[Méry LAURENT]. Henri MAIRET. 7 photographs by Méry Laurent. La Photographie Nouvelle. Paris, c. 1896. Méry Laurent at his various addresses. Seven unpublished albumen or aristotype prints, mounted on original strong cardboard with silver beveled edges (except for 7, which is softer and has straight edges), captioned by the firm of photographer Mairet, who excelled in instantaneous flash using a magnesium-smoke-free process of his own invention (see above). The multiplication of views does not facilitate the distribution of addresses. Hence certain hypotheses. At 52 rue de Rome, two prints with Méry: 1) Photo of primary importance, never studied. In the salon, Méry reading (eyes lowered, retouched), seated on the furred sofa near the fireplace (22 x 27.6). On the mirror, Méry or La Naissance de Vénus by Gervex, recently acquired in 1896. On the wall, several paintings could be identified. (Reprod. in small in Sotheby's infra). This is the counterpart to the other famous shot of Méry playing the piano for Mallarmé and Gervex, which shows the opposite side of the same room with Manet's Execution of Maximilien. This picture was first shown at La Photographie Nouvelle [formerly at Dornac] in Anne Borrel's exhibition catalogue Femmes de Mallarmé (Vulaines-s.-Seine, Musée Mallarmé, Liénart (2011) p. 85), then in Portraits de M., 2013 p.75 (the best reproduction with its printed cardboard), but without specifying that Henri Mairet was the photographer. 2) In her bedroom, Méry sits reading, leaning against the pedestal table (22.1 x 28.5). To the right of the bed canopy embroidered with her initials, at the very top, her oil portrait by Gervex, and of the same, the watercolor sketch Rosette hanging on the mirror like the Naissance de Vénus in the salon cf. supra (the 3 Gervexes at the Bibl. litt. J. Doucet). At the villa des Talus, 9 boulevard Lannes, which was redecorated with an oriental touch in 1893 with Mallarmé's help. 3) Salon with tapestry and piano (21.9 x 28.5) with the reflection of L'Automne in the mirror (see another shot of the same space, this time with Méry [previous no. 2]). 4) Bedroom with psyche (probably Lannes) (22.2 x 28.5) 5) Occasional dining room, set table (22.5 x 28.5), wallpapered walls with plant motif. 6) Bathroom (28.6 x 21.9) with monogrammed tile and spring decor. 7) Oriental elephant boudoir with two Mallarmé photos hanging in rear left corner (22.1 x 28.2). On the right wall, probably Édouard Detaille's cavalier, bequeathed to Lucien Cuénot of Nancy. Various defects to the mounting boards, with old traces of passe-partout on 4 pieces, otherwise rare witnesses to private places frequented by so many artists. Provenance: Mallarmé-Morel no. 200 (photographer unidentified; and located on rue de Rome, which would make two piano salons!). On the back, in ink: "chez Méry Laurent" by Henri Mondor, except for 1 and 7.