Books and readers - Book collectors - France - 18C

Lot Comprises:

Charles de Rohan, prince de Soubise, 1715-1787

Leclerc, Catalogue des livres, imprimés et manuscrits, de la bibliothèque de feu monseigneur le prince de Soubise, maréchal de France : dont la vente sera indiquée par affiches au mois de janvier 1789, Paris, 12 January-20 May 1789, thick 8vo, contemporary annotations recording sale prices throughout, (title page starting to detach at a few places along the gutter but holding soundly, occasional pale spotting), modern quarter patterned cloth, earlier marbled paper boards, gilt lettered spine label, edges speckled red, (small spots of wear to corners and board edges), ex libris of F. Lachevre, cut catalog description from Librairie Théophile Belin's May 1912 auction pasted to front pastedown.

The important auction catalog of the Prince de Soubise's celebrated collection, formed over many generations. The collection includes the library of the famous bibliophile J. A. De Thou, who had sold it to the Charron de Menars, whose heirs sold it to Cardinal Armand Gaston de Rohan, who combined it with his already formidable collection. It was then passed down to his nephew the Prince de Soubise, a favorite of Louis XV and Mme de Pompadour. The auction is organized by theme, including a section on on "histoire litteraire" containing a number of book collection catalogues and books about books, and it ends with a detailed index of author's names.

Not subject to return.