[ART NOUVEAU LEATHER DESIGNS 1908]. LE CUIR: Compositions Décoratives. Cent soixante-douze Modèles en Couleurs [COMPLETE PORTFOLIO]

Paris: Librairie Renouard - H. Laurens, Editeur, 1906. First Edition. Good. Folio (27 x 38 cm; 11 x 14.5 inches). COMPLETE SET of 48 plates of Parisian Art Nouveau leather deigns, 39 of 48 glassine tissue guards are present, most with their glassine pattern overlays (missing tissue guards: Fascicule 1:1, 6:1, 6:4, 7:2, 7:4, 8:2, 8:3, 10:1, 11:4), other tissue guards toned and have expected wear and small tears. Contains 172 early 20th century decorative designs on 202 tooled-leather samples, plus two text pages (a title page and a list of plates, both chipped and creased). Portfolio loose as issued in original chemise of faux alligator-skin cloth covers, stamped in gilt (later brown leather spine), inserted into original hinged wooden box covered with faux alligator-skin patterned paper (some rubbing and abraisions at extremities, but perfectly functional, with both catches and clasps present and working), yellow moire fabric under top lid (removed from bottom board), made by Manufacture Française Saint Etienne. With faults, and priced correctly. CREATED IN ORDER TO BE DESTROYED, this is a remarkable remarkable assemblage of Art Nouveau patterns for the use of leather-workers and designers. Depicted hereing are designs of belts, wallets, card holders, calendars and notepads, feather dusters, pocket mirrors, leather buttons, music boxes and music cases, cigarette and cigar cases, bookbindings, purses and various fashion accessories, and more. The present portfolio is preserved in a contemporary box made by the Manufacture Française Saint Etienne (with their MF Saint Etienne stamp inside the top lid).

The overlay designs were printed on the flimsiest possible tissue paper, intended to be traced on leather at the bench or in the design studio. The present set has more than 80% of the tissue guards present. The title-page is undated, and at least three publishers were involved at various times, including one in Chicago. The present edition was described in the Catalogue général de la librairie française, vol. XX (Période de 1906 à 1909), no. 382, as dating from "1908."

Cataloguer's note: collectors of Worldcat "howlers" are invited to look at OCLC 862864602, which wrongly directs the user to the UC Davis digitized copy of Bertrand Russell's "BOLSHEVISM: PRACTICE AND THEORY" (New York, 1920). To our knowledge, Jehan Raymond's "Le Cuir: Compositions Décoratives" has never been digitized.

Please note: altogether the portfolio weighs nearly 7 pounds and may require additional shipping charges.