Antique Purple French Book Bundle With Gilt Embossed Covers and School Prize Labels

A gorgeous set of eight antique French books in rich shades of violet, plum, and purple, each cover decorated with ornate gold-stamped frames and medallions. The jewel-toned cloth and shimmering gilt make this stack a showstopper on a shelf, mantel, or coffee table, and they look just as lovely displayed face-out.

These are classic 19th-century French children's and moral tales from publishers like Alfred Mame et Fils of Tours, Mégard of Rouen, and Ardant of Limoges, many with engraved frontispieces. Best of all, six of the eight still carry their original school prize labels from the Pensionnat and Maison de St. Joseph in Saint-Étienne, all awarded to the same young student, Mademoiselle Chanavat, for subjects like arithmetic, letter writing, and handwork between 1868 and 1881.

The tallest book measures 8.75 inches, and the set takes up approximately 5 inches of shelf space.

Titles included in this bundle:
💜 Contes à Mes Enfants, par un Père de Famille (undated)
💜 La Bergère de Beauvallon by Stéphanie Ory (1873)
💜 La Gerbe by the Comtesse de Bassanville (1873)
💜 Beautés et Merveilles de la Nature by De Marlès
💜 Les Bonnes Lectures by Félix Cassan (1868)
💜 Léonie d'Ernouville by Stéphanie Ory (1876)
💜 Le Transfuge by C. Guenot (1878)
💜 Les Jeunes Converties (1869)

**Condition**
The spines show fading, fraying, and some paper loss at the edges. These are all very old books and show various signs of aging which may include damaged spines, smudges, fading, bumped corners, etc. All these natural signs of age are what make vintage books such a unique, charming, and cozy design choice!