MARTIN, Gabriel.
WITH THE INDEX
Catalogue des livres de la bibliotheque de feu M. Le Blanc, secretaire d’état
Paris, Gabriel Martin, 1729£2,750.00
8vo, pp. xvi, 310, (xl). Roman letter, some Italic. Engraved device of the secrétaire d’état de guerre on t.p., borders, head and tailpieces, decorative initials, comprehensively priced in contemporary hand. Light age yellowing. A good copy of this important sale catalogue in contemporary speckled calf, spine tooled and gilt, red morocco lettering piece, gilt, extremities rubbed, original satin page marker; head of spine chipped, joints rubbed. Armorial bookplate and pencilled initials of celebrated bibliographer Anthony Hobson on ffep, ‘collated perfect B. Quaritch’ inside rear cover.
Gabriel Martin (1679-1761) was a Parisian printer, ‘qui, le premier en France, après Prosper Marchand, se livra avec succès à la rédaction des catalogues de livres à vendre, et sut la porter à un degré de perfection difficile à surpasser.’ He produced nearly 150 such catalogues, of which 22 included comprehensive indexes; this is one of the rarer of them. Each subject heading is comprehensively subdivided, and the catalogue is supplemented by a lengthy author index of nearly 40 pages which is often missing. The collection catalogued here belonged to Claude Le Blanc (1669-1728), twice Secretary of State for War, and is particularly strong in historiographical works, although a separately compiled catalogue of MSS and Appendix which follow the main catalogue indicate a number of rare gems such as a number of illustrated medieval MSS on vellum and a Decameron 1527. The catalogue comprises 3328 lots, which were to be sold starting on 7 March 1729 in Paris.
Brunet III, 1497; Peignot 81