Monseigneur le Vin

Montorgueil, Georges & Forest, Louis . Monseigneur le Vin. Les Établissements Nicolas: Paris, 1924-1927. Five volumes in slipcase. In French

MONTORGUEIL, Georges (1857-1933) and FOREST, Louis (1872-1933)

Monseigneur le Vin (five volumes).

Paris : Draeger Frères, Van Gindertaele & Poyet Frères for Les Établissements Nicolas, 1924-1927.


Five volumes, a complete set, in a marbled folder and slipcase. Each volume octavo (200x145mm) marbled faux suede paper wrappers, yapp edges, gilt title, in French and with all five folding tables and eight maps, together with the accompanying letters from the publisher laid into each.  Light edge wear to several volumes, joints starting; several end-papers lightly offset toned; top-edges a trifle dusty; all otherwise internally fine, crisp and bright.

Richly illustrated with colour lithographs and pochoir prints, the gently amusing set was a brilliant marketing ploy by the Parisian wine merchant Maison Nicolas.  The set comprises:

Livre Premier: Le Vin è Travers l'Historie, February 1924. Illustration by Marcel Jeanjean.
Livre Deuxième: Le Vin de Bordeaux, February 1925. Illustration by Pierre Lissac. Small paper loss to head and foot of spine
Livre Troisème: Le Vin de Bourgone, February 1926. Illustration by Armand Vallèe.
Livre Quatrième:  Anjou-Touraine, Alsace, Champagne, et autres Grands Vins de France. April 1927. Illustration by Carlègle.
[Livre Cinque]: Forest, Louis. L'Art de Boire: préparer servir boir. November 1927.  Illustration by Charles Martin, 8 tipped-in in-text illustrations, of drinking glasses

Georges Montorgueil, was one of several pseudonyms used by the French journalist Octave Lebesgue (1857-1933).   Following the success of this privately issued set, from 1927 onwards, Maison Nicolas annually issued their now famous richly illustrated finely printed catalogues, featuring significant artists and designers and extraordinary wines. 

A lovely set of very collectable marketing materials for French wine issued during the Jazz Age.

§  OCLC records 22 holdings worldwide, all in France, Switzerland or the USA only.
§  Bitting p.330 (vol 4 only); Lambert 316; Maggs Catalogue 645, 650; Oberlé, Fritsch 596; Oberlé Fastes 1056.