FRANCIS CARCO (1886-1958)

Three Limited Edition Titles.
Including: Images Cachées, Paris: Editions de la Roseraie, 1928, copy number 42, one of thirty-five examples printed on Japon imperial, illustrated with lithographs by Luc-Albert Moreau, with each illustration in triplicate, bound in full contemporary crushed red morocco, in a matching custom slipcase (spine sun-faded), very good; Jésus-la-Caille, Paris: Emile Hazan & Cie., 1929, copy number 773 of 800 examples printed on vélin d'Arches with etchings by Dignimont printed in color, original limp wrappers bound into contemporary half red morocco and marbled paper boards, spine slightly faded, binding identical to the final title: Les Innocents, Paris: Emile Hazan & Cie., 1930, copy number 747 of 800 examples printed on vélin d'Arches with etchings by Dignimont printed in color, original limp wrappers bound into contemporary half red morocco and marbled paper boards. (3)

Jésus-la-Caille is set in the world of the sex workers of Montmartre in the early 20th century. The title character is a queer male sex worker, an unusual subject for the period. Carco is remembered as a reliable chronicler of underground Parisian culture after the first World War; he describes pimp and police behavior, gay and drag bars, and his characters speak in the authentic argot, or street slang of Paris.