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245
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MARX, Karl. Capital. First French edition, first printing; t…
See original version (French)
245
-
MARX, Karl. Capital. First French edition, first printing; t…
See original version (French)
Estimate €600 - €800
Voluntary lot
Description
MARX, Karl. Capital.
First French edition, first printing; the only edition revised by the author and the last to be published during his lifetime.
Paris, Maurice Lachâtre, n.d. [1875].
Large quarto, green half-basane, plain spine decorated with four gilt bands.
351 pp., two engraved title pages, portrait of the author and facsimile of his letter to the publisher. Text in two columns.
Spine discoloured, worn and with paper loss on the back cover. A few foxing spots.
French first edition translated by Joseph Roy.
A copy of the first print run, as evidenced by the mention of the publisher’s name on the title pages—which later became ‘Librairie du Progrès’—and the publisher’s reply on the reverse of the facsimile of the letter, which was omitted in subsequent editions.
This first French version appeared in 44 instalments from August 1872 to May 1875 but was not a success, with the publisher lamenting the meagre sales in a letter to Marx dated June 1879, partly due to bookshops sabotaging sales and government intimidation. However, the time taken for the translation and the intervals between instalments allowed Marx to substantially revise the text, making this edition an original work in its own right: ‘it possesses a scientific value independent of the original and must be consulted even by readers familiar with the German language.’ (Note to the Reader, p. 348).
A fine copy in a modest binding of this landmark edition.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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