Gazette du Bon Ton. Arts Modes & Frivolites - 1912-1913 Tome I - Premiere Semestre Novembre 1912 a Avril 1913; 1912-1913 Tome II - Deuxieme Semestre Mai a Octobre 1913 [with] 1914 Tome I - Premiere Semestre Janvier a Juin 1914 - Lucien Vogel (directeur) 1912-13 - Librairie Centrale des Beaux-Arts, Paris - First Editions A beautiful and rare set of the first 18 legendary illustrated luxury fashion magazines to be issued by ‘Gazette du Bon Ton’. Finely bound in contemporary vellum. Text in French.

Art Nouveau at its finest, featuring the best designers and artists of the day. Stunningly illustrated with 181 pochoir plates (14 of which are double page), 33 additional full page colour plates, and hundreds of colour vignettes, and sketches throughout.

Belts, Shawls, Hats, Swimming Costumes, Theatre, Shoes, Handbags, Travel Bags and Trunks, Bouquets, Motoring, Sport, Hunting, Gloves, Jewellery, Riding, Make-up, Riviera, Hairstyle, Nightgowns, Capes, Umbrellas... to name but a few of the essential topics challenging the lifestyles of the fashion elite.
  The Gazette du Bon Ton was only available to subscribers at a price which equals over US$1,000 per year in today's money, thereby creating a very exclusive image. Lucien Vogel, the editor aimed to establish fashion as an art form and also to create "good taste" for the Parisian elite. Publication was suspended in 1915, due to World War I, and resumed in 1920, continuing through 1925. Contributing artists included all the greatest names of the day such as Dufy, Bakst, Barbier and Brunelleschi, etc and these artists would depict the haute couture in a narrative and dramatic style using vivid colours and the pochoir technique on special handmade paper. Many of the designs were idealistic leisure scenes of the well-to-do, illustrating the latest creations of Paris vintage fashion houses such as Worth, Lanvin, Doucet, Poiret, Callot Soeurs, Paquin and Beers, often without explanatory text. The literary content was also of the highest quality with essays by well known art historians, playwrights and novelists of the day.’ - Gordon Ray, The Art Deco Book in France.

Three thick quarto volumes (binding size 25x21.5cm), pp. [4] vii [1] 192 iv, iv, iv, iv , iv, iv; [4] vii [1] 193-384 iv, iv, iv, iv , iv, iv; 1914 - Six Magazines bound in to one volume, with covers, and additional half-title, title ands index to the front: [4] vii [1]; [4] iv (ads), 40 [2]; 2 iv (ads) 41-72 [2]; [2] iv (ads) 73-108 [2]; [2] iv 109-144 [2]; [2] viii (ads) 145-184 [2]; [2] xii (ads) 185-224 [2].

Collated January 2022 - 1912-13 Tome I - 12 full-page colour plates (text on verso), 60 full page pochoir plates (1 of which is double-page); 1912-13 Tome II - 10 full-page colour plates (text on verso), 60 full page pochoir plates (4 of which are double-page); 1914 Tome I - 11 full-page colour plates (text on verso), 61 full page pochoir plates (9 of which are double-page). Note: 1914 Tome I - There is an additional but different plate number 15 bound into the March issue, and plate number 43 is not included in the May issue.
  Elegantly bound in publisher s full vellum, yap foredges, spines and front panels lettered and decorated in gilt, all edges untrimmed apart from volume III where top edge is trimmed.   Condition: Fine, some offsetting from plates, in very god to near fine vellum, spines lightly soiled, sightly heavier to volume III, volume I with two spots to spine.   Ref: 111023   Price: HK$ 140,000