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Author: Franck, M. Bernard
Title: Collection de 124 Carnets de Bal du XVIII Siècle
Place Published: Paris
Publisher:Gerschel, Photographe
Date Published: [1902]
Description:

With 263 mounted carbon print photographs on 67 leaves of hinged card stock. 31.5x26.5 cm (12½x10¼"), full dark green morocco, silk endpapers, gilt borders, dentelles and spine panels, raised bands, all edges gilt. One of 20 copies.

This copy is inscribed from Franck to J. P. Morgan. Carnets de bal were ornate eighteenth century jeweled cases to house dance cards, issued for royal and aristocratic balls. They were often made of precious metals and decorated with painted enamels and jewels. The photographs in this exquisite book depict a painted portrait of the collector, two full page photographs of the entire collection, and 260 shaped carbon prints, arranged four per page, showing the front and back of the 130 carnet de bal. The verso of each leaf has printed text describing items of the facing page. Printed in red and black, each entry describes the construction of a case, its previous owner and the period of its use. The photographer could possibly be Mathias Gerschel, who was active in Strasburg in 1891.

Spine and corners rubbed; tape residue on front paste-down, small stamp on tape by frontispiece dated Sep., 3, 1914, cardstock hinged with tape and waving, off setting to some pages; very good.