CHARPENTIER Henri Recueil des costumes de la Bretagne & des autres contrées de la France où la mise des habitants offre quelque singularité remarquable.

Colas, I, 215 (mentions a printed table of contents); Lipperheide, Fe 7 (not mentining a table of contents); Vinet, 2279 (for a later edition dated 1834).

First edition.

Very rare complete set of 120 lithographed plates It contains a fine copper engraved title page, illustrated with a decorative vignette in lithography, and 120 lithographed and coloured plates. This suite is of particular interest for the costumes of the region of Brittany, although also other regions are included. The plates show both men and women placed in a decorative setting. Colas indicates that most of the plates are by H. Charpentier, and that they of particular interest for the regional costumes of France (“la plupart de ces planches sont lithographiées par H. Charpentier, elles sont très intéressantes pour les costumes régionaux et paysans de France”.

Pierre Henri Charpentier (1771-1854) started his career as a printer, editor and lithographer in the city of Nantes, supported by his son Henri Desiré (1806-1883). Together they created an important number of lithographed albums from 1828 onward, date when the gifted printer received his printing diploma. Soon after he commissioned the painter and illustrator François Hippolyte Delalaisse, called Lalaisse (1810-1884) to prepare a survey on the local costumes of Brittany, subsequently published under the title “Recueil des costumes de la Bretagne & d’autres contrées de la France”.

The magnificent work, published in instalments, was dedicated to the Duchesse de Berry. Colas mentions a table of contens, not present in this copy, like in others including the one held in the Lohia collection (copy bound in 2 volumes, each one with the upper cover of a printed wrapper serving as title).

“This set of plates is the earliest work devoted to the costume of Bretagne region, as well as being of the highest quality. A contemporary celebration of the huge regional diversity in costume still to be found in the France of the 1820s, with excellent lively work from the Nantes based firm of Charpentier” (S.P. Lohia Collection).

Some occasional stains or foxing, else a fine copy of this rare publication.