83 - DIVERSION — No. 34 — Florence

DIVERSION — No. 34 — Florence BONNARD, Abel. — Florence. Diversion, No. 34. Paris, Laboratoires Longuet, [1930s–1940s]. In-4, paperback, illustrated cover in black and white and red; numerous black-and-white photographs, pharmaceutical advertisements. An issue of the illustrated magazine Diversion devoted to Florence, featuring a text by Abel Bonnard, a French writer, poet, and essayist. The cover features a reproduction of the famous lion from the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. Inside, the feature combines text with an abundance of photographic material devoted to the monuments and works of the Florentine Renaissance: the Duomo and its dome, Santa Croce and its cloister, Medici sculptures, paintings and bas-reliefs, religious architecture, etc. Beautiful modernist layout making extensive use of photography, with full-page compositions and photomontages. Like the other issues in this curious series, this issue is published by Laboratoires Longuet, 34 rue Sedaine in Paris, and features extensive advertising spreads for their pharmaceutical products. The double-page spread preceding the feature on Florence notably features a spectacular photographic advertisement for Phospho-Strychnal, staged in front of an antique clock. The back cover is entirely taken up by a photographic advertisement for Citrosodine, under the title “Citrate-based medication.” Fair condition. Cover is scuffed and worn, with scuffed edges and corners, small tears, and creases; spine and edges show signs of wear. There is a prominent handwritten note reading “Florence” in black marker on the front cover, which significantly detracts from the copy’s condition. The interior, however, appears clean and well-preserved.