[INSTITUT NATIONAL DES JEUNES AVEUGLES] - GAUTHIER (Gabriel). Principes Elémentaires de Musique, A l'usage des commençants. Paris, 1837. - In-8, 224x143: (2 ff.), 44 pp. Green half cloth, smooth spine, untrimmed (contemporary binding). Extremely rare first edition, printed entirely in relief and not inked, intended for students at the Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles. Its author, Gabriel Gauthier (1808-1875/1880), blind since the age of 11 months as a result of smallpox, embodies the success of musical education for the blind in the 19th century. First a pupil, then professor of organ and composition at the Institut (1827-1840), he succeeded his teacher Guillaume Lasceux as titular organist at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, a position he held with brio. Composer of Masses that have remained in the Institut's repertoire, he also trained a generation of blind organists, including Roussel, who went on to perform alongside Gounod. An emblematic figure in Valentin Haüy's legacy, Gauthier demonstrates how the Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles enabled blind people to become recognized artists, fully integrated into France's musical and religious life. This edition bears witness to his commitment to the autonomy and artistic excellence of the blind. Copies known to date are extremely rare. With the exception of the Dieppe library, no public institution appears to possess this work. It also appears that no copy has ever been offered for public sale. Spine faded. Some soiling to leaves.