Exceptional catalogues: <br>Livres Anciens and Livres Precieux

- by Bruce E. McKinney

Rodolphe Chamonal: A catalogue of collecting ambitions.


I also purchased from the Clavreuils a copy of the Calendrier Francais Pour L'Annee 1781 that has the following imprint:

A Newport
De L'Imprimerie Royale de l'Efcadre, pres le Parc de la Marine


During the American Revolution France came in on the colonists' side. A French fleet was anchored off of Newport, Rhode Island in 1781 and this is an example of a Calendrier Francais printed on board there.

Recently both firms issued catalogues. These are not the kind of catalogues you have often seen. These are hard bound and in color. In the case of Chamonal there is a printer's limitation: "Tire a petit nombre." If you receive this catalogue you are deemed serious about books. There are 164 items from which to choose. For the Chavreuils no expense has been spared to present material of utmost quality and rarity in their catalogue: Livres Precieux. Sixty items are offered for five million five hundred thousand dollars +/- . This is serious material indeed. And yes the paper is thick and tinted, the images are in color, the typography is exceptional and the design is flawless. The Chamonal catalogue, Livres Anciens, can be requested from them by email at chamonal2@wanadoo.fr. The Chavreuil's catalogue is available here in its entirety.

Chamonal is offering an interesting assortment of five centuries of printing. A few have already been sold and are marked Vendu while others are so expensive that the proprietor requires that you directly inquire for the price.

Here are a few examples:

No. 22 There is a copy of Voyage en Californie... by Chappe D'Auteroche [Jean-Baptiste]. It is the very rare first edition described as a "tres agreeable exemplaire, dans une reliure allemande de l'epoque." [a fine German binding of the period] 10,000 euros.

No. 32 For those who collect all things California, west coast or Pacific region here is something to think about. Duflot de Mofras authored the three volume Exploration du Territoire De L'Oregon that was issued in 1844. Here is a grace note to accompany this important set.

[Duflot de Mofras]. Album Amicorum de Emilia de Botella. This elegant volume includes keepsakes from various accomplished men of the period [1843-1848] including an excerpt from Exploration du Territoire in Duflot de Mofras' own hand. 18,500 euros