(Woking): n.d. (ca. 1935). An eye-catching pen and ink wash drawing for worker/agricultural stone cottages in Cornwall designed by Carr, who worked for the well known architectural firm of W.D. Caroe. In this large drawing, Carr outlines the layout for 40 houses situated within a village green. It shows the first floor plans of the houses as they are arranged in a half circle, along with detailed elevations for West side and North side groupings. One pair of cottages is shown in front and back elevation. Room measurements are given for parlour, living room, kitchen, three bedrooms and bathrooms. Carr worked from Garthowen, Woking. Notice of his work on church architecture with W.D. Caroe can be found on the Lambeth Palace Library’s Church Plans online website. We also find mention of his winning a prize in the Industrial Design Competition of 1930 (see REPORT ON THE COMPETITION OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGNS, 1930, in “Journal of the Royal Society of Arts” Volume 78, No. 4063 pp. 1150-1172), but this must have been in his student days. The drawing offered here is an accomplished presentation for an entire project. Single sheet (68 x 47 cm); in pen, ink wash, black, green, red and tans, illustrating layout and elevations.

Paris: L’Illustration, 30 Mars, 1929. A striking and well preserved copy of the special LA MAISON issue of the French magazine, L’ILLUSTRATION for 1929 with a colorful cover illustration by M. Rapin. The contents of the magazine are rich in mostly contemporary photographs and drawings of garden cities and residential housing. Henri Sellier writes on “L’Effort Français pour l’Habitation Populaire” reviewing garden cities such as Suresne, Cachan, Drancy and others; Georges Benoit-Lévy writes on “La Cité-Jardin à L’Etranger”; Henri Sauvage writes about “ La Maison De Rapport”, principally in Paris; Louis Bourdelles describes a “Projet D’Une Grande Habitation Moderne Pour La Ville de Paris”; Louis Feine discusses “ Les Materiaux Nouveaux Utilisable Pour La Construction de Nos Habitations”; Léandre Villat writes about contemporary villas around France and beyond. Folio (40.5 x 30.5 cm); I-LXIV pp. ads + 70 unnumbered pp. profusely illustrated from photographs, plans, drawings, some in color + LXV -CXII pp. of commercial supplements.

(Toulouse, 1932). A handsomely printed development prospectus for the "Roseraie" and "Parc", two single family property developments in a newly opened suburban area north of Toulouse. Included are two plat plans for development together with full sketches and floor plans for the designs by Parisian architect Charles Lemaresquier. The text is stylishly printed in red and dark brown by the Imprimerie Kadar in Paris. Descriptions of eight models for single family houses designed specifically for the development by Lemaresquier include types of materials used on special features. Each named villa ( “Nora”, “Graziella”, “Nadia”, etc.) is given a full page illustration attractively reproduced from a charcoal and pen drawing. The styles vary from traditional “habitations champêtres” to international modern. All were offered with the most up-to-date conveniences. The plan was implemented for the Roseraie and its streets are still named after different flowers as shown on the proposal. Lemaresquier, studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and formed a partnership with the architect Victor Laloux. He also worked for the French state as architect-en-chef des Palais Nationaux, etc. His better known works include the headquarters of Félix Potin and the palais Berlitz in Paris. Lemaresquier’s special talents for drawing are well reflected in the architectural illustrations here. We locate no copies in U.S. libraries, but know of one in a private collection. With designs by architect Charles Lemaresquier Oblong stapled brochure (20.5 x 30 cm); 26 pp. illustrated including two plans (one folding).

Paris: D.-A Longuet, (ca, 1913). This portfolio of plates reproducing early garden engravings was published at the time of the 300th anniversary of the birth of André Le Nôtre. Its purpose was to furnish models of the formal French garden for architects and gardeners, as well as amateurs and garden proprietors. As such, it is a valuable resource for any student of French gardens because its 393 reproduced engravings document important design elements in French gardens from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the landscape garden period. Of particular interest is the large selection of parterre designs. With a brief historical text, an index of the localities represented in the plates, a table of artists or engravers and, sometimes, locations of the plates, and with a bibliography of works on garden art in France. Ganay 388 Folio (39.5 x 29.5 cm); 24 pp. text + 104 plates of 393 photographic reproductions of engravings, documents and a few photographs.

