Lettre trentième concernant l'imprimerie et la librairie de Paris, traduite de l'Anglais, avec des Notes.

[4], viii, 71 pages.

One of one hundred copies. Boards covered with glazed cartonnage gilt (noted by Windle & Pippin, p134, as an original binding).

Loss of cartonnage to the spine. Corners bumped
and rounded with loss. Heavy foxing to inner-covers, end-papers and throughout text to varying degrees. Fair condition for a very rare item.

The first of three French responses to Dibdin's Tour in France and Germany, comprising of a translation of Dibdin's thirtieth letter from his Tour. What marks this publication out is the introduction written by the Parisian printer Georges Crapelet contesting Dibdin's veracity on occasions and criticising his general writing style as being too concerned with effect, and over-complicated (" Il vise singulièrement à l'effet, ne dit jamais rien simplement ").

Crapelet contrasts Dibdin's petulance and perpetual enthusiasm with the patience and contemplation he argues is necessary for bibliographical studies.

That being said he also 'tips his printer's hat' to the quality of Dibdin's book production, in paricular his abundant use of illustrations in his publications.

Windle & Pippin A39.

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