Martin (Gabriel, compiler & auctioneer) Catalogue des livres de feu M. l'Abbé d'Orléans de Rothelin, half-title, engraved portrait frontispiece portrait of the Abbé de Rothelin by Jean-Nicolas Tardieu after C. Coypel, and his arms to title, priced throughout in a contemporary hand, light foxing, mainly marginal, contemporary mottled calf, spine gilt and with red morocco label, rebacked but retaining original back-strip, upper joint cracked but holding, two small worm holes in calf to lower cover, corners slightly rubbed, [Peignot p.121; Taylor, p.259], 8vo, Paris, Gabriel Martin, 1746.

⁂ Anthony Hobson's copy of this scarce catalogue, which is considered one of Martin's best. Rothelin had many of his books bound by the master binders of the time, including Boyer, Padeloup and Duseuil. There is a superb group of illuminated and historical manuscripts, largely from the collection of Nicolas-Joseph Foucault, including the Sherborne Missal and the Bible of Charles V. The collection was offered in 5033 lots.

Provenance: Anthony Hobson (1921-2014), book auctioneer, book historian (particularly bindings) and bibliophile (armorial bookplate and pencil initials); ‘Ce catalogue est le meilleur et le plus rare de tous les catalogues’, with records of its sale prices up to 1773 (notes to front free endpaper).