DUNOYER DE NOIRMONT (Joseph Anne) - MARBOT (Alfred de). French military costumes. From the organization of the first regular troops in 1439 to 1789. - French military costumes. From 1789 to 1814. Paris: Clément; London: E. Gambart & Co, [1845-1862]. - 3 volumes in-folio, 434 x 319 : (1 f.), title, VI, 100 pp., 115 plates ; (1 f.), title, III, 48 pp., 184 plates ; (1 f.), title, 58 pp., 150 plates. Red half-chagrin with corners, spine ribbed (Favre-Petit-Mermet). Colas, 1970. First edition of the most important work on French military costume, examining the organization, armament, clothing and equipment of the various army corps. It is divided into two parts. The first part occupies the first two volumes and covers the period from the establishment of the first regular troops under Charles VII in 1439 until the revolution of 1789. It was written by Joseph Anne Dunoyer de Noirmont (1816-1896), maître des requêtes at the Conseil d'État, and appeared from 1845 to 1855 in 50 issues of 6 plates (Colas says from 1830 to 1850.) The third volume forms the second part devoted to the costumes from 1789 to 1815; it was written by the historian and painter Alfred de Marbot (1812-1865) and was published between 1855 and 1862 in 25 issues (Colas says around 1860). The text was given free to subscribers. The interest of this publication comes in particular from the 450 ORIGINAL LITHOGRAPHS IN COLOR after Alfred de Marbot's drawings, of which 300 for the first part and 150 for the second. They represent most of the time the soldiers in situation and not frozen as it is often the case. In addition, there are three titles also lithographed. The preface of the second part was mistakenly placed at the head of the second volume. The work entitled Tableaux synoptiques de l'infanterie et de la cavalerie française et des régiments étrangers au service de la France de 1720 à 1789 (Synoptic tables of the French infantry and cavalry and of the foreign regiments in the service of France from 1720 to 1789), published in 1854 with 12 additional plates, is missing and is sometimes attached to this set. Copy in modern signed binding, entirely mounted on tabs. Some foxing affecting mainly the text leaves, rarely the plates.