SARCEY (Francisque). Comedians and comediennes. The Comédie Française. - Théâtres divers. Paris : Librairie des bibliophiles, 1876-1884. - 2 volumes in-8, 239 x 163: (2 ff.), 15, 28, 27, 19, 24, 24, 31, 20, 20, 27, 27, 28, 28, 27, 32 pp. 15 plates; (2 ff.), 20, 19, 24, 24, 28, 24, 28, 31, 23, 23, 24, 24 pp. (3)-24, 23 pp., (2 ff.), 16 plates, printed cover Brown half-chagrin, spine ribbed, gilt heads, untrimmed, cover preserved in the second volume (period and early 20th century bindings). First edition of these two series of biographical notes on the principal actors and actresses of Paris in the second half of the 19th century, written by the dramatic critic Francisque Sarcey (1827-1899). The first volume concerns only the members of the Comédie-Française. Each edition is illustrated with portraits of most of the artists mentioned by Sarcey. The first volume thus contains 15 out-of-text portraits engraved with etching by Léon Gaucherel, as well as a vignette representing the Comédie-Française at the head of the preface. The second volume contains 16 out-of-text etched portraits by Léon Gaucherel and Adolphe Lalauze. The first volume is the one that belonged to the lawyer and bibliophile Alidor Delzant (1848-1905), friend, secretary and executor of the Goncourt brothers, who enriched it with an autograph manuscript signed by Francisque Sarcey, 14 1/4 pages in-8, entitled Causeries sur l'ancien répertoire. This text deals with the repertoire of the Comédie-Française. According to Delzant's autograph note on a sheet added at the head, it is a text that appeared in the Revue des jeunes filles. Some erasures. The copy was also enriched later with a small L.A.S. from Jules Claretie, 1 page in-8, dated 25 February 1911, on the letterhead of the Comédie-Française. Spine slightly faded. Some rubbing from use. The binding of the first volume is later than that of the second. Provenance: Alidor Delzant, with bookplate (volume 1). - Albert Martin, with bookplate (volume 2).