La Nuit Venitienne, Fantasio and Les Caprices De Marianne [together with] Contes Du Temps Jadis

Paris [1913] and [1912]: L'Edition d'Art H. Piazza. Limited Edition. Quarto. Two volumes, presentation copies by the illustrator Umberto Brunellesch. The first volume: La Nuit Venitienne is limited to 500 copies, on Japon paper. The present copy is number 307 inscribed and signed by the artist dated 1914 to Morris [K]erztein(?) (Should have been spelled Herztein). Illustrated with 20 tipped-in full color plates by Brunelleschi with printed tissue guards. Laid in is a two page autographed letter from Margaret Andrews of San Francisco dated 1944 to Sidney M. Ehrman who was to become the recipient of these two volumes. Margaret Andrews acquired them from the late Dr. Herzstein. The letter explains the gift of the two volumes signed by Umberto Brunelleschi (Alfred de Musset's La Nuit Venitienne and Contes du temps Jadis which as she writes:..... "were very personal possessions of the late Dr. [Morris] Herzstein. They came from the San Francisco Costume Ball of 1944. These [point to] the fine friendship of the Ehrman and Hellman families and makes one believe it is appropriate to request your acceptance for your library for the pleasure of your family and greetings to you for Mrs. Ehrman". Sidney M. Ehrman 1873-1974) was a prominent San Francisco lawyer with the firm of Heller Ehrman White & Mcauliffe. He also served as a regent of the University of California, Berkeley whose gift in 1932 of $200,000 to the University established a Professorship in the name of his son Sidney Hellman Ehrman (1905-1930) that brought the distinguished James Westfall Thompson to the University. Since his son had just finished his graduate work at King's College, Cambridge, he also underwrote a scholarship there. He owned the mansion which is known by his name that was designed by Lewis P. Hubert, architect in 1915-1916. It is now owned by the state of California where it has become a state monument. He was a friend of Moshe Menuhin (son of Yehudi Menuhin) and when his controversial book was published (The Decadence of Judaism in Our Time), he underwrote the purchase and distribution of 100 copies of the book which was banned in San Francisco bookstores though Paul Elder's and the Emporium refused to submit to the ban. Many prominent Jews came to his defense though the extreme pro-Zionist elements attempted to censor the book as they did with Ben Hecht's Perfidy. He also was an opponent of the loyalty oath which drove a number of professors from the University of California to Princeton. The donor was Margaret Andrews of San Francisco. She was a participant and planner of the San Francisco Costume Ball and lived at 1201 California Street in San Francisco. The second volume: Contes Du Temps Jadis is limited to 400 copies on Japon paper, the present copy is #290, illustrated by Brunelleschi with 20 full color plates tipped in with printed tissue guards. Inscribed and signed. Both volumes bound in full brown leather, flat spines decorated in gilt, black leather spine labels gilt, marbled endpapers, both volumes with the original wrappers bound in and housed within matching slipcases, rubbed around the edges. A very nice set.