Les Fetes Reeles.

1897. (#173515) TRACHSEL, Albert. Les Fêtes réeles. 12 ff. With a portrait of the author by F. Hodler engraved by H. Forestier, and 50 large numbered heliotype plates by Trachsel in various tones of black, blue, sepia, and violet on white. Oblong folio, 357 x 468 mm, Bound in publisher's red three quarter cloth over boards by Villain. Paris: Société du Mercure de France, 1897. A fine copy of this incredibly scarce suite of large fantastic architectural designs by the visionary Swiss symbolist artist, poet and architect, Albert Trachsel (1863-1929), a contemporary of the young Picasso, with whom he exhibited at the Galeries Serrurier, Paris (1905). This curious work is specially mentioned by Bénézit, and contains a prologue in verse by Mathias Morhardt, as well as an historical and interpretive preface by Trachsel. The statement of limitation on the verso of the half title reads: "De cet album il a été tiré 100 exemplaires sur papier courant et 40 exemplaires sur papier impérial du Japon." The present copy is one of the regular copies and unnumbered. One plate and the table of contents spotted, but overall a fresh and appealing copy. OCLC lists 6 copies in the US: Columbia, Yale, LOC, NGA, Wolfsonian, Getty and 5 copies in Europe.