CHAM (pseudonym of Amédée de Noé)

Vacances, Les

Paris: Maison Martinet, 1850. Item #05374

Cham's Comical View of 'Fun During the Holidays'

CHAM (pseudonym of Amédée de Noé). Les Vacances. Album des Petits Amateurs. Paris: Maison Martinet, [ca. 1850].

First edition. (8 7/8 x 11 1/2 inches; 225 x 292 mm.). Pictorial lithograph title-page and sixteen hand colored lithographed plates, some heightened with gum arabic. Plates lithographed by Decan. Five of the plates are signed W. Ealaissie? Title-page a little foxed, the fine hand colored plates with light, mainly marginal foxing.

Mid twentieth century full black morocco, Covers decoratively bordered in gilt, front cover with decorative gilt title, smooth spine, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Publisher's pictorial wrappers (front one same as title-page) bound in.
An excellent example of this extremely rare and amusing Cham title.

We have been unable to find any records of this charming little book… the "Fine Extensive Collection" of the works of Cham which was sold in 1926 by Maggs of London did not apparently include this title.

CHAM (pseudonym of Amédée de Noé) (1818-1879). French caricaturist and lithographer, published his first book Monsieur Lajeunesse in 1839 and from 1843 began to be regularly published in illustrated magazines such as Le Charivari (which in 1835 focused primarily on publishing satires of everyday life), thereafter becoming one of the most popular of French caricaturists through entertaining storybooks such as this work which satirized 'jokes in poor taste.'

Several artists "followed in the wake of Daumier and Gavarni. Among the most attractive of the former is Amédéé de Noé, ”known as Cham (that is, Ham, the son of Noah)…it was said that he had ‘an idea a day’ for Le charivari. A good proportion of his thousands of lithographs were gathered into albums. His contributions to the Album du siège (173), in which Daumier was his collaborator, are typical of his work” (Ray, pp. 155-156).

Cham had contacts with English artists, many of whom had trained on the Continent, most in company with English artist and follower of the pioneering German lithographer Alois Senefelder.

The Plates:

1. Un bal d’enfants au Jardin d’hiver.
A children's ball in the Winter Garden.

2. La polk en plein air.
Outdoor polk.

3. Les amusements de l’hiver.
Winter fun.

4. Les boules de neige.
Snowballs.

5. Une ascencion difficile.
A difficult climb.

6. La partie de pêche.
The fishing party.

7. Des ânes qui aiment à rire.
Donkeys who like to laugh.

8. Les parisiens aux régates du hâvre.
Parisians at the regattas in Le Havre.

9. Courses en chars. (Hippodrome)
Chariot races. (Hippodrome)

10. Fantasia russe. (Hippodrome)
Russian fantasy. (Hippodrome)

11. Combat de taureau. (Hippodrome)
Bull fight. (Hippodrome)

12. Le carrousel. (Hippodrome)
The carousel. (Hippodrome)

13. J’ai ma part du butin.
I have my share of the spoils.

14. Pare celui-là!...
Parry that one!...

15. V’lan! Attrape la prune…
Wow! Catch the plum...

16. Le paysan est plume, mais la poule ne l’est pas.
The peasant is a feather, but the hen is not.

Price: $3,500.00