[GAMES - TOYS] MAINDRON, Ernest. Marionettes and Puppets: Mo - Lot 185

[GAMES - TOYS] MAINDRON, Ernest. Marionettes and Puppets: Moving and Talking Dolls Through the Ages. Paris, Félix Juven, n.d. [1900] Quarto, red percaline Bradel binding, plain spine. 381 pp., 8 color plates including one as a frontispiece, 24 black-and-white plates, and numerous illustrations in the text. Paper slightly browned at the margins. A rare first edition of this richly illustrated study of the history of puppetry from antiquity to the present. The scholar, historian, and bibliophile Ernest Maindron (1838–1908) examines puppet traditions in Europe and Asia, the main forms of performance, and the iconic figures of puppet theater. A significant portion is devoted to the famous Chat Noir cabaret, its shadow theater, and its repertoire. A fine copy.