French History from Louise Aird

This is 7 original pieces by the French Fauvist painter Albert Marquet (1875-1947). They are all on thin paper. They have no borders; the borders you see were added after scanning. They were acquired in 1951 and have been stored in a photo album ever since. They are in perfect condition. Valuation is based on 2021 auction results. They are: 1. Watercolour, 3 ¾" x… Read more about this item

This is a reproduction of The Kitchen Maid, a still life done in the Hollandish style by the French master Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin (1699-1779). It was painted in 1738 and was one of the more popular pictures of its day. The subject is a young maid taking a break from her work. A scan of the original is attached; the colors… Read more about this item

This is an original lithograph by the French artist Henri Matisse (1869-1954), who is considered to be one of the key artists in the significant development of 20th century painting and sculpture. In 1941, Matisse had surgery for stomach cancer and the surgery permanently restricted his mobility. He could no longer paint, so he developed a new art form: paper… Read more about this item

This is a first edition (American printing) of Mistress to an Age: A Life of Madame de Stael, published in 1958. It is the biography of Germaine de Stael, the 18th-century French intellectual, writer, and salon hostess who was so influential, and so vigorously in opposition to Napoleon, that she was kicked out of France. This copy is in near-mint condition.… Read more about this item

This is a mint-condition copy of The Red and The Black, A Chronicle of the 19th Century, the brilliant novel written in 1830 by the great French author Stendhal (Henri Beyle). It is a social satire, and psychological novel, about the ambitious, social-climbing, manipulative Julian Sorel, who becomes the pawn of the ruthless people around him. This copy was published by… Read more about this item

The is a mint-condition copy of the Folio Society's version of St Joan of Arc, the superb biography of the saint written by the British author Vita Sackville-West (1892-1962). On gorgeous paper, with lots of maps and letters and illustrated with woodcuts by the English artist Chris Daunt. The book comes in a slipcase which has a little wear. But the book… Read more about this item

This is a pristine First American Edition (1975) of Napoleon by the English author John Bowle. It is the biography of the great general, going from birth to death. It was first published in the UK in 1973. This copy was also printed in the UK, then shipped to the US for marketing by a Chicago publisher. Laminated covers. Unclipped dust jacket.… Read more about this item

This is an unopened copy of the Luxury Edition of Marie Antoinette, created by Edita Lausanne and published by Viking in 1971. It covers her entire life and contains masses of images, black and white and color, plus maps and letters, many of which are pull-outs. It is on very high-quality paper. It's an expensive book. It is still in the publisher's… Read more about this item

The is a very nice copy of Selected Tales of Guy de Maupassant, published by Random House in 1950. It is 49 short stories written by the French master. See photo and scan of contents. It is illustrated by the American artist and lithographer Adolf Dehn. 7 x 10, 334 pages Red and black boards with gilt design on the spine. There is… Read more about this item

This is a first edition (UK/original) of Epic Sea Battles, published in 1975. It was written by the British naval historian William J. Koenig and contains hundreds of photographs, drawings and maps. In discusses 12 battles, beginning with the Battle of the Nile in 1798 and finishing with the Battle of Leyte Gulf in 1944 (see Contents photo). It is… Read more about this item

This is a first edition of Man-of-War, a History of the Combat Vessel, published in 1968. It is richly illustrated, and discusses how these ships made, and formed, history. It is the first to chronicle the epic of the fighting ship--"a thing of beauty and grace"--from ancient Egypt, when Rameses III was repulsing The Sea People, to the naval operations… Read more about this item

In this generously illustrated introduction to the world of the Celts, Simon James charts their way of life from farming to feasting, their wars, their gods, and their superb craftsmanship in metal, wood, and stone. He covers the neglected subject of Celtic life under Roman rule, particularly in Gaul and Britain, and the continuing traditions in Ireland after AD 400,… Read more about this item

This is a stated first US edition of Baron Philippe: The Very Candid Autobiography of Baron Philippe de Rothschild. Rothschild (1902-1988) co-wrote the book with his companion, the British writer and theater director Joan Littlewood (1914-2002) Philippe, Baron de Rothschild was a member of the Rothschild banking dynasty who became a Grand Prix race-car driver, a screenwriter and playwright,… Read more about this item

This is a near-perfect copy of Amiens - Dawn of Victory, written in 2001 by the military historians James McWilliams and R. James Steel. This is a trade paperback--it was apparently not published in hard cover. Amiens (August 8-11 1918) was the first 'modern battle' attempted by the Allies. Employing secrecy, deception and the troops of… Read more about this item

This is an unread copy of the best-selling book Is It Genuine? How to Collect Antiques with Confidence, written by the British antiques expert and Antiques Roadshow appraiser John Bly. It was first published in 1986 and was a best-seller; this is a copy of its first reprint, in 1987. It is an invaluable book for collectors of antique furniture, metalware, pottery… Read more about this item

You'll find some of these books listed as first editions and dated 1965, or 1957. The first edition in French was printed in 1957; the first in English was printed in 1958. This is a copy of that first edition. It is a serious work of art history, and includes survey notices, exhibition texts and comments to… Read more about this item

This is a first edition of the excellent 2010 biography of Vincent Van Gogh, by the German journalist Jorn Hetebrugge. It is of extremely high-quality, with about 250 high-res reproductions. It tells the story of the artist's life, and takes us through the development and production of his work. It is a large book--3 1/2 lbs, extremely high quality. This… Read more about this item

In 1963, an Italian company gathered together the works of various artists and published them as a series called The Great Artists: A library of their lives, times and paintings. In 1978, Funk & Wagnalls published them in the US. Each book is the same: 10" x 14", high quality images and paper, an essay on the life of the artist, and… Read more about this item

This is a first edition of Trafalgar: Countdown to Battle 1803-1805, by the American historian Alan Schom. From a review, which calls it 'riveting and lively': The Battle of 21 October 1805, a meeting of the might of the British and French navies, was the result of a strategy laid out by the British Admiralty two years earlier, in 1803. The period… Read more about this item

This is a first edition of Trafalgar, the Nelson Touch, published in 1969. The battle of Trafalgar decided a nation's fate, and this fascinating account tells the story of that crucial confrontation as it has never been told before. Many people know the facts about Nelson's death, but far less of the battle in which he died: a single afternoon's fighting… Read more about this item