Proiet De L’Histoire Genealogiqve Des Familles Nobles De Davphiné.
Grenoble, R. Philippes 1669.
4to (214 x 152 mm.). 14, [2 blank]p.
Late 19th-century mottled sheep (rubbed), gilt-lettered spine title.
Second Recorded Copy of this early prospectus announcing a plan for a multi-volume work on Dauphiné noble families. For each, Allard promises a genealogical tree, a summary of their origin, a history of family heads, a list of allied houses and a description of their arms (engravings being too expensive). Allard puffs his access to archives, though he had been fired two years prior from his genealogist position for running a side business. In 1671, the first volume appeared, hastily prepared in advance of a competing work. Three more volumes were published, all to negative reviews. The project was ultimately abandoned — one of several similarly fated endeavors by Allard. Stains on the title and first leaf, once folded; four manuscript corrections in black ink, one passage underlined in pencil.
¶Roman, “Bibliographie de l’œuvre généalogique de Guy Allard” in Petite revue des bibliophiles dauphinois (1905) 14-23,1; Saffroy, Bibliographie généalogique 21563.
Price: $3,800.00