Le Nouveau Monde (à l'envers): Histoire Helas! L'Envers d'une Altesse: Pour servir a l'histoire/de ce temps
Paris [1925]. large 4to. 20pp.
Item #6948
A portfolio of images of the infamous Luis Ferdinand d'Orleans y Borbón, Infante d'Espagne, outrageous gay character, drug dealer, cocaine addict, friend to Cocteau, Mistinguett, Marcel Proust among others. Luis Ferdinand is portrayed in a number of outrageous poses, cavorting with sailors, sniffing cocaine, dressing as a woman and soliciting policemen, etc. He was expelled from France on several occasions for dealing in drugs (dressed as a woman on one occasion) and King Alfonso XIII of Spain eventually deprived him of his rights as an Infante of Spain. In 1930, he married (the much older) Marie Constance Charlotte Say, widow of Prince Henri Amédée de Broglie and the owner of the Château de Chaumont, creating great controversy in the process. His relationship with Proust is detailed in Gury, C. Proust et le "très singulier" infant d'Espagne.
Undoubtedly Sem's most outrageous published collection of images.
Very good in original decorative wrappers, warmly inscribed by Sem on the title page "Pour Jean Cocteau, Ces enfants terribles! affectueusement. Sem." The book also bears the notation, also in Sem's hand: "Cet album est un peu culotte (si j'ose dire) mais c'est un des derniers qui me restent."
Wrappers have been lightly restored with one closed tear, the marbled boards are lightly worn with some slight loss at spine and light repair, leather label.Quite rare, particularly in the wrappers; only one institutional copy found.
See Rodriques, J. El Infante Maldito: La Biographía de Luis Fernando de Orleans, el Más Depravado Princípe Borbon.
Price: $3,000.00