MEMOIRS OF COUNT GRAMMONT

(BINDINGS - MARIUS MICHEL). HAMILTON, ANTHONY

Published by Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson and Co, London and Edinburgh, 1889

About this Item

292 x 191 mm. (11 1/2 x 7 1/2"). Two volumes. Notes by Sir Walter Scott. VERY FINE CONTEMPORARY SCARLET MOROCCO, ELABORATELY GILT, BY MARIUS MICHEL (stamp-signed on front doublures), covers featuring concentric French fillet panels with intricate cornerpieces between them, raised bands, gilt-ruled spine compartments with elegant foliate curls and complex central lozenge composed of several fleurons, FOREST GREEN MOROCCO DOUBLURES with large central panel formed by lobed French fillets, gilt-tooled inner and outer cornerpieces and sidepieces, gilt-decorated turn-ins, marbled endpapers. With 33 etchings (20 as head- or tailpieces, 13 as plates), as issued, by L. Boisson from original compositions by C. Delort, along WITH 167 ENGRAVED EXTRA-ILLUSTRATIONS, for a total of 200 images. A Large Paper Copy. â Two joints showing minor wear, other trivial external signs of use, vague spotting of no consequence in the text, inserted plates occasionally with minor foxing, but an especially attractive set in otherwise fine condition, the text clean and fresh, the margins vast, and the bindings lustrous. Hamilton's gossipy account of life at court, a book of persistent interest since its original appearance in 1714, is offered here in a copy of special note for its handsomely printed text, its luxury format, its added illustrations, and particularly its beautiful bindings. Philibert, Comte de Grammont, was a libertine and gambler who resided at the courts of Louis XIV of France (from which he was banished) and Charles II of England. His memoirs, written in an entertaining and ironic style, were either dictated to, or composed by, his brother-in-law, Anthony Hamilton (1646? - 1720). Although historically unreliable, they paint a vivid portrait of the character and scandals of the court, as seen by someone in the midst of its history. The book is an appropriate text to be used as a vehicle for extra-illustration, given the fact that the text records an insider's history of the courts of Louis XIV and Charles II, royal households which encompassed a great many important and colorful characters. Jean Marius Michel (also called Marius Michel the elder, 1821-90) produced distinguished work in the prevailing historical style for two decades, beginning in Paris in 1849. He worked at first by himself, then later with his son, Henri François Marius Michel (1846-1923), and he published important books on the history of binding as well. The family workshop came to even greater prominence when the son began producing bindings in a completely new and original style. The present binding is in the classical mode of Marius Michel the elder, but may well have been produced by his son; given the date of publication, the elder would have had to create this binding in the final year of his life. Whoever performed the work, it is characterized, like other bindings from the firm, by a remarkable elegance of design as well as the highest level of technical execution. No. 101 OF 780 COPIES, extended to two volumes and extra-illustrated with portraits, views, etc. by John C. Runkle. Seller Inventory # ST19567-049

Bibliographic Details

Title: MEMOIRS OF COUNT GRAMMONT

Publisher: Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson and Co, London and Edinburgh

Publication Date: 1889