Jérôme et Jean Tharaud - Rabbat / Le Passant d'Éthiopie [L.A.S + 2 — Envois — 1/40 Japon] - 1921

Two-volume set

Jérôme and Jean Tharaud

Rabat or the Moroccan Hours

Paris, Plon, 1921, 12mo, 284 pp

THE ORIGINAL EDITION, 1 of 40 copies on paper from the Imperial Japanese mills, this one No. 23, second paper after 20 copies on Chine paper.

Copy enhanced with an autograph inscription by the Tharaud brothers to Maurice Bourdel and with an autograph letter affixed to an tab by Jean Tharaud to the same concerning the selling conditions of some of their works and the distribution of royalties.

Maurice Bourdel was born on June 5, 1889, in Paris (7th). He was the son of Henri Joseph Bourdel (1856-1945), printer-publisher, and Marguerite Louise Henriette Nourrit (1863-1945), his wife. He entered the École Polytechnique (class of 1910). He married Hélène Elise Françoise Poylo (1904-1993).

He became general director of the printer-publisher Plon. In 1921 he joined the Syndicat des Éditeurs-Imprimeurs and served as its vice-president from 1945. He was also a permanent member of the International Congress of Editors.

He died on September 5, 1968, in Cannes (Alpes-Maritimes). He rests with his father, the publisher Henri Joseph Bourdel (1856-1945), and his brother, Henri Bourdel (1887-1916), publisher, who died for France.

This work is a travel narrative focused on the city of Rabat, the capital of Morocco. In “Rabat or the Moroccan Hours,” the Tharauds share their impressions, observations, and encounters during their stay in Rabat. They explore various aspects of the city, such as its architecture, its history, its culture, daily life, and interactions with the inhabitants. The book offers a view of Rabat at a time when Morocco was still under a French protectorate. The Tharauds examine colonial dynamics and the relationships between the French and Moroccan communities. They also bear witness to the social and political upheavals of the era, as well as the aspirations and tensions that emerged within Moroccan society. “Rabat or the Moroccan Hours” is acclaimed for its captivating literary style, descriptive precision, and ability to render daily life and the cultural specifics of Rabat. It invites readers to dive into Moroccan life through the eyes of the Tharaud brothers and constitutes a valuable record of the colonial era in Morocco. The work is regarded as an important reference for those interested in Moroccan history, culture, and society, and it helps illuminate the complex interactions between colonizers and indigenous populations at that period.

Leather binding half-maroquin with smooth spine signed Saunier, title and author in gilt, top edge gilt, covers and spine preserved.

Including:

Jérôme and Jean Tharaud

The Ethiopian Passer-By

Paris, Plon, 1936, 12mo, 257 pp

THE ORIGINAL EDITION of the standard issue on Alfa paper

Copy enhanced with an autograph inscription by the Tharaud brothers

Half-nubuck binding with smooth spine ornamented with gilded fleurons, title and author gilt