Étienne Marcel - Le petit pied de la reine Edwige (Firmin-Didot et Cie, circa 1885-1895)
Estimated value
$15 - $35Rarity
Average(4/10)Category
BooksBrand
Firmin-DidotEra
circa 1880-1895Origin
FranceArtist / Creator
Étienne MarcelAuthenticity
ÉTIENNE MARCEL - LE PETIT PIED DE LA REINE EDWIGE (FIRMIN-DIDOT ET CIE, CIRCA 1885-1895): IDENTIFICATION
French octavo volume of 63 pages containing 10 in-text and full-page wood engravings, illustrated with scenes from Polish history. The title page credits author Étienne Marcel and publisher Librairie de Firmin-Didot et Cie, located at 56 Rue Jacob, Paris. Bound in publisher's red percaline cloth with a gilt-stamped geometric and foliate cartouche on the upper board and a blind/black-stamped arabesque motif on the lower board.
CROSS-CULTURAL PARALLELS
Where This Object Echoes
School prize book culture (distribution des prix) where publishers produced red gilt cloth cartonnages for annual academic ceremonies.
Ritual & Ceremonial Use
- •End-of-term academic prize distributions in French lycées and communal schools, where standardized gilt-stamped volumes were formally inscribed and presented to students.
Meaning Through Time
Moral and historical exemplum presented to French youth to celebrate piety and charity.
Bibliographic ephemera and Franco-Polish historical crossover collectible.
EDITION & PUBLISHING HISTORY
COLLECTOR NOTES
Firmin-Didot operated its main industrial printing works in Le Mesnil-sur-l'Estrée, an establishment founded in 1793 that produced millions of standardized prize bindings for French schools throughout the 19th century.
SCARCITY
Typical antique shop fare. Requires some searching but regularly available. This is where most genuine antiques fall.
Typical Characteristics
- Standard antique shop items
- Regularly available
- Moderate collector interest
Confidence Factors
- Institutional records in the Bibliothèque nationale de France confirm this specific undated imprint circa 1885-1895.
BIBLIOPHILE'S ASSESSMENT
Rare Book Dealer & Bibliographer
High confidence in bibliographic identification based on fully legible title page and characteristic publisher binding, with age securely narrowed to 1880-1895 via publisher address and typographic style.
KEY EVIDENCE
- 1Publisher address printed as 'Rue Jacob, 56, Paris' reflects Firmin-Didot et Cie's operating location between 1876 and the early 20th century.
CONDITION & GRADE
Grading breakdown
Graded Fair on standard antiquarian book grading scales due to severe cloth loss and structural failure along the backstrip, offset by complete text and intact interior plates.
Condition
The spine backstrip cloth is largely perished and detached along both gutters, exposing the underlying bookbinding mull and sewing cords. The text block shows moderate uniform paper toning and marginal oxidation consistent with late 19th-century wood-pulp paper stock. Gilt stamping on the front board remains legible with light surface rubbing at board perimeters.
BOOK MARKET VALUATION
Updated: Oct 17, 2026
- Market comparables from auctions & retail
- Condition, completeness & craftsmanship
- Current collector demand & trends
- Low = quick sale, high = patient seller
For informational purposes only, not a formal appraisal.
YOUR INPUT VS. SCAN
How your provided context compares with Curiosa.com scanner findings.
What Aligned
- User note of 63 pages, 10 engravings, and Firmin-Didot imprint matches title page visual evidence and publisher records.
- User observation of unstated publication date aligns with standard Firmin-Didot school prize edition practice.
What Conflicted
- User estimation of mid-20th century conflicts with typographic composition and binding style, which date firmly to the late 19th century (circa 1880-1895).
- User note of 'minor wear' conflicts with the visible complete loss of cloth on the spine backstrip.
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