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Narcisse-Achille de Salvandy - Histoire du roi Jean Sobieski et du royaume de Pologne (Didier, 1855, 2 vols.)

Title page and spines of two-volume 1855 French book Histoire du roi Jean Sobieski by N. A. de Salvandy - view 1
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Estimated value

$40 - $90

Rarity

Ordinary(3/10)

Category

Books

Brand

Didier

Era

1855

Origin

France

Artist / Creator

Narcisse-Achille de Salvandy

Authenticity

Very High(90%)
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NARCISSE-ACHILLE DE SALVANDY - HISTOIRE DU ROI JEAN SOBIESKI ET DU ROYAUME DE POLOGNE (DIDIER, 1855, 2 VOLS.): IDENTIFICATION

Two-volume historical monograph titled 'Histoire du roi Jean Sobieski et du royaume de Pologne' by Narcisse-Achille de Salvandy, member of the Académie Française. Published in Paris by Didier, Libraire-Éditeur (35, quai des Augustins) in 1855 as a 'Nouvelle édition revue et augmentée'. The set is bound in later red textured cloth or buckram with gilt-stamped lettering and dual horizontal fillets on the spines, retaining octavo format interior leaves with foxing and an early ink ownership flourish on the title page of Volume II.

EDITION & PUBLISHING HISTORY

First published in three volumes in 1829 by Pollet, Salvandy's work on John III Sobieski emerged during the Bourbon Restoration when French historiography romanticized the 1683 Relief of Vienna and 17th-century Polish-Ottoman conflicts. The Didier publishing house issued revised two-volume ...
First published in three volumes in 1829 by Pollet, Salvandy's work on John III Sobieski emerged during the Bourbon Restoration when French historiography romanticized the 1683 Relief of Vienna and 17th-century Polish-Ottoman conflicts. The Didier publishing house issued revised two-volume editions throughout the 1840s and 1850s to satisfy renewed French public sympathy for Polish sovereignty following the November 1830 and January 1863 uprisings.

COLLECTOR NOTES

1

Author Narcisse-Achille de Salvandy served as France's Minister of Public Instruction under King Louis-Philippe from 1837 to 1839 and again from 1845 to 1848.

SCARCITY

Ordinary40-55%
CommonLegendary

Standard antiques commonly found at estate sales and flea markets. Plentiful supply meets modest demand.

Typical Characteristics

  • Moderate production runs
  • Common at estate sales
  • Entry-level collectibles

Confidence Factors

  • Typography, paper toning, and imprint match standard 1855 Didier press production.
How does authenticity detection work?

BIBLIOPHILE'S ASSESSMENT

Rare Book Dealer & Bibliographer

Bibliographer

High confidence based on legible publisher imprints, dates, author details, and clear spine labeling matching standard Didier catalogue records from 1855.

KEY EVIDENCE

  • 1Title page reads: 'PARIS / DIDIER, LIBRAIRE-ÉDITEUR / 35, QUAI DES AUGUSTINS / 1855'.

CONDITION & GRADE

Good to Very Good

Grading breakdown

Interior paper displays uniform toning and moderate foxing without loss of text, while the bindings are sturdy later recasings rather than original wrappers or contemporary leather.

Condition

Interior leaves show light-to-moderate scattered foxing typical of mid-19th-century French wove paper. Spines show intact later red binding with sharp gilt titling, free of major rubbing, with an ink ownership inscription or paraph present on the Volume II title leaf.

BOOK MARKET VALUATION

$40 - $90

Updated: Oct 16, 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 identified N. A. De Salvandy as author, which matches the printed attribution on both title leaves.
  • User dated the set to 1855, matching the imprint on the Volume I title page.
  • User noted French origin, consistent with the Paris Didier imprint.

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