BONET, Paul (1889-1932), binder. VALLÈS, Jules. L'Enfant. * Le Bachelier. * L'Insurgé. * Les Réfractaires. Illustrated by Henri BARTHÉLEMY. Paris: Éditions Mornay, 1920, 1921, 1923, and 1930.

Rare, continuous binding by Paul Bonet. One of the most celebrated of French binding designers, bookbinding began as a hobby for Paul Bonet. He was a modeler of wooden fashion mannequins when he was asked by a friend to design covers for his modest book collection. Within five years Bonet's bindings had been exhibited in several Paris galleries as well as at the Salon d'Automne, at which point he decided to take up the art professionally. The first three novels are Vallès's semi-autobiographical trilogy and they are bound to form a unified design across all three. L'Enfant is one of 60 copies on japon impérial. The others are limited editions printed on paper.

Together, four volumes. Title page and initials printed in red and black. Illustrated with wood-engravings by Henri Barthélemy, including frontispieces printed in two colors and decorated initials. Full morocco by Paul Bonet, the first three volumes in a continuous design but all uniform, the covers with a central strip of gilt and silvered marbled paper (which matches the endpapers) and abstract architectural design accomplished in red and black morocco onlay, spines gilt-lettered, top edges stained red, others uncut, stamp-signed by the binder on upper turn-ins (small rub to upper joint of last title); housed together in morocco-edged slipcase.