Francois Contet - Documents de Ferronnerie Ancienne Deuxième série – Fin Louis XV & Louis XVI - 1908

François Contet – Old Ironwork Documents
Second series – End of Louis XV & Louis XVI
Original edition, Paris, at the author's, 101 rue de Vaugirard, 1908

Very rare portfolio consisting of 33 plates / sheets from the original edition (the complete print run includes 36, but Contet added the additional plates 37 to 40 at the end of the work, sometimes absent from circulating copies).

Grand in-folio (36 × 48 cm)
High-quality heliogravures on thick, cream laid paper, deep printing, and exceptional contrast.
Most of the boards retain their original serpent legend.
Completely loose sheets, stored under a folder; kept flat since 1908 except for page 16, which is a little less nice.
Remarkable condition of freshness: very lively paper, practically free of foxing or tears, with only a few discreet traces of handling in the margins.

Precise content of the set
Pages 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29 (in two sheets), 30, 31, 33, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40.
→ a total of 33 sheets (sheet 29 being composed of two large sheets).

Missing boards
2, 4, 10, 17, 18, 19, 26, 32, 34, 36

Here we find very beautiful signatures: staircase railings with monograms, balconies and imposts of rare elegance, honor grills, Rocaille-Louis XVI decorative panels, as well as the four additional panels (37 to 40) which are often absent from dismembered copies.

These surveys, carried out and published by François Contet himself, remain the most precise and pure source for the study and reproduction of French ironwork of the late 18th century.

An ensemble of exceptional purity, in its absolute original state: floating leaves, intact, ready to be framed, consulted, or integrated into a demanding collection.

Ultra-careful worldwide shipping (flat sheets in a custom rigid box, comprehensive insurance).