Beschreibung:

Description des festes données par la ville de Paris, à l'occasion du mariage de Madame Louise-Elisabeth de France, & de Dom Philippe, infant & grand amiral d'Espagne, les vingt-neuviéme & trentiéme août mil sept cent trente-neuf . Paris: P.G. Le Mercier, 1740. 2° (620 x 470mm). Engraved title-vignette by Pierre Soubeyran after Edme Bouchardon 13 engraved views and plans by Jacques-François Blondel after Blondel and Pierre-Noël Rousset, 8 double-page, engraved headpiece by Jacques Rigaud engraved initials. (Variable light spotting, some minor creasing on plates causing a short marginal tear on one.) Original red crushed morocco gilt, the covers with the arms of the city of Paris [Olivier 2121 fer 3], roll-tooled borders with fleur-de-lys cornerpieces, the spine gilt in compartments, gilt citron morocco lettering-piece in one, the others decorated with fleur-de-lys tools and cornerpieces, gilt board-edges and turn-ins, gilt edges (lightly rubbed, slight dampstaining at lower edge of upper board, skilful repairs to spine ends, corners and upper board). FIRST EDITION. ILLUSTRATED WITH 'BRILLIANT ENGRAVINGS, OF THE FIRST QUALITY' (Millard), and preserved in the original binding. 'Although the publication was sold privately, it is as elaborate as any of the Cabinet de Roi publications commissioned to depict royal ceremonies; it is a double-folio size, with written descriptions and illustrations of the ceremonies. The illustrations show the entire spectacle on the Seine between the Pont-Neuf and the Pont Royal as follows: the structure for the fireworks on the Pont-Neuf and the new terrace; the octagon "island" for the musicians designed by Jean-Jerome Servandoni in the centre of the Seine; the eight marine "monsters" surrounding the island; a plan of the superstructures built along the banks of the Seine to accommodate the viewers; and the Throne Loge in the form of a baldocchino attached to the Louvre, in which the royal couple could view the spectacle. In addition, the water jousting and floating illuminations and the ball given at the Hôtel de Ville for the couple are described' (Millard). The work was issued in the present binding, although some variations in the arms used are recorded (cf. Cohen-De Ricci, recording copies with the arms of Paris on one cover and the royal arms on the other). Reynaud notes some variations in the numbering of the plates, and the existence of copies with 14 plates (as do Cohen-De Ricci and Vinet); in this copy the second, third and seventh plates are not numbered, and the sixth is numbered 'VII'. Berlin Kat. 3012; Cicognara 1507; Cohen-De Ricci 288; Millard French 26; Reynaud Notes supplémentaires sur les livres à gravures du XVIIIe siècle cols 124-125; Vinet 519.