Paris: Librairie Jean Naert, 1925. First edition; No. 1 of 6 copies printed on Japan paper at the press of Jacques et Demontrond in Besançon. With a signed ink presentation inscription to le comte (René Philipon ) on the free endpaper and a posted note from de Ganay to Philipon laid in. An essay in praise of the beauties of garden, landscape and architecture at Chantilly and the interventions there of great designers, gardeners and architects by France’s distinquished bibliographer of French garden literature. Ganay 1925/9 “Bibliographie Des Travaux D’Ernest De Ganay” in Mosser & Sartre, BIBLIOTHèQUE ET JARDIN. ERNEST De GANAY. In OCLC we locate only the British Library copy. “C’est que Chantilly réunit tous les agréments.” 8vo (23 x 14.6 cm) 32 + (iv) pp. with printer’s ornaments.

London: W. Bulmer and Co, 1794. omamin Pouncy iFirst edition of this important manifesto marking the outbreak of the "picturesque controversy" that continued to dnate landscape gardening theory and practice at the outset of the nineteenth century. Knight attacked the Brown/Repton school in favor of the rough and irregular style also advanced by Price in his theories of the picturesque, that is, gardens which imitate the wild natural scenery in the paintings of Claude and Salvatore Rosa. His lengthy poem provides practical advice for obtaining these results and includes two folding etchings by Benjfrom drawings by Thomas Hearne which illustrate a rural estate laid out in the contrasting styles.THE LANDSCAPE, A DIDACTIC POEM. “No decoration should we introduce, That has not first been nat’raliz’d by use” Henrey 900. 4to (28.5 cm. x 22 cm.); (iv) + 77 pp. + 3 plates (2 folding).

n.p: Bernard Lassus, 1975. One of 300 copies hand-printed by Kerversau imprimeur. LE JARDIN DE L’ANTERIEUR was Lassus's entry in a competition to design a garden for the new town of L'Isle d'Abeau. His plan won the competition but the project was never realised. LE JARDIN DE L'ANTERIEUR counts among Lassus's earliest published garden projects and both its text and its drawings demonstrate what the OXFORD COMPANION TO GARDENS (p. 205) calls his "approach to landscape which rejects empiricism in favour of exploring the non-measurable realm of the imagination." Stephen Bann says of his projects: "It seems to me beyond question that Lassus's highly inventive descriptions of garden projects function as utopian texts: Arcadia is conjured up, as it were, in the interstices of the design, and the charming line drawings that he provides are the exact graphic correlate to this state of potentiality." ("Arcadia as utopia in contemporary landscape design: the work of Bernard Lassus”, HISTORY OF HUMAN SCIENCES Vol. 16 No. 1 p. 117). Accompanying the Lassus text is an essay on the garden by Michel Conan. “garden projects..as utopian texts” Folio (55 x 36 cm); loose, as issued, in heavy paper folder; 16 unnumbered pages printed on papier d'Arches with 4 text illustrations + 3 plates from drawings (impressions measuring 21 x 28.5; 29 x 20; and 20.5 x 22.5 cm., respectively), 2 illustrating the garden and 1 showing its site.

N.P. (Bruyères -Le-Chatel): (Simon Louis Frères & Cie.), ca. 1930. An imressive presentation album of sample seed packet labels with all the plants shown printed in full color against a black background. These are displayed, usually 6 to a page, on tan card stock printed decoratively in light gray with the monogram of the firm and simple frame outlines for the placement of the illustrations. Both vegetables and flowers are shown; the colors are vibrant and the detail, particularly with the vegetables, is both informative and artistic. All designs are labeled. If you want to be able to recognize all your French lettuces, you have only to study these. Unusual and very uncommon. Learn your Lettuces Oblong album (26.5 x 36 cm); with color printed seed packet label designs tipped in to each of 70 unnumbered pages, usually 6 to a page, fewer on about 4 pages; in all, there are approximately 400 color printed labels, each measuring 9 x 5 cm.

N.P: Cymbalum Pataphysicum, 1985. Limited edition of 666 copies, this example #24 of 299 numbered copies bound in papier gris-ardoise. There are few vestiges left of Le Jardin des Surpises built in Attigny by the eccentric and multi-talented sculptor Renault. It was destroyed after the war and he rebuilt it some 300 meters away from the original site by re-cycling much of the sculpture. After his death, vandals destroyed most of what was left. This work is a catalogue of an “exhibition” devoted to the garden and Renault. Some biographical detail is provided and Renault’s work as an autodictact is mentioned in the context of “les inspirés,” such as le Facteur Cheval and Isidore or “Picassiette.” Given Renault’s work as a patissier  and cuisinier, an influence which showed in the sculptures of his gardens, connections with the work of Carême are also made. The photographic reproductions show the interiors of Renault’s Hotel des Deux Gares and of the Musée de la Guerre at Attigny. Photos of the garden include a view of the exterior of his second self-made house and a picture of Renault himself in the midst of his sculpture garden of animals, farm workers, etc. Shortly before his death he became a member of the Collège de Pataphysique, attaining the status of satrape shared by others such as Jean Dubuffet, Joan Miró, and Jacques Prévert. Uncommon.   A Pataphysicist’s Garden Bound printed typescript, 34 pp. printed on rectos only; 29.5 x 2lcm; 10 full page and 5 half page illustrations from photographs.

