo [189 x 120 mm] of (3) ll. and 520 pp. Preserved in the editor's wrappers, spine slightly faded, untrimmed. Editor's wrappers.
Rare first edition of the "Phantom of the Opera".
Our copy bears the fictitious mention "30th edition" at the back of the half-title.
Before the publication of the first edition, the text was initially published as serial stories in the daily paper Le Gaulois
from September 23th, 1909 to January 8th, 110.
Gaston Leroux(1868-1927) is a French writer and a journalist known for his detective novels with a fantasy quality. He undoubtedly took his sources of novelistic inspiration from his professional experiences as a lawyer, a judicial columnist and as a great reporter.
The Phantom of the Opera is an investigation novel varying between fantasy literature and espionage. Inspired from real facts that happened in the Opera Garnier, Gaston Leroux pictures the culprit as a mysterious character pretending to be a ghost and who extends his realm in… Read More