DORE (Gustave). Histoire pittoresque, dramatique et caricatu - Lot 80

DORE (Gustave). Histoire pittoresque, dramatique et caricaturale de la Sainte Russie, d'après les chroniqueurs et historiens Nestor, Nikan, etc. Commented and illustrated with 500 magnificent engravings by Gustave Doré, woodcuts by the entire new school under the direction of Sotain. P., J. Bry aîné, 1854. In-4, light green half-maroq, corners, ornate spine, gilt head, untrimmed, ill. cover (Champs). First edition of this pamphlet directed against Russia's activities in the East, particularly in Crimea. A very violent satirical pamphlet, this book was a huge success, but the government of Napoleon III bought back the edition in 1856, only to destroy it at the time of the Paris conference where the peace treaty was being drafted. Copy with two red stains on pages 89 and 97: "The publisher wanted to mark in this way the passages corresponding to the bloody eras of Russia. Nowadays, a whole bottle of red ink would have had to be spilled in the book", wrote Carteret in 1924... Carteret, III/293. SUPERB COPY WITH MINT COVER.