Antique 19th Century First Edition Set 'Paris de 1800 à 1900' by Charles Simond
£400.00
Description
An exquisite, highly important, and beautifully preserved true first edition three-volume historical set entitled Paris de 1800 à 1900: Trois Siècles d'Histoire Narrative de la Vie Nationale, authored by the noted French historian and bibliophile Charles Simond. Published in Paris by Plon-Nourrit et Cie in 1900, this monumental, richly illustrated work chronicles the cultural, political, and social evolution of Paris across a century of unprecedented transformation.
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Antique 19th Century First Edition Set 'Paris de 1800 à 1900' by Charles Simond | Rare 3-Volume French History Illustrated Fine Bindings, c.1900
An exquisite, highly important, and beautifully preserved true first edition three-volume historical set entitled Paris de 1800 à 1900: Trois Siècles d'Histoire Narrative de la Vie Nationale, authored by the noted French historian and bibliophile Charles Simond. Published in Paris by Plon-Nourrit et Cie in 1900, this monumental, richly illustrated work chronicles the cultural, political, and social evolution of Paris across a century of unprecedented transformation.
These specific volumes comprehensively cover the definitive early eras of the century: Le Consulat, Le Premier Empire, and La Restauration. The books are beautifully bound in a premium contemporary quarter-leather and marbled board binding, featuring elegant raised bands and brilliant gilt lettering to the spines.
This expansive series was published at the dawn of the 20th century, intentionally timed to coincide with the grand retrospectives of the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. Simond's work was celebrated for its exhaustive compilation of daily Parisian life, bringing history alive via thousands of contemporary engravings, fashion plates, caricatures, and portraits.
Adding immense institutional and regional charm, this first edition set bears an authentic, historic provincial provenance stamp: "A. Boucher, Représentant - Amiens". This indicates the set was originally acquired or distributed through a prominent 19th-century regional agent or library in the historic city of Amiens, adding a wonderful layer of traceable French book-trade heritage.
Today, this complete first edition three-volume run represents a premier highly decorative collectors' item. Beyond its scholarly value as a treasure trove of 19th-century French imagery, the set possesses a striking architectural quality on the shelf. Standing beautifully in proportion to a standard wine bottle for scale, the deep, warm tones of the leather spines, tactile marbled paper, and golden gilt highlights offer an immediate hit of European sophistication. It serves as a classic, high-end design element for an executive study desk, a library shelf, or an elegant console table arrangement in a curated country interior.
Condition Report
Presented in excellent antique condition, remaining robustly bound with outstanding shelf presentation.
All three volumes are securely bound with firm, stable hinges and strong text blocks. The quarter-leather spines show wonderful rich coloration with only light, expected rubbing to the extremities and raised bands. The marbled paper boards are clean and intact.
The interior pages remain crisp and bright. The vast array of historic illustrations and text prints are remarkably clean, showing only very occasional, minor historic foxing consistent with the paper type of the era.
The historic "A. Boucher - Amiens" stamp is clear, dry, and neatly struck, preserved exactly as it was applied over a century ago.
Measurements
Height: 28 cm / 11 inch
Width: 20 cm / 7.9 inch
Depth: 4 cm / 1.6 inch
Weight: 2.3 k.g. / 5 lbs
Cleaning, Polishing & Restoration
All our collections have been through our workshop and where possible, we always try to maintain the original finish preserving the patina and colour, some items are sympathetically restored and this is done by our own skilled craftsmen using only traditional methods
