86 - CANQUETEAU, Joseph. Songs.

CANQUETEAU, Joseph. Songs. First edition, enhanced with a double autograph dedication signed by the author and 6 handwritten pieces evoking the world of bibliophilia at the turn of the 20th century. Paris, Annexe à la Bibliothèque de la Plume, 1893. In-8, paperback, illustrated and printed cover. 64 pages, 1 portrait by B. Fau, 3 inset illustrations by Gaston Noury, a poster by Léon Lebègue, a color-illustrated cover. Engraved initial letters and tailpieces. Worn cover, small tear on the spine. First edition, containing a “telegram preface ” by Aurélien Scholl and featuring a portrait of the singer by Fau, a color-illustrated cover, illustrations by Gaston Noury, and an in-text poster by Léon Lebègue. This copy is enhanced by a double autograph dedication signed by the author on the title page: “To Mr. Bailly, a humble tribute to the practical deadline, J. Canqueteau” and “To Mr. La Brely, these youthful hummings rediscovered by chance to distract him on an evening of melancholy; with warm regards, Canqueteau.” It is further enriched with 6 handwritten pieces evoking the world of booksellers, experts, and book hunters at Drouot at the turn of the 20th century: - A handwritten poem titled “Aux Épinettes” (2 pages, in-8 format): a humorous poem in seven stanzas of four lines each about a passionate collector and book hunter (“He was returning from Rue Drouot / To quickly sort his purchases / At Aux Épinettes.... / Uncovering love letters / Secret correspondence...””). - A handwritten poem titled “La B.N.A. (triolets)” (2 pages, in-8): A friendly satire on the famous Parisian booksellers and experts La Brely, Loliée, Dupont, and Victor Degrange (“La Brely, Loliée, and Dupont / Never compete with one another, / Always one step ahead at Drouot... / The trio becomes a quartet”). - Handwritten song titled “Le Trumvirat” signed P. Ch. “I’m always on the move / Often, in fact, I arrive before / The catalog / To get the best piece / There were two, there were three...” - 2 handwritten letters from collectors (1 page in-4 signed by P. Ch. and 2 pages in-8), the first referring to the “coalition of the triumvirs Degrange and La Brely… a commercial Freemasonry” - 1 autographed card from Joseph Canqueteau to Pierre La Brély (“I am of the sort who never forget.”), illustrated with a photograph of a fishmonger on the reverse, with a mailing envelope bearing La Brély’s address in the form of a quatrain (“It’s at 17 Rue Jean Leclaire / A house, my word, very bright, / Across from a pretty square / Where Pierre La Brély lives.” A fine copy.