“One of the Most Important Texts in Political Literature,” with a Presentation Inscription by the Author
De la démocratie en Amerique.
Paris: Librairie de Charles Gosselin, 1835.
De la démocratie en Amérique, par Alexis de Tocqueville, avocat à la cour royale de Paris, l’un des auteurs du livre intitulé: Du système penitentiaire aux États-Unis. Orné d'une carte d’Amérique. Paris: Librairie de Charles Gosselin, 1835-1840.
First edition of Volumes I and II, second edition of Volumes III and IV of “one of the most important texts in political literature” (Printing and the Mind of Man 358 note). Presentation copy, inscribed by the author at head of half-title in Volume I: “à Monsieur Berrger/hommage de l’auteur/A d T.” Four small octavo volumes. [4], xxiv, 367, [1, blank]; [4], 459, [1, blank]; [4], v, [3], 333, [1, blank]; [4], 363, [1, blank] pp. Hand-colored folding lithographed map by Benard after Tocqueville in Volume I. Bound at the end of Volume II is “Rapport fait au nom de la Commission chargée d’examiner la Proposition de M. de Tracy, relative aux Esclaves des colonies, par M.A. de Tocqueville, Député da la Manche” in no 201, Chambre des Députés, 2e Session 1839 (98 pp.).
Uniformly bound in contemporary quarter dark blue calf over marbled boards. Spines decoratively tooled and lettered in gilt in compartments. Marbled edges and endpapers. Minor rubbing to extremities. Some occasional foxing and browning. Bookplate removed from front pastedown in Volume II. Parisian bookseller’s ticket on front pastedown of Volumes III and IV. A wonderful set, extremely rare with a presentation inscription by Tocqueville. Individually chemised and housed together in a cardboard slipcase with red morocco tips.
One of the most penetrating political and social analyses of the United States ever written, De la démocratie en Amérique is based on Tocqueville’s travels through America in 1831 and 1832 in company with Gustave Auguste de Beaumont. Charged by the French government to study the prison system of the United States, the two officials made a sweeping tour of the west and south after completing their penal studies in the east, visiting Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, the Carolinas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
En Français dans le texte 253. Howes T278. Sabin 96060 and 96061. No inscribed copies of this have come up at auction in the last thirty years.
HBS 65329.
$65,000.
Price: $65,000.00
Item #65329