Antique French Interiors Folio Book Titled Interieurs Rustiques Paris 1926

Should you have been an interior decorator in the late 1920's into the 1930's with a client who wanted "The French Look," this folio book of 53 black and white rotogravure prints of French interiors would have been a valuable part of your reference library. Published in 1926 by Éditions d'Art Charles Moreau in Paris and edited by Jean Charles-Brun, the prominent French writer, educator, and political activist, it's a rare folio featuring loose-leaf (en feuilles) photographic plates showcasing traditional French rustic design (not to be compared with our idea of "rustic interiors"). 

The measurements are 17.5 inches tall, 13 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick at the binding. This is the largest standard book format, created from a full, single printer's sheet of paper that is not folded at all, making it an oversized volume. It weighs a substantial 3.75 pounds. There is a title sheet, a list of plates (Table des Planches) and a two page introduction (all in French) and 32 pages of plates in a half-cloth folder with ribbon ties. Everything is intact, save for one of the 1/2 inch wide red ribbons, which was attached to the back board (there is a slit there to attach a replacement ribbon if you are much handier than we are). 

The overall condition of this portfolio is very good. The pages have light toning on some of the edges; there are water stains, one at the top and one at the bottom of the front cover and part of the paper covering the front board is torn off at the lower left. The corners are bumped, but the spine is excellent, as is the back board, which is undamaged with just some shelf dirt. It's exciting to find a complete one of these portfolios, since many were broken up in order to frame the photogravures. This hard-to-find antique French publication displays beautifully.

© PrimpingYourHome.com

PYH 5876