Description

FIRST EDITION with illustrations by Delaw. Collection of 8 tales by Perrault, illustrated on each page with coloured headbands and vignettes. Preface in verse by Rosemonde Gérard, wife of Edmond Rostand.

AUTOGRAPH SIGNED LETTER TO MARGUERITE AUDOUX:

A Marguerite Audoux
In memory of the 8 days on the island.
G. Delaw

Moving to Paris in 1893, the illustrator Georges Delaw (pseudonym of Henri Georges Deleau) created shadow plays for Le Chat Noir, contributed to several magazines, frequented Le Lapin agile, illustrated Anatole France, Francis Jammes and Jules Renard, and occasionally produced sets for the theatre, shops and private individuals. - including 5 panels for Edmond Rostand's Basque villa.
It was probably through Francis Jourdain or Léon-Paul Fargue that he met Marguerite Audoux; in any case, in the summer of 1910, he shared a holiday apartment in the port of Diben in Plougasnou with her, Michel Yell, Régis Gignoux and a few other friends.

Marguerite Audoux sent him a copy of Marie-ClaireA letter dated 8 November 1910 bears witness to this:

Thank you for sending me Marie-Claire; I've already started it, and was hooked from the very first pages. I can already feel that this is a book that is 'out of the ordinary' - if it continues like this, I think it's going to be one of the most beautiful books I'll ever read.

And very original, very Marguerite Audoux - You know they say that's all they talk about! Half say it's stupid! The other half say it's brilliant! - How you're going to fall prey to snobbery! - There was also talk of Charles-Louis Philippe [...].

I read Philippe, whom I admire, and now I'm reading you. I have to admit that I see 2 very different temperaments - I only noticed at Diben that you have the same tone of voice, but that has nothing to do with the way you write (8 November 1910).

Coudour told me of poor Delaw's condition. I knew it from the first day. Fate is evil to prolong such a life in such beings. I prefer drowning, it's quicker.