6 volumes in stunning binding from the PASSY EDITION of de Kock' works

New York: The Frederick J. Quinby Company, 1904. 1st editions, limited to 50 copies. Leatherbound Hardcover. Fine/no dj's as issued. New York, The Frederick J. Quinby Company, 1908, Full Leather binding

The Frederick J. Quinby Company, New York,

SISTER ANNE, 1902, a novel in 2 volumes from the 'Passy Edition of the Works of Charles Paul de Kock', (8.5 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches,/ 21.5 x 14 x 3 cm).

GUSTAVE / GUSTAVE/M MARTIN'S DONKEY, 1904, a novel in 2 volumes from the 'Passy Edition of the Works of Charles Paul de Kock', (8.5 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches,/ 21.5 x 14 x 3 cm).

MADAME PANTALON, 1904, a novel in 1 volume from the 'Passy Edition of the Works of Charles Paul de Kock' (8.5 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches,/ 21.5 x 14 x 3 cm).

SCENES OF PARISIAN LIFE, 1904, a novel in 1 volume from the 'Passy Edition of the Works of Charles Paul de Kock' (8.5 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches,/ 21.5 x 14 x 3 cm).

(see photos, the last photo shows more volumes of the Passy Edition. Only six volumes are for sale in this listing. Please ask if you are interested in more.)

Magnificent full morocco bindings with gilt titles and top edge, exceptionally tall gilt raised bands and fine floral tooling with calf in-lays in the art nouveau style. With hand-colored head- and tail-pieces and elaborate hand-colored pictorial initials. Bound by the Harcourt Bindery in full green crushed morocco, the covers with floral ornaments each, the petals in-laid in different colors, one large flower on the spine, floral gilt dentelles, marbled endpapers.


The Passy edition was published in an edition of 50 sets (this no. 4 of 50), was sold by subscription and personalized for the buyer. The set from which these two books are for sale has an Ex-libris for John Davis Parsons Jr., given to him by (his wife?) Agnes Parsons. The gold signet on the inside cover was designed for the buyers (JDP Jr. = John Davis Parsons Jr.). This Passy Edition No. 4 at some point ended up in the "Library of Sylvester Stallone", from where I bought it at an auction,
I HAVE MORE VOLUMES FROM THE PASSY EDITION, THE ST. MARTINS EDITION, ST. GERVAIS EDITION AND THE ST. LOUIS EXPOSITION EDITION (see about different editions below) Ask if you are interest in more volumes.

You can see the Leather binding with gilt and purple stamped floral design in the photos. No two volumes are exactly the same. Even if the same stencil was used for the shapes, the color of the inlaid leather is different from book to book. The leather binding is green morocco. The spines have faded to an even brown color. (see photos). -- I had a total of 34 volumes from the Passy edition. The interesting thing with this Passy edition is, that the volumes are not consecutively numbered from 1 - 34, but all titles in two volumes are numbered I and II, titles in one volume have no number. That makes it possible, to sell individual titles in one or two volumes as stand-alone. A great opportunity to own this great work of Amerian craftsmanship of book production and book binding.
This was the big project of the publisher Frederick J. Quinby in New York. He published the works of de Kock in 9 editions (most by subscription from 1902 - 1908). They differ in binding, the number of illustrations, the paper quality and the edition size. Some editions say: 'The Works of CP DeKock in 50 volumes'. The two smallest editions even say in 100 volumes. However, nobody has ever seen a 50 volume edition. This was an ambitious project and it (almost) bankrupted the publisher and was never finished as planned. Large sets of the Artist edition that are being offered for sale are often around 20 - 25 volumes. Of the better, smaller editions it's mostly one or two books or a group of 5 or 7. The largest number I have ever seen is 42 volumes. Here are the different editions:
The Artist edition in a simple red cloth binding, 25 volumes limited to 1000 sets.
The Gregory Edition in a simple green cloth binding, 25 volumes limited to 1000 copies
The St. Louis Exposition Edition in quarter leather, 25 volumes limited to 1000 copies
St. Gervais edition, "50 volumes" limited to 500 sets
The Memorial edition in half morocco leather, "50 volumes" limited to 250 sets
The St. Martin Edition in full leather, "50 volumes" limited to 100 sets
The Passy edition in full leather,"50 volumes" limited to 50 sets
The Romainville-Edition in full leather, "100 volumes" limited to 26 lettered sets.
Bibliomaniac Edition in full leather with DeLuxe slipacase, gemstones, "100 volumes" limited to 10 sets. (completely printed on vellum, considered to be the all time record for amount of printing on vellum.)
According to a New York Times article (June 16, 1908), the Passy Edition was supposed to sell for $3,125 a set (in 1904!) The Bibliomaniac edition was supposed to sell for $50,000. Apparently it didn't do too well and the poor John Sloan, who made a large number or etchings for the editions, ended up being paid with books from the Bibliomaniac edition.