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four red books are stacked on top of each other on a shelfa book with a picture of two women on ita picture of a book with a picture of a knight on ita picture of a book with a picture of a man in itthree red books stacked on top of each other on a wooden tablea drawing of a clock tower in the middle of a towna book open to a list of items on a table
Hôtel des Ventes de Clermont-Ferrand

280 - MICHEL (A.), Henri DONIOL, H. DURIF and Francisque MANDET.
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Estimate €600 - €800
Sale commission
Description
MICHEL (A.), Henri DONIOL, H. DURIF and Francisque MANDET. *L'Ancienne Auvergne et Le Velay*. History, Archaeology, Customs, Topography; by Ad. Michel and a society of artists. Moulins, P.-A. Desrosiers, 1843–1847, 3 volumes of text and 1 atlas, folio, 2ff.–XXVIII–448pp. – 484pp. (including half-title and title page) – 1f. – 264pp. – 2ff. – 336pp. – atlas: 130 plates. Bound in 4 volumes in cherry-coloured half-shagreen, spines with 5 raised bands and a gilt chain. (Contemporary bindings). – A very fresh copy, attractively bound in a more appealing shade than the usual bronze or black tones. Three or four engravings are uniformly yellowed; the others are fresh. The atlas is unfortunately incomplete: 18 of the plates listed in the publisher’s table are missing, but 4 that do not appear in it have been added: ‘Caps and Hats’, and the portraits of Gerbert, Pius VIII and Savaron (page numbers provided). The map is also missing. The printed table of contents is missing, having been replaced by an alphabetical inventory written in calligraphy from the period. Wet stamp of a religious congregation. Like *L’Ancien Bourbonnais*, published some ten years earlier, *L’Ancienne Auvergne et le Velay* is a sumptuous literary and typographical masterpiece, in the tradition of the great Romantic publishing ventures established by Baron Taylor. Upon seeing the finished work, Jules Janin is said to have exclaimed, ‘I thought there were no more Benedictines in France!’. The first two volumes contain *Histoire de l’Auvergne* by Adolphe Michel, the project’s chief editor and author of more than half of *L’Ancien Bourbonnais*. Volume 3 is Doniol’s *Picturesque Journey through Lower Auvergne* (1847): it includes elements of natural history, substantial chapters on dialects and patois, literature and traditional arts, notable figures, castles, towns and picturesque sites. Francisque Mandet is the author of Volume 4: *L’Ancien Velay* (1846), devoted primarily to the history of this province. It is usually bound together with the preceding volume. The atlas contains 130 plates here (out of a total of 146): 19 (including 4 in colour) are line engravings by Schaal and depict decorative or architectural details. The remainder consists of 111 magnificent lithographs, often on tinted backgrounds, featuring figures. Drawn by Tudot, H. Durand, Bayot, Goutay and others, they were lithographed by Mathieu, Victor Petit, Tirpenne, Sabatier, etc. and depict landscapes, ruins and castles, picturesque sites, churches, towns… The text is interspersed with headpieces, initials and tailpieces designed by Emile Sagot and wood-engraved.
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About the sale ANTIQUE AND MODERN BOOKS at 11.00 am and 2.00 pm
Auction location
Auction time 10/29/2026 at 11:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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