Amédée Boudin / H. Pottin - Histoire de Marseille – Tavola policroma, 7 tavole e 3 piante ripiegate - 1852

First edition of 1852 of l’Histoire de Marseille by Amédée Boudin, published in Paris by A. Martinon and in Marseille by A. Terris. An important nineteenth-century work wholly dedicated to the history of Marseille, from its origins to the mid-nineteenth century.

A specimen of remarkable presence, in a format of about 27 × 19 cm, preserved in its elegant period half-leather binding, with author and title impressed in gold on the spine, gilded fillets and ornaments. The boards are covered with marbled paper and feature beautiful marbled endpapers and flyleaves.

One of the most fascinating elements of the volume is the large full-page color plate, kept inside the binding and still accompanied by its protective tissue. It bears the title Histoire de Marseille, the name of A. Boudin, the indication Dessins de H. Pottin and Marseille – A. Terris Éditeur. The rich composition, dominated by the crest of Marseille and animated by flags, armor, weapons and numerous references to the city’s history, retains notable chromatic vitality and is certainly one of the most visually striking elements of the exemplar.

Particularly rich is also the iconographic and cartographic apparatus, consisting of 7 plates out of text and 3 folded plans of Marseille, through which the visual evolution of the city in different eras is also documented.

Of great effect is the map “Histoire de Marseille – Plan de la Ville en 1852,” which, fully unfolded, reaches about 47 × 55 cm: a detailed topographic representation of nineteenth-century Marseille, accompanied by numerous indications. The other folded plans measure about 27 × 26 cm.

The volume comprises 608 pages; the historical text ends on p. 594 with the inscription FIN and is followed by the Table des matières.

The specimen preserves well the charm of its nineteenth-century “voice.” The binding shows natural signs of time and use, with rubbing, edge and corner wear, and more evident abrasions on the front board. The spine nevertheless preserves clearly legible the author’s name, the title and the gilded decorations.

Internally there are scattered foxing, traces of old humidity and some nicks and marginal stains, including characteristic circular marks visible in the upper corner of various sheets. These marks do not impair the readability of the text nor the use of the plate apparatus.

The large final plate has on the back some reinforcements with adhesive tape at points of the folds, applied to consolidate the areas most stressed. The intervention is documented in the photographs; the paper remains fully readable and retains a remarkable impact when fully opened.

Overall, a highly fascinating antiquarian exemplar with notable historical and iconographic interest, in which the first edition and period binding are united with the splendid full-page color plate, the 7 plates out of text and especially the 3 large folded plans of Marseille. A volume capable of appealing to both the collector of old books and cartography and to those attached to the history of Marseille, of Provence and to nineteenth-century French urban history.