Rare Books Berlin - Internationale Messe für Bücher und Graphik

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

[MANUSCRIPT]. Physicae Generalis.

no place no writer's name, [c. 1750]. 4to, 548 pp. & over 80 drawings in the margins or within the text. Contemporary full green vellum binding, flat spine, red morocco title label (split in spine). A manuscript course in Latin, likely taught at a Jesuit college in the mid-18th century; it is structured around statements of rules, theorems, and axioms, followed by a series of propositions and proofs. The volume begins with a mathematics course (arithmetic and geometry) spanning 184 pages, followed by an extensive course on metaphysics (including long sections on infinity) and physics, covering over 350 pages. The physics instruction focuses primarily on mechanics, and the work contains numerous illustrations. It is always fascinating to read complex geometric proofs of this kind, which have since been superseded by a far more analytical approach. The author remains anonymous; the only mark of ownership is a brief handwritten note on the front flyleaf (Gasquier?).

Sachgebiete: Handzeichnungen, Handschriften, Physik

21.08.2026 - 17:25

800,- EUR

Librairie Ancienne Ormara

PAULIN Gustave, Théorie sur l’extinction des incendies (Atlas only).

Paris, Bachelier, 1838. Small landscape folio; title page, table of contents, and 50 engraved plates. In its original printed blue paper wrappers (with minor staining). An extremely rare atlas accompanying the operational manual by Chevalier Paulin. In it, the author presents his inventions—such as a pressurized suit, a rescue chute, and ladders—and, above all, his mobile fire pumps. The majority of the illustrations depict the use of these pumps: transporting them to the scene, deploying them, operating them, and stowing them away. The final plates provide examples of firefighting operations in basements, on ground floors, and on upper stories. The firefighter's suit is strikingly reminiscent of Alfred Jarry's "Père Ubu". A manual blending technical detail with forward-looking innovation, it is exceptionally rare; OCLC lists only eight copies in public libraries.

Sachgebiete: Curiosa, Ingenieurwesen, Technik

21.08.2026 - 17:14

1200,- EUR

Librairie Ancienne Ormara

Exceptional Binding Almanach Royal - Calendrier de la Cour - Étrennes mignonnes... for the year 1769

Paris, Le Breton, 1769. 12mo, 50 unnumbered leaves - 18 unnumbered leaves - 26 unnumbered leaves. Bound in tan morocco; covers decorated with inlaid (mosaic) bands framing compartments featuring gold-leaf appliqués under mica, with two miniatures under mica at the center. Housed in a modern slipcase. A set of three titles usually bound together, featuring a remarkable strictly contemporary binding—likely attributable to Derôme le Jeune, according to Michon’s study on this type of binding. The work is a classic reference on nobility and heraldry, listing the titles and offices of leading French families for the upcoming year. Grand-Carteret 91-92 (for the titles); Michon, *Reliures mosaïquées du XVIIIe siècle*, pp. 41-42.

Sachgebiete: Almanache, Bibliophilie, Einbände

21.08.2026 - 17:04

2800,- EUR

Librairie Ancienne Ormara

Gerhard Richter

Signierte Postkarte (10,6 x 14,7 cm). - Stuhl. 1962.

Sachgebiete: Kunst nach 1945 , Moderne Kunst, Widmungsexemplare

21.08.2026 - 17:02

500,- EUR

EOS Buchantiquariat Benz

REYMANN Daniel Gottlob, "General Karte des Russischen Reichs"

Rare map of the Russian Empire’s postal routes Berlin, 1802. General map of the Russian Empire, printed on 9 sheets with hand-colored outlines; assembled dimensions: 1140 x 1260 mm (each sheet: 380 x 420 mm). Sheets left loose, each bordered with pink paper strips. A magnificent map of the Russian Empire; presented to the Emperor in 1799, it reflects the borders established by the Ukases of October 1801 and March 1802. Reymann was a geographer specializing in military cartography who worked on commission in Russia. The map depicts the main postal routes, the principal roads crisscrossing the Empire, and the canals connecting the various seas. When assembled, the sheets form a spectacular wall map. A rare map, complete with all 9 constituent sheets.

Sachgebiete: Vermessungswesen , Russland, Topographie, Reisen/Reiseliteratur

21.08.2026 - 16:58

3000,- EUR

Librairie Ancienne Ormara

[SAMY, René GABRIEL, Georges CHAMPION...], Le Home Moderne

Paris, Massin, 1926. Folio, 2 unnumbered leaves and 20 loose plates enhanced with pochoir (stencil) coloring. Housed in the publisher's printed portfolio. Furnishing proposals by Samy, René Gabriel, Genet & Michon, and Georges Champion, designed to update dining rooms, offices, living rooms, bedrooms, boudoirs, or smoking rooms in the Art Deco style. The pochoir designs echo Mallet-Stevens’ *Cité Moderne*. A magnificent work that richly deserves greater recognition. Not listed in Lamond

Sachgebiete: Art deco , Bauhaus, Dekorative Graphik, Design, Mappenwerke

21.08.2026 - 16:45

1300,- EUR

Librairie Ancienne Ormara