Text in French. Reprint of this 19th century auction catalogue. In 1885, the autograph collector A. Bovet put up for sale all of his autograph collection excepting autographs of composers and singers. This auction catalogue by É. Charavay lists 2,137 lots in ten sections: heads of governments, statesmen and political personnages, French Revolution, military figures, scientists and explorers, writers, dramatic artists, painters-sculptors-architects, Hugenots, and women. Entries are usually annotated; many are accompanied by facsimiles of signatures, letters or parts of letters, and, in the section on painters et al., by drawings and sketches. Autographs are mostly French, but there are others, for ex., items from six American presidents and various British statesmen, from German literary figures, etc. A well-designed catalogue with indexes. Originally issued in three parts (but consecutively numbered and paginated). Plates follow text.