Books & Manuscripts

From documentation to magnificent old books.

Without neglecting older editions (such as the Yves Lévy Library devoted to 16th-18th century political and economic philosophy), the department specializes in precious editions of prominent 20th century texts and books with artists’ additions.

We also stage major sales of manuscripts, like the Zola manuscripts or the Claude Monet Archives.

The department’s success is underscored by the varied experience of our specialist Olivier Devers, who has worked both as a book-dealer, specializing in 20th century art and literature, and as a librarian specializing in 20th century poetry.

Some recent prices

Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac
Le Lys dans la vallée, 1836
Deux volumes in-8 , demi-veau cerise de l'époque, dos orné à quatre nerfs plats.
Edition originale
€266,895, 16 December 2009
Charles de Ferriol
Charles de Ferriol
Recueil de cent estampes représentant différentes nations du Levant
€21,062, 20 June 2009
Jean de La Fontaine. Fables Illustrées par Paul Jouve, 1929
Jean de La Fontaine
Fables Illustrées par Paul Jouve, 1929
€123,997 15 May 2009
Pablo Picasso. Carte postale envoyée à Guillaume Apollinaire, 1905
Pablo Picasso
Carte postale envoyée à Guillaume Apollinaire, 1905
67 080 €, 24 November 2008
Julien Gracq. Le Rivage des Syrtes
Julien Gracq
Le Rivage des Syrtes
Paris, Librairie José Corti, 1951
€42,860, 2 December 2008
Antiphonaire
Enluminures
Fragment d’antiphonaire orné de 7 grandes initiales historiées. Ferrare ou Bologne, vers 1470-80
€54,495, 22 April 2008
Marcel Proust
Marcel Proust

Dédicace sur portrait de Proust de J-E. Blanche à Paul Brach

€9,000, 22 April 2008
Fernand Léger et Blaise Cendrars. La fin du monde
Fernand Léger et Blaise Cendrars
La fin du monde
€13,321, 22 April 2008
Jaime Sabartès, Picasso portraits et souvenirs
Jaime Sabartés
Picasso, portraits et souvenirs
€41,174, 26 November 2007
Henri Miller, Tropic of Cancer
Henri Miller
Tropic of Cancer
€37,541, 26 November 2007
Georges Perec, La vie mode d'emploi
Georges Perec
La vie mode d’emploi
€16,349, 26 November 2007
Albert Camus, Le mythe de Sisyphe
Albert Camus
Le mythe de Sisyphe
€12,716, 26 November 2007
Paul Eluard, Dessin original, circa 1940
Paul Eluard
Dessin original, circa 1940
€5,948, 26 November 2007
Jules Verne, Les indes noires
Jules Verne
Les indes noires
€18,771, 18 November 2007
Case d’Armons, exemplaire de Lou avec corrections manuscrites originales, 1915, Guillaume Apollinaire
Guillaume Apollinaire
Case d’Armons (1915), Lou’s copy with original handwritten corrections
€178,447, a record for an Apollinaire first edition, sold to a French collector on 4 April 2006 (Collection of a European Bibliophile).
Ode à Salvador Dali, exemplaire d’Eluard, Garcia Lorca
Garcia Lorca
Ode à Salvador Dali, Eluard’s copy with 4 original Dali drawings.
€87,000, 4 April 2006.
Claude Monet letters & autographs
Claude Monet letters & autographs
€1.3m, December 2006

Auction dates

Ten sales per year on average at the Hôtel Marcel Dassault.

The department tries to ensure that major sales overlap with related events in Paris, such as the Foire Internationale du Livre Ancien at the Grand Palais in April.

Sales of documentation are also timed to coincide with prestige sales in other departments. A sale of documentation linked to modern and contemporary art is planned for June, and a sale of documentation on decorative arts in October.

Upcoming Auction

23 November
Antique Books

 

L.ouis-Ferdinand Céline Dessins pour Voyage au bout de la Nuit, 1932 par Eliane Bonabel

L.ouis-Ferdinand Céline
Dessins pour Voyage au bout de la Nuit, 1932 par Eliane Bonabel
€11,476, 15 June 2010

Specialist

Phone +33 1 42 99 16 12

Contact

Phone +33 1 42 99 16 49