Lot 55: A monumental set of Napoleon's correspondence

[FINE BINDING – NAPOLEON]

[BONAPARTE, NAPOLÉON]. Correspondance de Napoléon Ier publiée par ordre de l'Empereur Napoléon III. Paris: Imprimerie Imperiale, 1858-1869. First edition, complete with thirty-two volumes, laid in letter dated Febuary 1868 addressed to "Citoyen Lyautey," likely Just Lyautey, the son of General Hubert Joseph Lyautey, signed by Count Pierre-Nicolas Rapetti, the secretary of the offical commission that was charged with the publication of this set. Contemporary red leather spine with red cloth boards, spines gilt lettered and ruled.12 x 9 inches (30.5 x 23 cm). Varying amounts of wear to bindings, with light rubbing and wear to extremities throughought, occasional wear at headcaps, six volumes with water-staining to bindings, some cracked or starting hinges, contents with varying amounts of pale spotting, from quite light to moderate, large dampstain to some of the volumes, at least one volume with mold in the dampstain, bookplate from the "Bibliothque du General Lyautey," apparently Hubert Joseph Lyautey, manuscript annotations in volume I stating that the set belonged to author Jean Dutord, the set is sold as is.

This monumental collection of over twenty-two thousand letters by Napoléon, as well as orders, bulletins and decrees, was commissioned by Napoléon III in 1858 and took eleven years to produce. The project's goal was both to resurrect the history of the First Empire for the public of the Second Empire, and to legitimize the actions taken by the Emperor. The commission charged with the project was intitally directed by Achille Fould and was later taken over by Prince Napoléon, popularly known as "Plon-Plon." Volumes XXIX to XXXII, the final four volumes, contain the works written by Napoleon during his exile on Saint Helena, here published in their entirety for the second time. This copy contains the a bookplate from the Library of Napoleonic general Hubert Joseph Lyautey (1789-1867), and contains a letter from the commission's secretary addressed to his son, Just Lyautey. The letter is dated 1868, thus soon after the general's death, and addresses a pause in printing accorded by Prince Napoleon, and the publication of the set from Volume XXIII on.