(AUCTION CATALOGUE: BOULARD, Antoine Marie Henri).

Catalogue des Livres de la Bibliothèque de Mr. A.M.H. Boulard.

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xxxii, 507 pp.; 2 p.l., xvi, 287 pp.; [iii]-viii (title-page lacking), 792 pp.; 4 p.l., 171 pp.; xliii, 319, [5] pp. Five vols. bound in three. 8vo, cont. calf-backed marbled boards. Paris: Gaudefroy & Bleuet et al., 1828-29-30-33-28. The extraordinary sale catalogue of an enormous library, the largest ever formed by an individual according to Hoefer. Boulard (1754-1826), has a secure place among the greatest bibliomaniacs in the annals of book collecting. At his death, he owned more than 300,000 volumes “of unequal value, but including veritable curiosities” (D.B.F.). The dealers who organized the auction were confronted with an almost impossible task; many volumes were simply discarded. “We are told that a hundred and fifty thousand volumes were set aside as not worth listing separately and were sold in bundles of thirty and forty books…Four volumes contain French books, and a fifth contains books in other languages. The fact that the first volume lists some thirty thousand volumes of theology, law and science gives an idea of the collection.”–Taylor, Book Catalogues, pp. 121-22 (but getting the dates of the sales wrong). The five sales contained 17,000 lots, but many of these consisted of up to ten or twelve titles, all individually listed. The dispersal took 248 days. Parts I & V were sold in 1828, Part II was sold in 1829, III in 1830, and IV in 1833 (with an authors’ index). Richard Heber bought all the historical books in Vol. III. Boulard, “notaire au Châtelet,” had a considerable reputation as author and collector under the Ancien Régime, but, in spite of his wealth, survived the Revolution. He became ”maire” of the XIth Arrondissement, and deputy under Napoleon. He was the literary executor of La Harpe, and made numerous translations from the English and German, being an excellent linguist. His biography by Duviquet and his bibliography in Vol. I of the catalogue are the best extant. Bound-in at the end of the final volume are three further catalogues: 1. Nodier, Jean Charles Emmanuel. Catalogue des Livres. 1829. 130 pp., 1 leaf. 917 lots. 2. Rossel, — de. Catalogue des Livres. 1829. 1 p.l., 62 pp. 497 lots. Not in Grolier Club. 3. Druon, — de. Catalogue des Livres. 1833. 46, [1] pp. 585 lots. Fine and handsome set. In very fresh condition. ❧ Grolier Club, Printed Catalogues of French Book Auctions...1643-1830, 599, 600, 603, & 615. N.B.G., 6, col. 940.

• USD 19,500.00 > otras divisas
• nº de pedido: HillBibl-2072

• librero: Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc. (USA)