DAUDET, Léon. *L'Astre Noir*. - Lot 166

DAUDET, Léon. *L'Astre Noir*. First edition; this copy features a dedicatory inscription to Arthur Meyer and comes from the prestigious Georges Canape Library. Paris, Bibliothèque-Charpentier, 1893. In-12, black half-shagreen bound in the Bradel style, smooth spine with gilt title. Covers and spine intact. 345 pp. - 1 blank folio. Scuffing on the spine with some leather loss; pages browned, as is often the case. First edition of this satirical and visionary novel by Léon Daudet (1867–1942). Our copy is enhanced by a dedication from the author addressed to Arthur Meyer on the half-title page: “To Mr. Arthur Meyer, with the author’s regards, Léon Daudet” (legible cursive, brown ink). Arthur Meyer (1844–1924), an intellectual of the French right during the Belle Époque, was the founder and editor of the daily newspaper *Le Gaulois*, to which Léon Daudet occasionally contributed. Engraved ex-libris bearing the handwritten number “459” and the initials “G.C.,” possibly from the library of Georges Canape (1864–1940), a renowned bookbinder and bibliophile. A beautiful and rare copy.