*le Costume Historique* By A. Racinet, – 6 Volumes – 500 Plates, Firmin Didot, 1888

Auguste Racinet (1825–1893)
Le Costume historique. Types principaux du vêtement et de la parure, rapprochés de ceux de l’intérieur de l’habitation dans tous les temps et chez tous les peuples.

Paris, Librairie de Firmin-Didot et Cie, 1888.

Edition in six volumes, to be distinguished from the large folio edition also published by Firmin-Didot in 1888.

A monumental work on the history of costume and an exceptional documentary source, Le Costume historique is one of the major illustrated publications of the 19th century devoted to clothing, personal adornment and, more broadly, the decorative arts and material cultures of civilizations throughout the world.

Auguste Racinet assembled an extraordinarily rich body of documentation covering civil, military and religious costume, hairstyles and personal adornment, as well as furniture, weapons, everyday objects, means of transport and interiors, encompassing a remarkably broad geographical and chronological range.

Complete with all 500 plates, as stated on the title page: 300 in colour, gold and silver and 200 in monochrome, accompanied by explanatory texts.

Volume I includes the general introduction, tables, bibliography, glossary and concordances.

The 500 plates are distributed throughout the following five volumes:

• Volume II: plates 1–100
• Volume III: plates 101–200
• Volume IV: plates 201–300
• Volume V: plates 301–400
• Volume VI: plates 401–500

The plates in Volumes II to VI bear discreet old numbering in pencil at the top.

The colour plates are remarkably well preserved, some with rich gold and silver highlights retaining much of their original brilliance.

Six volumes bound in red half-morocco with matching corners and polychrome marbled-paper boards. Spines with five raised bands and gilt decorative tooling, with author, title, volume numbers and plate numbers in gilt. 1888tooled in gilt at the foot of each spine. Top edges trimmed and gilt, speckled endpapers and ribbon marker in each volume. 20th-century bindings.

Bindings in good overall condition, showing some rubbing and surface abrasions consistent with use. Volumes II and VI show minor surface abrasions; these are more noticeable on Volume IV, particularly to the leather of the front board along the joint, as well as to the raised bands and upper headcap. The bindings remain sound.

Interiors in very good and particularly fresh condition.

Volume I bears a few old handwritten annotations on the half-title and a defect to one preliminary leaf. The main title page, printed in black and red, is well preserved. Some double leaves in Volume I remain unopened.

Dimensions of each volume: approx. 23 × 25 cm
Total weight of the six-volume set: 10.3 kg