A Thousand years of French Books. A Catalogue of an Exhibition of Manuscripts, First Editions and Bindings, arranged by Desmond Flower and the National Book League.
Cambridge University Press, 1948. [Bibliography] FIRST AND ONLY EDITION. A descriptive catalogue concerning the history of print in France. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.132, with vignette illustration to title page and folding chart. Publisher's pictorial softcovers. Very good indeed. Bibliophile and future 'James Bond' novelist Ian Fleming was a private lender to this prestigious exhibition and is noted several times within. Other lenders included H.M. The King, The Duke of Wellington, John Hayward, Michael Sadleir and Ellic Howe. Among the booksellers contributing were Maggs Bros., Elkin Mathews (Percy Muir), Bernard Quaritch and Scribner's Sons. Percy Muir was a book expert who introduced Ian Fleming to book collecting and assembled his important collection of scientific and pioneering books which 'made things happen'. Muir was a regular contributor to The Book Collector journal, of which Ian Fleming was the proprietor, and Fleming was godfather to Muir's daughter Helen. This catalogue is from the Ian Fleming Bibliographical Archive assembled by Jon Gilbert, with his pencilled ownership to endpaper. His comprehensive guide to the works of Ian Fleming (2012) won the 16th Breslauer Prize for bibliography. Item #69369
Price: £48.00
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