BEAUMONT, Édouard de

Comic Album - Civilization in the Marquesas Islands. Paris, at the office of the Journal Amusant & the Petit Journal pour Rire, [1843]. Small folio (330 x 247 mm) of 22 lithographed and numbered plates, printed in black on strong wove paper. Red half-chagrin with corners, smooth spine, original printed cover preserved (early 20th century binding). O'Reilly, Tahiti, 9958. First edition of this very beautiful suite whose plates were later incorporated in the newspaper Le Charivari between 1843 and 1844. Charles-Édouard de Beaumont (1819-1888), son of the sculptor Jean Marie Bonaventure Beaumont, began his career as a draftsman with the painter Antoine-Félix Boisselier. He exhibited at the Salons of 1836 and 1840 before leaving on a trip to Italy, before returning to the Salon where he exhibited again from 1853 to 1868. A very talented draughtsman, watercolorist and illustrator, he illustrated magazines such as La Revue Pittoresque and provided images for Le Diable amoureux, or the 1845 edition of Notre Dame de Paris. "This album contains 22 amusing original lithographs, titled and captioned, inspired by the occupation of the Marquesas Islands, and presenting the Marquesans in front of the problems and conditions of current French life (taxes, dance, fashion, literature, etc.)" (O'Reilly). Bound at the head is a plate from the series Au bal Masqué, colored at the time (worm gallery at the corners). Some foxing; cover tears repaired.