WITH 20 ORIGINAL ETCHINGS OF THE PARISIAN DEMIMONDE BY ASSIRE—ONE OF ONLY 550 COPIES

MAC-ORLAN, Pierre (ASSIRE, Gustave, illustrator). Images Secrètes de Paris. Paris: René Kieffer, (1928). Oblong quarto, original printed paper self-wrappers, uncut. $950.

Limited first edition, number 398 of only 550 copies, of Mac-Orlan's survey of the Parisian underworld, featuring the Moulin Rouge, the Lapin Agile and the Bal de l'Olympia, among others, with 20 fine original etchings by Gustave Assire.

A leading journalist and novelist, Pierre Mac-Orlan (pseudonym for Pierre Dumarchais) "penned some of the best and most provocative writing ever about photography" and literature (Roth, 60). Artist Gustave Assire (1870-1941) studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français, the Salon des Independants and the Salon d'Automne. He specialized in erotic watercolors and etchings of Parisian balls, bistros, prostitutes, cabarets, and the Moulin Rouge, as evidenced in the present work. Includes a chapter and etching of a jazz band. Text in French.

A bit of faint foxing to wrappers and front free endpaper only; text and plates clean and fine. A near-fine copy in the original wrappers. Scarce.