58 - [Brittany]. CHARPENTIER, Henri.

[Brittany]. CHARPENTIER, Henri. A Collection of Costumes from Brittany and Other Regions of France..... Nantes: Charpentier père, fils & Cie, (ca. 1829–1834). Small folio, 47 hand-colored lithographs (out of 120). Contemporary taupe half-calf, smooth spine with romantic-style decoration (binding heavily damaged with covers detached, leather missing from the spine, title page and 2 plates detached, slight oxidation throughout, a few stains and soiling, the side edges of the plates slightly soiled and tarnished, a tear without loss on fol. 36, two plates with some childish pencil scribbles (erasable), and a few plates with foxing). A very rare collection of traditional costumes from numerous departments in France, particularly from Brittany. Lithographed in black and then hand-colored with watercolor washes, most of the plates were created by the Charpentiers themselves and are particularly interesting for their depiction of regional and rural costumes in France between the Restoration and the reign of Louis-Philippe. Published in installments and dedicated to the Duchess of Berry, featuring her full coat of arms with a beautiful calligraphic title, entirely engraved. Copy with generous margins; each plate is mounted on fine laid paper. Includes 23 plates for Brittany; some are shared between the costumes of Normandy and Maine-et-Loire, while the remainder consists of a few from Vienne, Indre-et-Loire, Loiret, Ain, and Rhône. Charpentier (1771–1854) was a printer, publisher, and lithographer in Nantes alongside his son Henri Désiré (1806–1883); together they produced numerous albums. He commissioned the painter François Hippolyte Lalaisse (1810–1884) to conduct a study of the traditional costumes of Brittany. Includes a loose plate from the same series, *Peasants of Les Tuffeaux Returning from the Market* (Maine-et-Loire), which is cut shorter, slightly stained, and damaged (tears repaired with tape). Colas, I, 215.