TABLEAUX DES MOEURS DU TEMPS LES DIFFERENS AGES DE LA VIE

Paris: Au Cercle du livre précieux [Claude Tchou], 1959. Original red suede over boards, with gilt decorations on spine and front cover. Slight fading to the spine, and light shelfwear; five of plates have been excised but are present, else a Very Good copy. xiv + 265pp., with 9 b/w plates. Preface by de Roger Vailland. A handsome reprint of one of the most extraordinary French erotic works of the 18th century, which has been ascribed to both Claude-Prosper Jolyot de Crebillon and a ‘tax farmer' named Alexander Jean-Joseph Le Riche de la Poupelinière. The first edition, which was printed at the expense of la Poupelinière between 1750-1760, was limited to just two copies. One is now in a Swiss collection, and the other in a French library. This present edition contains a good bibliographical essay on the history of the book by Pierre Josserand and a biographical note on la Poupelinière by Jacques Haumont. From the library of Patrick J. Kearney, with his small name sticker at the bottom of the front pastedown, and light pencil notations to the text in places.