Bazin - Le Guide de l'Empereur - 1900

THE EMPEROR'S GUIDE
Splendid illustrated edition of one of René Bazin's most appreciated novels (1853–1932), member of the Académie française and among the greatest French narrators of Catholic and social inspiration. Set during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the novel tells with great sensitivity the life of the civilian population, the sense of duty, sacrifice and solidarity, intertwining family and military affairs in an intense historical panorama. The volume is magnificently illustrated by G. Dutriac with numerous full-page black-and-white plates of high quality, inserted in the text, and preserves the splendid Art Nouveau multi-colored editorial binding by Maison Mame, one of the most refined French publishers of the era. The copy also includes a handwritten dedication dated Noël 1912, contemporaneous with the publication.
WHY TO BUY
Elegant first illustrated edition from Maison Mame.
Magnificent multi-colored editorial binding in Art Nouveau style.
Numerous plates illustrated by G. Dutriac.
Novel set during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.
Copy with handwritten dedication dated "Noël 1912".
Work by René Bazin, member of the Académie française.
Excellent example of Belle Époque French illustrated publishing.
Highly sought after by collectors of French artistic bindings.

MARKET VALUE
The elegant illustrated editions published by Maison Alfred Mame between the late 19th and early 20th centuries now represent one of the best-appreciated areas of French bibliographic collecting. Copies preserved in their original multi-colored editorial binding, enhanced by complete illustrations and contemporaneous dedications, are particularly sought after and fall within the 200 to 300 euros range.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Original editorial binding in gray cloth, illustrated in color and gold on the front cover, with the title on the spine and the publisher’s emblem on the back cover. Illustrated with numerous black-and-white plates by G. Dutriac. Present is a handwritten dedication on the frontispiece, dated Noël 1912. Binding solid with some signs of aging, edge and crown wear. Leaves detached from the spine with some physiological browning. In old books with a long history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (6); 152; 2nn; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Le Guide de l'Empereur.
Tours, Maison Alfred Mame et Fils [1900].
Bazin, René.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
Le Guide de l'Empereur belongs to the famous collection Histoires de Pauvres Gens, in which René Bazin tells with extraordinary sensitivity the world of the French common people, privileging the values of family, faith, and human dignity. Set during the events of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the novel reconstructs the atmosphere of Occupied France, alternating episodes of daily heroism, family dramas, and moral reflections. The work perfectly reflects Bazin's poetic, characterized by a deeply humane realism and a strong patriotic sentiment. The Maison Mame edition stands as one of the best examples of early 20th-century French illustrated publishing, where typographic quality, iconography, and the refinement of bindings were integral parts of the publishing project.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
René Bazin (1853–1932) was a French novelist, essayist, and journalist. Elected to the Académie française in 1903, he devoted much of his narrative production to describing French rural society, social transformations, and religious and family values. His works achieved enormous international success and were translated into many languages, making him one of the most read French authors from the late 19th century to the early decades of the 20th century.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Published by the prestigious Maison Alfred Mame et Fils of Tours, one of the leading French publishers specialized in fine illustrated volumes, Le Guide de l'Empereur was distributed in elegant Artful bindings intended both for the book market and as gifts. Complete copies with the illustrated plates preserved in the original editorial binding are today considerably more sought after than later rebound editions.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Carteret, Le Trésor du Bibliophile Romantique et Moderne.
Talvart & Place, Bibliographie des Auteurs Modernes.
Vicaire, Manuel de l'Amateur de Livres du XIXe Siècle.
Monod, Manuel Bibliographique de la Littérature Française Moderne.
Catalogue Général de la Bibliothèque nationale de France.