Alfred Delvau / Émile Benassit - Les Heures parisiennes - 1866

[Paris] - Delvau (Alfred)

Parisian hours

Paris, at Librairie centrale, 1866.

1 volume in 8vo (18 x 12 cm), chagrin (period binding), ornately ribbed spine, gilding on the covers with corner fleurons, marbled edges, internal lace, covers preserved, [4]-210-[2] pages (complete). Scuffs on the corners, a few small stains on the covers. Very good condition overall, with a very fresh interior.

Original illustrated edition with a frontispiece and 24 etchings outside the text, printed on chine appliqué, by Emile Bénassit. One of 200 copies on Holland vellum.

Magnificent illustrated work, Les Heures parisiennes was successful, thanks to Bénassit's etchings. The subject of the plates can be guessed; since the Parisian day begins at 3 a.m., the artist depicts before us: ragpickers, milkmaids, workers, newspaper vendors, housewives shopping, the postman, the worker's lunch at the dairy, lawyers at the Palais, the awakening of the pretty woman, lunch at the restaurant. (...) At the time of sale, censorship required the author to make several deletions, and the small love scene in the plate Midnight had to be erased. Only the 200 copies on Hollande paper could be sold without deletions and with the plate intact.

Rare specimen