Intérieurs Français

Paris: Éditions Albert Morancé, 1925. First Edition. Portfolio. Paper pastedown on boards. Cloth spine (lacking here). Ribbon tie. . Very Good. 4to. 28 by 23.5 cm. 17, [2], followed by 37, of 40, color plates -- most, but not all, are pochoir, and one of the plates is merely a b/w photo. Lacking Plates 12 (Salon, by Pierre Chareau), 17 (Studio, by Francis Jourdain) and 37 (Girl's bedroom, by J. E. Ruhlmann). Plates are dated 1924, while the overall publication date is given as 1925. Color plates can be colorized photos, pure painting or drawing, or a hybrid of photo and painting. We assume the painted images were done by the decorator credited with the room, or by someone in that decorator's operation, but no credit is given for such artwork explicitly. The rooms show the range, variety and elegance of Art Deco from its height as the prevailing style. The rooms have the panache and often a theatricality one would expect from the French. Colors often are daring. Details can be many without ever even a hint of clutter, and always there are one or two pieces within the scheme that are especially striking. Inside boards has publisher's ad or list of publications. Condition: cloth spine lacking -- cloth overlay on boards remains intact. Boards' pastedown rubbed, a little abraded, and its color somewhat leeched away. Plate margins can have light soiling but are mostly clean, and the pictorial elements are across the board bright and fresh.