Catalogue des livres de la bibliothèque de feu M. le duc de La Vallière.

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Title

Catalogue des livres de la bibliothèque de feu M. le duc de La Vallière.

Coverage

Paris

Publisher

G. de Bure fils aîné

Date

1783–1784

Description

One of the greatest book sales, and one of the most extraordinary catalogues, of the eighteenth century. The library of Louis-César de La Baume Le Blanc, duc de La Vallière (1708–1780),was intended to be disposed of in two sales. The catalogue for the first part, consisting of 5,668 lots, was printed in 1783, and the sale was held in January 1784, bringing the then-fabulous sum of 464,677 livres, 8 sous. A catalogue for the second sale was printed later that year, but the 26,537 lots were eventually sold en bloc. They were later acquired by the comte d’Artois (later Charles X), and after he fled the country in 1789, the books were confiscated by the state to form the core of the Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal.

Source

Gift of Lucius Wilmerding, 1934.