Charles Perrault/Engel - Contes - 1890

PERRAULT, CHARLES. — POLYCHROME CARTONAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER.
The Tales of Perrault. Paris: Théodore Lefèvre and Émile Guérin Booksellers, [c. 1880–1890].
Folio. Red publisher’s morocco, specially polychrome gold and black historiated plate by Engel, gilt edges.

Precious handsome popular edition of the late 19th century, bringing together the famous prose tales of Charles Perrault (Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Puss in Boots, Bluebeard), preceded by a literary preface by J. T. de Saint-Germain.

The copy is distinguished by its publisher’s binding signed by the master binder Engel. The blazing scarlet red morocco serves as a frame for a finely wrought historiated design etched in gold-impressed plate: the central medallion depicts Little Red Riding Hood carrying her cake and little pot of butter facing the wolf by the crossroads.

Magnificent condition for shelf display, in the so-called “reserved” state. Extremely bright red morocco with no fading, the plate and spine gilt in a dazzling, perfectly reflective luster, corners sharp and hinges intact. Interior very clean on stout edition paper, a few rare pale foxings scattered and old pencil marks.

At the end of the 19th century, Lefèvre and Guérin rivaled Hetzel in ingenuity, offering, as year-end gifts, the most magical paper bindings for children’s imaginations.

To engrave the iron plate of this book, editor Guérin turned to binder Engel, the great specialist in gold-tooled bindings under the Third Republic. Achieving such an intense red after more than 130 years required keeping the book under light in a family cabinet. This little masterpiece of children’s imagery is the ideal example of the “gift book” as dreamed by the children of the 1880s.