Marie-Anne LE NORMAND: Mémoires historiques et secrets de l’Impératrice Joséphine, Marie-Rose Tascher-de-la-Pagerie, première épouse de Napoléon Bonaparte. Seconde Édition, Augmentée [...], et suivie des Derniers Souvenirs de Napoléon Bonaparte à l’île Ste-Hélène. Le Normand & Dondey-Dupré: Paris, 1827. 200x130 mm.

VOL. 1: frontispiece, 464 pp. & 1 plate; VOL. 2: frontispiece, 480 pp. & 1 plate; VOL. 3: frontispiece, 512 pp. & 3 plates. Leather-backed boards with gilt ornaments and 2 title-pieces on spine.

Second edition (first in 1820) of the historical and secret memoirs of empress Josephine which are, for the most part at least, apocryphal. Core and cause of this work is the alleged acquaintance of the fortune-teller with empress Josephine and her spouse emperor Napoleon. See T. Depaulis in „A Wicked Pack of Cards“, pp. 116-142 and particularly pp. 126-127. Fine book with an AUTOGRAPH SIGNATURE in brown ink of the author at the back of the half-title of all three volumes. We have now 8 plates: 6 like in the first edition (5 are copper engravings by Normand fils [Louis Marie] after J. [assumingly Julie] Ribault) and 2 additional ones (one signed „Spol“). They display pictures that have become famous in the meantime, such as the palms of the left hands of empress Josephine and „ex-emperor Napoléon – Buonaparte“ with their lines.
Bindings somewhat rubbed, corners bumped, upper joint of vol. 3 split in; owner’s name „Lilier d’Esebeck“ in brown ink on the title of the 3 volumes, occasional foxing inside, otherwise very good conservation.

$ 373.57