La Croisière Noire. Expédition Citroën Centre-Afrique.
by HAARDT, Georges-Marie, & Louis Audouin-Dubreuil
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
London, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Paris: Librairie Plon,, 1927. First edition, first impression, limited issue, number 447 of 500. Inscribed in French to an unnamed recipient by Jean Pendrell Waddington as "Waddy" on front blank, dated 15 March 1931. Waddington was a member of La Croisière Jaune, a Citroën automotive expedition travelling from Beirut to Beijing in 1931-2. The inscription reads: "This is the story of the second expedition, we are off for the third... and I hope that when like Ulysses we have made a beautiful journey you can leave for a fourth expedition and that this one will pass through your homeland". The intrepid duo of Georges-Marie Haardt (1884-1932) and Louis Audouin-Dubreuil (1887-1960) were pioneers of motor exploration, and this attractive work documents their automotive north-to-south crossing of Africa in 1924-5 to promote the Citroën brand. The crossing of Africa was followed by a similarly impressive feat, La Croisière Jaune. Aside from the advertising aspect, the expedition was also significant from a scientific and ethnographic point of view. Insect, mammal, and bird samples were collected and inventoried. Furthermore, 27 kilometres of film were impressed, and 6,000 photographs taken of local peoples. "Haardt was born in Naples to Belgian parents and took employment with the Citroën motor company, first as a development engineer, then from 1910 as managing director of the company's factories. In 1919, after seeing service in World War I, he was naturalised a French citizen" (Howgego). Audouin-Dubreuil was recruited by André Citroën after leaving the French army highly decorated. Provenance: Jean Pendrell Waddington (1893-) was author of Lueurs d'Asie (1935), under the pseudonym "Waddy". His work outlined the projected return route for La Croisière Jaune expedition. Large quarto. Original brown morocco, spine with raised bands, lettered in blind, decorations on boards in blind, black and red, gilt turn-ins, patterned endpapers, top edge gilt, others uncut. With 80 plates, 4 maps, and numerous illustrative decorations in the text. Spine with neat repairs and a few minor chips, some minor marks to rear cover, occasional foxing. A very good copy.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Peter Harrington (GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 144672
- Title
- La Croisière Noire. Expédition Citroën Centre-Afrique.
- Author
- HAARDT, Georges-Marie, & Louis Audouin-Dubreuil
- Book Condition
- Used
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Place of Publication
- Paris: Librairie Plon,
- Date Published
- 1927
Terms of Sale
Peter Harrington
All major credit cards are accepted. Both UK pounds and US dollars (exchange rate to be agreed) accepted. Books may be returned within 14 days of receipt for any reason, please notify first of returned goods.
About the Seller
Peter Harrington
Biblio member since 2006
London
About Peter Harrington
Since its establishment, Peter Harrington has specialised in sourcing, selling and buying the finest quality original first editions, signed, rare and antiquarian books, fine bindings and library sets. Peter Harrington first began selling rare books from the Chelsea Antiques Market on London's King's Road. For the past twenty years the business has been run by Pom Harrington, Peter's son.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Quarto
- The term quarto is used to describe a page or book size. A printed sheet is made with four pages of text on each side, and the...
- Top Edge Gilt
- Top edge gilt refers to the practice of applying gold or a gold-like finish to the top of the text block (the edges the pages...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Raised Band(s)
- Raised bands refer to the ridges that protrude slightly from the spine on leather bound books. The bands are created in the...
- Inscribed
- When a book is described as being inscribed, it indicates that a short note written by the author or a previous owner has been...