First edition. A collection of hand coloured plates by Cham. We have seen records of this item with differing number of plates contained. Ours conforms with WorldCat / OCLC: 213799963 which states that there are 18 plates including the title. The title is uncoloured in this edition, but the 17 "Actualités" all have bright and attractive hand colouring. Hardback volume with the title repeated to the front board. This is quite darkened and rubbed, and about 1/3rd of the spine is lacking. Binding is weak to the front hinge and has been reinforced with archival tape. The end papers are significantly darkened, but the plates less so. They all have the running title "Actualités" to the top. Each has a number to the top right - although there are fairly erratic, ranging from number 1 to 285! All illustrations deal with the politics of the day, including the famine in Ireland, Italian unification (just coming to its conclusion) and the increased tensions with the Prussians which would soon lead to the Franco-Prussian war. Each plate has the imprint: "Lith. Destouches, r. Paradis p.re 28." We have seen other copies which do not all bear this imprint, and which do not have numbers to the top edge, or which are uncoloured. Overall a decent copy of a scarce item. 35 x 26 cm.