Le Patissier Moderne Suive D'un Traite De Confiserie D'office [The Modern Pastry Chef, followed by a Treatise on Official Confectionary] (Signed)

Text in French. Signed by Gustave Garlin, on verso of half title page, under a notice stating that any copy not bearing his signature will be considered counterfeit. xvi, 998pp, with 262 in text illustrations. In red buckram-covered boards with black lettering and decorations on front, spine and rear panel. Green endpapers. Tissue-guarded frontispiece. Large 4to. . Boards are severely discoloured and marked, rubbed all round edges, rounded on corners and spine ends, cloth cracked along length of rear joint. Text block edges dark and toned. Front pastedown is scuffed and scarred in upper leading corner, with some paper loss, front free endpaper chipped on leading edge, with some minor loss. The book has at some point had some water damage, now inert, and the first two thirds or so of pages show damp staining across their upper portions, with some associated discolouration in page margins. First dozen or so pages have flat crease along lower edge. Previous owner's inscription, dated April 1930, inked on half title. Some minor spotting on tissue-guard, and light age toning to pages. This is not a pretty copy but it is complete, robustly bound and will serve well as a working/reference copy. It would also be a suitable candidate for rebinding or restoration. The companion volume to Garlin's now classic Cuisinier Moderne. An important 19th century pastry treatise. Garlin (1838-1923) was one of the first, and one of the finest, great pastry chefs. A scarce edition of this classic work of French cuisine