BARROIS, Jacques-Marie
RICH IN MEDICINE
Catalogue de la bibliotheque de feu M. Falconet.
Paris, Barrois, 1763£4,750.00
4to, 2 vols., pp. xliv, 543, (i) (missing prelim. blank); 829, (i). Roman letter, some Italic. Comprehensively priced in MS by Barrois himself, according to Hobson’s pencil note in vol.1, hand ruled margins first half of vol.1, list of books and prices including Falconet and other famous catalogues in Barrois’ hand at end of vol. 2. A good, wide margined copy in contemporary mottled calf, spines gilt, red and olive morocco lettering pieces, gilt, original satin page markers, aer, marbled endpapers. Slight worming to vol.1 spine and cracks to lower joint, head of spine chipped vol.2, joints cracked, all extremities rubbed. Armorial bookplate of celebrated bibliographer Anthony Hobson on ffep.
Camille Falconet (1671-1762) was physician to both Louis XIV and Louis XV and a renowned bibliophile. Inheritor of a substantial fortune, he built up over many years a private library of around 50,000 books. Towards the end of his life, Falconet bequeathed all his rarest books, along with any not present in the royal collection, to Louis XV, although he maintained the use of them until his death. This donation numbered some 11,000 books, and though they were not among those sold after Falconet’s his death, they are included in this catalogue and are distinguished by being placed in square brackets. This catalogue lists 19,798 volumes, and is particularly rich in medical works and natural history.
‘Ce catalogue est un des plus considérables qui existent’, Peignot 97; ‘précieux’, Bachaumont (Mémoires secrets de Bachaumont, Paris, 1830, vol.1 pp.27-28)