84 - HUGO (Valentine) - ARNIM (Achim d').

HUGO (Valentine) - ARNIM (Achim d'). Bizarre Tales. Illustrations by Valentine Hugo. Introduction by André Breton. Preface by Théophile Gautier. Translated by Théophile Gautier Jr. Paris: Cahiers Libres, 1933. — In-4, 263 x 182: 1 plate, illustrated cover. Paperback, cloth-bound cover. A beautiful edition of this collection of tales, illustrated with 4 compositions by Valentine HUGO, including one in color on the cover and 3 in black-and-white as inserts. André Breton’s introduction appears here in its original edition. Copy numbered 1873, featuring this lengthy autograph dedication by Valentine Hugo covering the entire first blank page: One Sunday, the Devil’s Daughters // came to find me // though I had never seen them before. // They enchanted me all night long. // At dawn I knew them // as well as I knew myself—and // far better than the mysterious // daughter of the invisible—[drawing of a flower]—of whom // I still do not know whether one must—to // discover her—lose oneself in // the forest of air—or water—or // earth—or in the forest of fire. // I send her // these women—ghosts—my friends. // Valentine Hugo Enclosed is a health certificate in English, dated January 17, 1912, issued by “Guernsey Ladies’ College,” signed by Pauline Hermann-Paul, certifying that her daughter Maggie (i.e., Marguerite) Hugo was not exposed to any infectious or contagious disease during the Christmas break. Pauline was the mother of Jean Hugo, who married Valentine in 1919. Very well-preserved copy.