‘…there is scarcely a better book’ — D.B. Updike
Épreuves Générales des Caractères qui se trouvent chez Claude Lamesle.
Paris: Claude Lamesle, 1742.
Price: $7,500.00
About the item
First edition. [2] leaves, (initial blank and tite leaves), [78] leaves of type specimens and [12] leaves of music type (four in black and red). 92 leaves in all, including initial blank. 1 vols. Small 4to. ‘…there is scarcely a better book’ — D.B. Updike. Contemporary mottled calf, gilt spine, marbled endpapers, edges stained red. Joints and corners neatly repaired, occasional minor soiling, otherwise a fine copy. Cloth box. Audin 27; Birrell & Garnett, 35; Bigmore & Wyman, p. 419; Updike, Printing Types (1922), vol. I, pp. 269-270; OCLC 36140380.
Item #323040
Fine specimen book from Lamesle’s firm, who took over the foundry of Pierre Lot in 1737 and five years later, issued this “extremely handsome and dignified specimen … This book, both in type and ornaments, I think, presents better than any other the output of French foundries during the last quarter of the seventeenth and the first half of the eighteenth century. The collection of types is remarkably fine. They are purely old style, and after each size the initials and ornaments belonging to that size are introduced … For the student of French type-forms of the earlier part of the eighteenth century there is scarcely a better book…”
A superb copy of a rare and important book – OCLC locates only one copy (Houghton Library, lacking initial blank). Lamesle’s book was reprinted in 1758, when he sold the foundry to Nichlas Gando. A modern facsimile edition was produced in 1965.