Paris: Fleury Chavant, 1837. First edition. “Ce recueil est destiné à accompagner  La Naissance des Fleurs, ouvrage lithographique composé de 300 groupes de fleurs, par MM. Redouté, Baget, Dumas, etc.”.  Chavant’s NAISSANCE DES FLEURS  was a series of 50 individual “feuilles” issued by the editor Chavant with plates available separately for 1fr.50. (Chavant’s ads appear at the back of this text). This small book gathers together some of the  themes of the poets and prose writers who contributed to the NAISSANCE, with, in addition, 4 drawings lithographed by A. Rouillet from the work of J. P. Redouté, Olympe Arson, Jules Dumas and Lucy de Beaurepaire. Essays on the history and lore of individual flowers accompany poems on different flowers by contemporary authors. This is the “broché” issue, again, as described in the ads at the back. VICAIRE  Vol II, p. 1044. Scarce; we find three copies in OCLC, only one of which in the U.S. at Harvard/Houghton.  12mo (18 x 11.5 cm); 143 pp. with ads + 4 lithographed plates.

Paris: Louis Janet, n.d. ( ca. 1837). A beautifully hand-colored edition of a very scarce book - this version rare, indeed.   This “gift book” was offered by its publisher to accompany a rare series of coloured lithographs entitled LA NAISSANCE DES FLEURS. It comprises brief essays and poetry on individual flowers by early nineteenth century French women writers  - and Jules Baget and Mrs. Hemans -  and is embellished with four exquisitely hand watercoloured lithographed plates from drawings by Pierre Joseph Redouté, Lucy de Beaurepaire, Olympe Arson and Jules Dumas. A. Roulliet was the lithographer.  The selection opens with Jules Baget’s poem entitled “La Naissance Des Fleurs” in which he praises artists, Redouté in particular, for their ability to preserve the fleeting beauty of flowers by their art. Madame La Comtesse de Brade writes on the history and lore of the tulip, the violet, the apple and the lily, while other contributors offer poems to individual flowers. Each water-coloured lithographed plate marks a season represented by a flower or flower bouquet surrounded by a decoratively printed hand- coloured border. The lettering of the title page is also hand-coloured.  In 1837, Fleury Chavant published LA COURRONE DE FLORE (Vicaire p. 1044) which resembles this title in every respect but for the publisher, and the title page. Fleury Chavant’s ads for lithographic work, noting this title, are included at the end of the text. In the Fleury Chavant imprint, the title page informs the reader that the book is designed to accompany LA NAISSANCE DES FLEURS, a series of 50 sheets imprinted with designs of flower drawings and poetry, but this is an elusive piece noted only as “original art “ in Bnf. As Louis Janet was famous for his production of gift books, we surmise this was an initial effort to produce one from the Fleury Chavant plates lithographed in blue. The plain silk-paper over boards binding here could possibly have been prepared for a decorative slipcover or box. We have located no copies with the Janet imprint in OCLC, COPAC, the European Catalogue or CCFr.  18 mo (16.4 x 10.5 cm);143 pp with hand-coloring on half title and title page;7 pp. ads included, all text printed in blue ink, with blue printed borders +4 hand-colored full page lithographed illustrations with tissue guards.

Orléans: Guillot-Pelletier Fils, n.d. ca. 1906. An informative Art Nouveau period trade catalogue with 20 plates of winter gardens, palm houses, orangeries, and a variety of greenhouses, with illustrations presenting the various styles in their completed settings. Of additional interest are the 84 pages of text offering the names of clients in different parts of France, the particular construction elements provided to them, and a lengthy list of the architects who had worked with them. The time period covered runs from 1880 to 1906.  In OCLC we find only one similar copy, in the Netherlands, of an earlier 1903 edition with fewer pages. Jardins d’hivers, Orangeries, Greenhouses Oblong 8vo (21.1 x 27 cm); (iv) + 20 photomechanical plates from photographs and sketches on rectos only + 84 pp. text. with a single sheet illustrated information flyer folded in three laid in.