Dresses of the Representatives of the People, Members of the Two Councils, and of the Executive Directory. Also of the Ministers, Judges, Messengers, Ushers and Other Public Officers, &c. &c. Fourth Year of the French Republic 1795. The Whole illustrated by an historical Description, translated from the French. [Also included is the French title page: Costumes des Représentans du Peuple Français. Membres des deux Conseils, du Directoir Executif des Ministres, des Tribunaux, des Messagers d’État, Hussiers, et autres Fonctionaires Publics]

London: E. and S. Harding, 1796. First English Edition [based closely on earlier French version published by Deroy]. Full Calf. Very Good Plus. With both the English and French title pages, the latter, with a hand-colored illustration of the Conseil de Cinq Cents. 8vo. 21 by 12.5 cm. Title with hand-colored illustration of the Conseil de Cinq-Cent, followed by fifteen hand-colored costume plates of French officialdom. The book is paginated oddly, with the plates unnumbered, but accompanied by 12 numbered explanatory exegeses, two serving two or three plates. In total, there are 31 leaves with content, including the title pages, an "advertisement" and an "Index" leaf, and most of the leaves have blanks on their flip sides, but a few text leaves use both sides. This copy is handsomely bound in full brown calf, with simpled ruled gilt decoration, plus a band of blindstamped decoration around the perimeters. Spine has attractive gilt decorative diapers in three "compartments", although there are no raised bands, and the tile rendered in gilt. The leather has a little light scuffing, but few will not find the binding appealing as it is. The leaves within have very occasional light fox marks and other occasional stray stains, but in our view, this copy reads quite clean. (Inventory #: 20360)