SHEET WITH TWO CHILDREN'S PRINTS - AND BOOKSELLER ACCOUNTS!
[Children's publishing] [Bluebeard] 1er [2e] Tableau de l'Histoire de la Barbe Bleue. Nancy, chez Hinzelin, imprimeur-imagiste et libraire, Rue Saint-Dizier, no. 67, en face de la Place du Marché. [c.1850].
A bifolium of two unseparated woodcut prints together telling a complete version to children of the infamous fable of serial wife-murderer Bluebeard. This extraordinary and vicious story, which is found in the fairy tales of Charles Perrault (1628-1703), was later famously retold in England by Angela Carter (1940-1992; The Bloody Chamber, 1979).
Our item of clearly unsold prints was used later for bookseller's accounts. On a blank page inside the booklet, there are accounts for 7-21 November 1863. There are entries for payment (13 November) from Monsieur Calais for newspapers and (21 November) from a certain Madame Lemoine, bookseller of [?]Hurville - with most entries headed Impartial - which would be a reference to L'Impartial, the liberal newspaper, later called L'Impartial de l'Est (1839-1937), that was founded by Nicolas Hinzelin (d.1871), publisher of our prints. Besides prints and newspapers, the Hinzelin enterprise had it seems also branched into real estate as there are entries, 11 November and 17 November, for rental of meadows.
Description
Bifolium, 40.2 cms. x 27 cms., with first and last page each comprising a grid of four woodcuts, 15.5 cms. x 8.9 cms. each, with, in letter press, overall and individual titling, and imprint information. The top right-hand woodcut of the first page and bottom right-hand print of the fourth page respectively numbered "N.o 168" and "N.o 169". Third page blank, second page ruled for and populated with accounts (pencil and ink). Stitch-holes at fold. Light browning and foxing, slight dustiness, very slight tearing at margins.
Bibliography
Not in OCLC. Not in CCFr. Both prints recorded at MUCEM (Marseilles).
For a Hinzelin family tree, see https://leschristophe.fr/gen/pdf+jpg/gen-Hinzelin-Hayen.pdf(last accessed 29 October 2024).