Le Normand (Marie-Anne Adélaïde

Le Normand (Marie-Anne Adélaïde, known as Mlle Lenormand). Anniversary of the death of Empress Joséphine, who died on May 29, 1814. Paris, at the author’s, Rue de Tournon, No. 5, and at her bookstore, Rue du Petit-Lion-Saint-Sulpice, No. 1, 1815. Original edition, in-8°, 23 pages, preserved bound under its era-printed waiting covers, ornamental typographic frame, funeral motif on the second page. A vignette of the funeral urn on the title page, a lamp antique fleur-de-lis at the end of the text. A rare commemorative pamphlet of the famous Mlle Lenormand (1772-1843), a major figure of French divination, renowned for her connections with Empress Joséphine. Published on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Empress’s death, this homage blends personal memories, eulogy, and historical reflections. The author evokes Joséphine’s qualities, her confidences, and her attachment to the imperial family, referring to her Souvenirs prophétiques d’une Sibylle (1814). Bibliographical peculiarity: on the verso of the half-title sits this printed warning: “I will recognize as authentic only the copies that bear my signature, and I will pursue forgers.” No handwritten signature is visible. Copy preserved in its original bound presentation, with decorated covers, a particularly interesting state for an ephemeral Napoleonic-period printed item. Covers browned, some foxing and stains, wear and small defects to margins and corners. Reference: Bibliothèque nationale de France, notice FRBNF30790985, confirming the Paris edition of 1815 and its collation of 23 pages.

Estimate:$168.06

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