French Language translations or about the French

The Island of Elba – Petrus Bertius -1603

An original copper engraved miniature map. One of the most striking and coveted island maps from the early 17th Century. Engraved by Pieter van den Keere for the great geographer Petrus Bertius and published by Cornelis Claesz in Amsterdam in 1603 for the “Tabularum Geographicarum Contractarum Libri”

Elba the island upon which Napoleon was first incarcerated and later escaped to fight again.

Lovely details of the main centres and fortifications; mountains and rivers carefully placed. Sea monsters can be seen .. all finished with an elaborate face embellished cartouche

Framed in gilt within gilt fillet as shown.

Charming sought after 400 years old

$280.00

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Tibetan Marches – Andre Migot

Translated from the French by Peter Fleming.

Published by the Readers Union in conjunction with Rupert Hart-Davis , London in 1956. Published first by RHD the year before.

Octavo, 302 pages, with illustration from original photographs and end paper maps of the route of Andre Migot in his travels between Kunming to Tangar between December 1946 to September 1947.

A super travel account soon after the end of WWII and just before the Chinese influence altered traditional Buddhist Tibet. Migot loved the Tibetans with a passion despite being robbed during his journey by bandits.

Frenchman Migot a super travel writer in Tibet and all through it at an important time.

$30.00

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Letters writ by a Turkish Spy, Who Liv’d Five and Forty Years Undiscovered at Paris; Giving an Impartial Account to the Divan of Constantinople of the Most Remarkable Transactions in Europe – Complete in Eight Volumes. Giovanni Paolo Marana – 1748

A very nice set of this almost legendary work, complete and unusually in their original bindings. Fictional letters claiming to have been written by an Ottoman spy named “Mahmut the Arabian” embedded in the French Court of Louis XIV.

Published in London by Wilde, Ballard and others in 1748. Eight volumes (Over 600 letters in all), duodecimo, engraved frontispiece to Vol I, full contemporary calf, spines gilt, some joints a bit cracked but holding. A twelfth edition of a great publishing success of the 18thC which would go on for a further fifty years.

Contemporary bookplate of Robert Midgley dated 1748 so the first owner. And the modern book label of Edward John Kenny the Latinist of Peterhouse College, Cambridge University, visiting at Harvard etc.

A journal of gossip and anecdotes on politics and events and shenanigans going on in France at the time.

Written in Italian by Giovanni Paola Marana (1642-1693) a Genoese refugee in the Court of the said Louis XIV. He completed the first volume of 102 letters, and had it translated to French and published in Paris in 1684-1686. Other volumes were published as they were completed over time. English translations by William Bradshaw became available in 1687. Later volumes issued first in English in London leading some to believe they were not by Marana. However, the consistency in style and use of words really points to Marana as being the author of the full set, not doubt with the help of translators and editors of the day.

Well liked by Daniel Defoe who wrote an aptly named “Continuation of Turkish Letters Writ by a Turkish Spy in Paris” … a sort of 18thC sequel.

Incidentally, the last owner Professor Kenny used to gauge his candidates by seeing how nice they were to his cat Fufu … it became known as the Fufu test … that’s Latin for you.

The Turkish Spy – A Classic By Marana

$890.00

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Original Pochoir Gazette du Bon ton – Mon Coeur Soupire – Andre- Edouard Marty – 1914

A beautiful Pochoir by Andre-Edouard Marty (1882-1974) exclusively for the Paris Gazette du Bon Ton published in July 1914.

Mon Coeur Soupire (My Heart Sighs) and a “Dress for the Park”. A sheath draped in crepe de chine and a crinoline with tulle flounces. So French and what a dress – must have been stunning in that era … well any era really.

Probably our favourite pochoir image.

The ultimate in fashion print from a perfect era.

Price $290.00 framed in Voyager Gazette du Bon Ton style or $190.00 unframed.

Sought after Bon Ton’s …. so classy so stylish

$190.00

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Original 17th Century Engraving – French Naval Vessel – Allain Manesson Mallet – Paris 1683

An delightful original copper engraving from 1683. From one of the most magnificent illustrated works of the 17th Century, “Le Description de l’Univers”.

Covering all manner of things naval and cartographic this is a fine engraving of one of the principal ships of the French Navy.

Engraved area approximately 15cm by 10cm. Matted, with “French lines”, as shown in the second image.

Mallet (1630-1706) was a French cartographer and engineer. He started his career as a soldier in the army of Louis XIV became a Sergeant Major and an Inspector of Fortifications. His maps have a beautiful decorative and unique style.

17th Century Naval engraving matted ready to frame.

$90.00

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The Voyage of Jacob Le Maire and William Schouten 1615-1616: Mirror of Australian Navigation. Originally translated by Alexander Dalrymple

A special production published by Hordern House, Sydney 1999. Folio (30.5 x 20.2cm), quarter bound in quarter alum-tawed goat skin and quality marbled paper. Printed on Raleigh Oxford cream paper .. a fine copy as if new.

One of 950 copies thus, 96 page facsimile of the original Dutch printing followed by 65 page facsimile of the original Dalrymple translation. Illustrated with 5 black and white and 7 colour illustrations and 3 colour maps on double pages. Frontispiece double hemisphere world map as published in Amsterdam in 1618..

The objective of the voyage was further the lucrative trade in nutmeg and pepper by forging a new route to the East Indies via South America and the Pacific, influenced by the account of the voyage of de Quiros, the Portuguese navigator. In doing so it was hoped that the Great South Land would be encountered.

Forward by Justus Veeneklaas and Introductory Essay by Edward Duyker.

Rare Le maire – super production … quality book.

$140.00

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The Island of Elba – Petrus Bertius -1603

Tibetan Marches – Andre Migot

Letters writ by a Turkish Spy, Who Liv’d Five and Forty Years Undiscovered at Paris; Giving an Impartial Account to the Divan of Constantinople of the Most Remarkable Transactions in Europe – Complete in Eight Volumes. Giovanni Paolo Marana – 1748

Original Pochoir Gazette du Bon ton – Mon Coeur Soupire – Andre- Edouard Marty – 1914

Original 17th Century Engraving – French Naval Vessel – Allain Manesson Mallet – Paris 1683

The Voyage of Jacob Le Maire and William Schouten 1615-1616: Mirror of Australian Navigation. Originally translated by Alexander Dalrymple

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