Rare Books Berlin - Internationale Messe für Bücher und Graphik

...

Binding featuring "Vernis Bertin" (or "Martin varnish") on "The Imitation of Christ".

Paris, Librairie Grecque, 1820. 16mo, xxiv - 547 pp. - 1 blank leaf. Varnished binding; front cover decorated with a Gothic motif framed by a black line; back cover featuring a depiction of the crosses of Golgotha within a border of black foliage; smooth spine in olive-green Russian leather; gilt edges (minor scratches to the varnish). A rare example of "Bertin varnish" or "Martin varnish" binding—also known as "odorless varnish binding." Although the term "Martin varnish" is technically a misnomer—since it was Sieur Bertin who developed the cold-varnish technique applied to individually crafted, hand-painted covers—it is frequently referred to by that name due to its association with the earlier Martin varnish (dating back a century and used in cabinetmaking to imitate Chinese lacquer). Bertin adapted the process for bookbinding and even filed a patent for it in 1811. Likely due to technical constraints, books bound in this manner were limited in size, and total production remained very small-scale. It ceased shortly after Bertin’s death in 1819. Consequently, this volume can be considered one of the final works to emerge from Bertin's workshops, likely commissioned during the binder's lifetime. For further reading on Bertin varnishes, one might consult the articles by Albert Ehrman, "Les Reliures vernis sans odeur" (*The Book Collector*, 1965, XIV, pp. 523–527), and Jean-Marc Chatelain (ed.), *Éloge de la rareté, Cent trésors de la Réserve des livres rares* (Paris, BnF, 2014, no. 3).

Sachgebiete: Einbände, Religion

21.08.2026 - 17:44

1500,- EUR

Librairie Ancienne Ormara

...

Paper theatre, view of a military parade on the Champs-Élysées

Undated (Lille, Le Bigot Frères, c. 1890). Set of 5 chromolithographed panels mounted accordion-style, 17.5 x 12 cm. Bellows-style paper theatres (known in English as "peep-shows") emerged at the very end of the 18th century, often evolving from Engelbrecht’s paper theatres, which featured loose panels arranged in sequence on a track. They consist of engraved panels—often hand-colored with watercolor and featuring cut-outs—arranged in a sequence that allows a view across all the planes. The front panel is pierced with one, two, or three holes through which the viewer can satisfy their curiosity. Rare and often unsigned, these fragile objects can be dated based on the costumes of the small figures populating the various planes. The example presented here depicts a troop parade—featuring mounted cuirassiers, Spahis in red trousers, and the President with his wife in a carriage—moving along festooned avenues. The front panel (containing the viewing holes) shows the Place de la Concorde and the Obelisk, while the back panel shows the Arc de Triomphe. This peep-show by the Le Bigot brothers is a relatively late production, as the lithographic printing workshop was active between 1880 and 1900. The item is in excellent condition. The standard reference in this field is Ralph Hyde’s "Paper Peepshows: The Jacqueline & Jonathan Gestetner Collection" (2015); the collection itself has since been bequeathed to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Close to Gestetner 68

Sachgebiete: Curiosa, Ephemera, Militaria, Ortsansichten

21.08.2026 - 17:39

800,- EUR

Librairie Ancienne Ormara

...

Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret): Salubra Color Keyboard, Second Series.

Basel, Salubra Editions, 1959. Small oblong folio; 10 unnumbered leaves of text and price lists; 1 plate showing the "Mauer" (Wall) paper in situ + color swatch card with 10 "Wall" paper shades; 1 plate showing the "Marmor I" (Marble I) paper in situ + color swatch card with 8 "Marble I" shades; 1 plate showing the "Marmor II" (Marble II) paper in situ + color swatch card with 10 "Marble II" shades; color swatch card with 20 solid-color shades; pocket containing 2 cardboard masks; plate displaying the aforementioned 20 shades; occasional light foxing. Complete with the masking cards that allow for the simultaneous assessment of two color combinations, as described in the instructions. Publisher's binding, cloth spine, front cover featuring a reproduction of a drawing by Le Corbusier (some spotting on the cloth and foxing in the margin of some pictures). The explanatory text, signed by Le Corbusier, appears in French, followed by German and English versions. This is the famous second color keyboard created through the partnership between Le Corbusier and the Salubra company (the first series dated from 1931). "Polychromy: an architectural tool as powerful as the plan and the section. Better still: polychromy as an integral element of the plan and the section." (Le Corbusier). In his preface, Le Corbusier emphasizes the value (and complexity) of using wallpapers with bold patterns and provides examples of how they can be staged. Bibliography: "Le Corbusier et le livre," Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya – Barcelona, 2005. Similar copy reproduced in color on page 155. C. de Smet, "Le Corbusier: Architect of Books," Lars Müller Publishers – Baden, 2005. Similar copy reproduced in color on page 124.

Sachgebiete: Papier/Buntpapier, Art deco , Bauhaus, Dekorative Graphik, Moderne Kunst

21.08.2026 - 17:32

2600,- EUR

Librairie Ancienne Ormara