LES CONTEMPORAINES, OU AVANTURES DES PLUS JOLIES FEMMES DE L'AGE PRESENT. Recueilles par N. ** ** ***; Et publiees par Timothee Joly, de Lyon, Depositaire de ses Manuscrits.

FIRST EDITION.12mo. 4.25 x 6.75 inches. Premier Volume, 260 pp.; Second Volume, [2] + 263-504 pp.; Troisieme Volume, 276 pp.; Quatrieme Volume, [2] + 279-572 + 12 pp. publisher's advertisements and notices. Bound in half calf with vellum corners over marbled boards; spine in compartments with gilt bands and with contrasting title and volume labels, maroon and green, gilt. A little wear to extremities, some scattered foxing and one margin tear neatly repaired; otherwise a very good crisp set. Illustrated by 28 copperplates. Decorated by title page, head and tailpiece vignettes. Twenty eight erotic short stories, each accompanied by a copperplate, by the French writer, Nicolas-Edme Restif de la Bretonne (1734-1806). This subversive author is said to have coined the words pornographer in a book title of 1769 and communist in a book review of 1785. These are the first four volumes (each here with pagination and register occupying two physical volumes) of the twelve physical volumes stated to have been published. To avoid censorship this first edition was published in Leipzig. Attractive edition well illustrated by twenty eight salacious plates. EROTICA FRENCH LIT. FICTION FRENCH 18TH CENTURY FIRST EDITION ILLUSTRATED EROTICA.…