Vente de Livre EUDEL, PAUL (1837-1911) - MANGIN, MARC (ILLUSTRATOR) - TRUCHET, ABEL (1857-1918) The Definitive Studio Design and Production Archive for Paul Eudel's Landmark Library Dispersals. Folio (album leaves: 349 x 240 mm). Unique composite archive volume. Bound in contemporary 1/2 cloth over marbled boards, spine red spine label lettered in gilt, preserving an explicit contemporary bookseller's inventory in pencil to the front flyleaf detailing the complete contents. The volume systematically comprises: 4 Original Cover Designs (4 projets de couverture): Marc Mangin's original ink, wash, and graphite preliminary concept layouts, plus several working design sketches, and advanced design sheets displaying alternative stylized titles such as 'Vente de Livres de la Bibliothèque de P E'. 3 Proof Impressions (3 tirages): Early lithographic and print-run pulls showing text blocks and compositional adjustments. 6 Hand-Colored Poster Layouts (6 projets d'affiches pour la vente): Highly finished mixed-media maquettes in ink, gouache, and wash, showcasing the evolution of the iconic Art Nouveau allegorical figure of the collector's muse, surrounded by miniature poster motifs reflecting the auction items. 4 Autograph Letters (4 lettres autographes): The complete production correspondence from the celebrated Montmartre poster artist Abel Truchet to Paul Eudel, explicitly detailing colorway testings ('épreuve avec une couleur'), stone lithography deadlines, and committee clearances with elite collectors Messieurs Piat and Quentin-Bauchart. The Preface Manuscript and Proofs (Manuscrit de la préface): Including the scarce November 1895 newspaper issue of L'Estampe: Moniteur des Collectionneurs, bearing a contemporary ink inscription marking it as a private press proof ('Preuve blanche'), preserving Eudel's complete intro manifesto ('À Mes Invités'). The Final Auction Catalog (Catalogue de la vente): The definitive printed reference copy of the 1898 modern library catalog (Livres modernes, éditions originales...) incorporating Mangin's final selected frontispiece artwork. An extracted example of Eudel's most famous essay Collections et Collectionneurs from a contemporary publication. AN ONE-OF-A-KIND GRAPHIC COMPENDIUM DOCUMENTING THE COMPLETE CREATIVE AND MECHANICAL BIRTH OF THE BELLE ÉPOQUE AUCTION CATALOG. This extraordinary master volume is a monumental survival in the history of French bibliophilia and graphic design. It unites the entire aesthetic brain trust behind the landmark library sales of Paul Eudel-the preeminent art critic and tastemaker who literally wrote the book on the psychology of collecting (Collections et Collectionneurs, 1885. The essay, extracted from a larger book, is laid in the album). As neatly itemized by an early cataloger on the front flyleaf, the volume serves as a complete forensic map of a late 19th-century luxury print campaign. Through the extensive series of original drawings by Marc Mangin, one can trace the visual formulation of Eudel's promotional image from raw graphite thumbnail sketches to fully realized olive and ochre gouache maquettes. Crucially, the studio notes track the mechanical interaction with the master block-makers (cliché) and lithographers required to scale the artwork for its highly limited distribution runs. The archival weight of the volume is heavily cemented by the inclusion of the Abel Truchet correspondence file. Truchet's frantic, intimate updates regarding color proofs and high-level strategy meetings with powerhouse bibliophiles like Maurice Quentin-Bauchart demonstrate that an auction catalog during the golden age of the poster movement was treated as a major fine-art release in its own right. A cornerstone piece for any serious collection dedicated to the history of books, printmaking, and early twentieth-century advertising art. A unique, extra-illustrated master album containing original Art Nouveau cover maquettes, hand-colored poster layouts, original correspondences, and corrected proofs. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing