SPECIMEN DES ECRITURES MODERNES COMPRENANT LES ROMAINES FLEURONNEES, GOTHIQUES NOUVELLES, FRACTURES, . EXECUTEES A LA PLUME PAR JEAN MIDOLLE

Oblong folio (280 x 400mm.). quarter leather over marbled paper-covered boards, leather tips. Engraved Title page followed by 39 full-page engraved plates. Part two of the first edition (Bonacini no.1186; Berlin Catalogue 5167). Text in French. Two small book labels on the front pastedown, one of Ernst Fischbacher.Some minor wear to spine ends and extremities, very minor dampstain along the bottom edge of the gutter for the final few leaves, foxing throughout, else a near fine copy. Midolle's major work, indeed unequalled, tour-de-force of printing, calligraphy, exotic and decorative lettering, trompe-l'oeil, facsimile manuscript and book illustration. An extraordinary production, entirely of its period, of specimen lithographic plates. The plates depict decorative alphabets by Jean Midolle, but the printed effects go far beyond the requirements of calligraphy. Consists of a title page and 39 samples of alphabets and scripts by Ehrhardt, Lemaître, Schmidt, and Fasoli after designs by Midolle. Although Midolle was clearly a graphic designer of great skill and inventiveness, virtually nothing is known of him outside of this work. He brought notice to Emile Simon two series of alphabets, entitled Anciennes and Modernes, together with another more elaborate group under the heading Galérie - meaning a gallery of Midolle's most fanciful compositions . . . Many of Midolle's pages are delightful, decorative, and highly detailed. quarter leather over marbled paper-covered boards, leather tips.…