Histoires Instructives pour les Enfants | 1852 | Hand-colored Illustrations

A beautifully preserved mid-19th-century French children’s book, Histoires Instructives pour les Enfants, published in 1852 by the celebrated A. Mame et Cie of Tours — renowned for their luxurious bindings and high-quality color illustrations.

This instructional work presents a series of moral and educational tales, including Les Navires, Poterie et Porcelaine, Le Charron de Terre, Le Drap, La Capitale des Vieux Souliers, and Le Verre. Designed to both entertain and inform, the book is richly illustrated with full-page hand-colored lithographs depicting scenes from each story.

Deep purple cloth stamped in elaborate gilt and polychrome, with a central panel in cobalt blue featuring a teaching scene, framed by intricate scrollwork, floral motifs, and symbolic vignettes. The spine is equally ornate, with gilt title and geometric decoration accented in green and red. The back board bears a finely tooled gilt-and-green vignette of a spinner at her wheel beneath a lattice window. All edges gilt. Binding tight. Scattered foxing. Light rubbing.

Condition: Very Good
 
Size: 4 3/4” x 7 3/4”

A fine collectible for those drawn to 19th-century French publishing, illustrated children’s literature, or the artistry of period decorative bindings.