WAHLEN (Auguste, pseud. of Jean-François-Nicolas Loumyer). Mœurs, usages et costumes de tous les peuples du monde: d'après des documents authentiques et les voyages des plus récents, published by Auguste Wahlen. EUROPE. Brussels, Librairie historique-artistique, 1844. 1 vol. (of 4) in-4, half red basane with corners, spine with ornate nerves (period binding). Europe volume only, in first edition, illustrated with a title with colored vignette, and 50 woodcut plates, colored and gummed (the table for Europe mentions 34 plates + 7 additional plates). A few small brown spots, but otherwise a good copy.

Composed of several subsidiaries, the Drouot Group is a major player in the art market. Hôtel Drouot, located in the heart of Paris, has been the world's largest public auction center since 1852. 15 salerooms are available to more than 70 auction houses. The emulation generated by an annual offer of 230,000 artworks from 21 major specialities - from Antiquity to street art - attracts some 3,000 visitors every day. The Group's digital platform, Drouot.com, offers digital sales - Live auctions (live broadcasting and participation in auctions), Online-only auctions (dematerialised auctions) and Buy Now sales (sales of lots at fixed prices). Nearly 2 million items are offered annually by 600 auction houses. Auction news is reported every week in La Gazette Drouot, the leading weekly magazine for the art market and culture published by Auctionspress.