One of only 130 copies

Cocteau, Jean & Gross, Anthony (Illus.) ~ Les Enfants Terribles

Les Cents Une, Paris : 1936

The first illustrated, edition, published by Les Cents Une, Paris in 1936. This illustrated edition with seven original etchings by Anthony gross. The tenth publication of the bibliophile women society 'Les Cents Une'. This is number '48' of a limited edition of only 130 copies issued. It was printed for 'Madame Galle', and each copy has been signed by the president and vice president of the association, namely, Baroness De Brimont and Princess Schakhowskoy. Illustrated with seven original etchings (with loose guards) and 43 in-text drawings reproduced by Anthony Gross. Issued as loose sheets within gatherings, uncut. The book was issued as such, to enable the owner to have the book bound as they so wished. Complete as issued, with the original publisher's illustrated chemise and illustrated slipcase. The book is in near Fine condition. Internally clean with just some very light spotting to a few page edges (pages 42 to 44) not involving any plates. A glassine wrapper is present to the card printed boards. The illustrated chemise is in near Fine condition with just some toning to the spine. The illustrated slipcase in Very Good condition with some toning to the upper panel, and mild rubbing and edge-wear in places. Very scarce to find complete as such, as the chemise and slipcase were often discarded when the book was bound by the owner. A Russian avant-garde intellectual and collaborator at Gallimard, Princess Schakhowskoy founded in 1926 an exclusively female bibliophile society, which she called the 'Cent Une' in response to the bibliophilic society 'Les Cents'. At a dinner party when a guest doubted that she could find many women interested in books, she replied : 'I will not find a hundred but a hundred and one'. In a few months, the hundred and one members had been gathered around the Baroness De Brimont, writer and great granddaughter of Lamartine, who took the presidency of the Association. In 1951, for the twenty fifth anniversary of the company, Jean Cocteau, dedicated a coat of arms to the Cent Une. From its inception until today, the company publishes a book every two years. (Carteret, Illustres, 1V, p.107). Very scarce with such attributes. The first such copy we have handled.

BINDING: Wraps
CONDITION: Near Fine