*Stéphane MALLARMÉ. The Poems of Edgar Poe. 1888-1897. 1) Translation by Stéphane Mallarmé, with portrait and fleuron by Édouard Manet. Bruxelles, chez l'Éditeur Edmond Deman, [July] 1888; pet. in-4, no cover, full blue cloth, cold-titled spine (Modern binding). First edition of the translation except for Le Corbeau. Of the initial print run justified at 850 copies, 50 on Japon and 800 on Hollande, of which 75 HC, only 300 copies should be considered as of 1888 (25 J. and 275 H.), all 550 unsold copies having been made up as 2nd editions in 1897 (see 3)]. Deman refers to 500 in his letter [cf. 3)], as he does not consider the 75HC part in free distribution. Mallarmé praised Deman's "strict, discreet, chastened title pages" (November 21, 1888). A few special copies on unjustified tinted vellum paper (including Mallarmé's). The Fontainas bibliography rightly states that the "service de presse" or "Tiré pour M. S. Mallarmé" are among the 75 HC (Publications de la Librairie Deman, p. 27). But, except in the list of copies, it does not specify this print run on tinted vellum with the imprint: "Exemplaire spécial pour", which is obviously not numbered. Five copies identified, including this one, which joins the ex. Chalanton from the Deman family and the unnamed one from the University of Liège (Fontainas p. 31), the one from Mallarmé (reported Fontainas p. 30) [which we saw in July 2007, paperback, on tinted vellum: "Exemplaire spécial offert à M. S. Mallarmé par l'éditeur / / Edmond Deman", a 4th at the Faustroll bookshop seen on February 9, 2012 bound by David (name scratched)]. Frontispiece by Manet, to whose memory "Ces feuillets que nous lûmes ensemble" is dedicated (in 1889, Vanier's edition is dedicated to Baudelaire, see below): portrait of Poe on slightly lighter vellum. This plate of Manet's unpublished drawing was straightened a little in the 1897 issue (cf. 3) and printed on fairly strong cream vellum (different from the main body on laid paper). Note, in the "Du même Auteur" list, the famous announcement of Le Tiroir de Laque with its illustrators (except Miss Cassatt) who will be limited to Renoir in the frontispiece of Pages [see no. 65]. [What did not attract attention was a first title "L'Éventail de Laque / Poèmes en prose" announced on April 30, 1888 on the 2nd cover of n°4 of La Wallonie]. Without the fine ivory guilloche paper cover, illustrated with Manet's Corbeau in reduction (but see 3), modestly bound, but precious wove paper, largely uncut. 2) The Poems of Edgar Poe. Prose translation by Stéphane Mallarmé with portrait and illustrations by Édouard Manet. Paris, Léon Vanier, 1889; gr. in-8 bound in pamphlet, full vellum with flaps, spine titled in gold, untrimmed, flap covers and spine, slipcase (Reliure moderne). [Second] edition dedicated, no longer to the spirits of Manet, but "To the memory of Baudelaire// Whom death alone prevented from completing, by translating all these poems, the magnificent and fraternal monument dedicated by his genius to EDGAR POE". Illustrated by Manet in 9 photogravures (plus the tomb): portrait of Poe (already published in 1), the 6 reduced lithos of Le Corbeau published by Lesclide in 1875, and 2 unpublished drawings: Annabel Lee and La Cité en la mer. "Vanier counterfeit", said Mallarmé (see 3), who denounced "his derisorily expensive edition, lacking in taste as anything he does alone can only be lamentable and, for this reason, I recognize for mine only that of Brussels, as I announce in all my bibliographical notes, but we must be assured of priority", he wrote to Verhaeren on March 25, 1888, urging Deman to quickly publish his Poe before Vanier (Marchal Corr. 904). 3) Les Poèmes d'Edgar Poe. Translation by Stéphane Mallarmé, with portrait and fleuron by Édouard Manet. Bruxelles, chez l'Éditeur Edmond Deman, 1897 [early Dec. 1896]; pet. in-4. black half-chagr. with corners, spine ribbed, marbled paper, green silk cordonnet, cover and spine cons. (interwar binding). Second issue of the translation, i.e. the unsold copies of 1888, justified at 550 num. copies (no longer HC), of which 25 on Japon impérial and 525 on vergé de Hollande. One of 525 on Hollande laid paper, press number 375. Following an inventory, Deman wrote to Mallarmé: "I noticed that we still had 500 copies of Poe's Poems. I concluded that the issue price was too high, and that it might be possible, with a new title and false-title, to establish a "2nd edition" (!) of 500 copies at 5 fr, with a possible chance of a better result. The mention "2nd edition" could justify setting a lower price for the sale.