L'Armée Française: Ses Uniformes, Son Armement, Son Équipement by ROUSSELOT, L - 1978

N.p.: L. Camus Villejuif, 1978. Paperback. Collection of 60 printed folders (each heavily color illustrated on interior and with French/English explanatory text laid into each) housed in a heavy custom-made pine box with separate lid. Folders rest in pale green acid-free heavy stock liner inside the box. Folders very good to near fine. The first, top folder naturally shows a faint bit of foxing to its front wrapper, but the remaining 59 folders are all closer to pristine. Later printing ("Edition 1978" ), a set consisting of 60 folders (numbered between 1 and 97, lacking 37 issues) of this extraordinarily detailed study of French uniforms. Each folder has a specific focus: "Planche No 1," for instance, covers "Light Horse Lancers of the Line 1811-1815," the second folder "Carabiniers 1810-1815," the third folder "Infantry of the Line... Fusiliers... 1804-1812," etc., and the multiple illustrations on each folder interior show the uniforms of that group in great detail, plus individual items and accoutrements. Lucien Rousselot (1900-92) was the preeminent French military artist and illustrator par excellence, a highly-regarded uniformologist whose landmark artwork and texts are considered standard; his mammoth "The French Army: Its Uniforms, Its Armament, Its Equipment" was originally published between 1943 and 1970. A large, wonderful grouping in handsome custom box. Planche numbers included: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 23, 25, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 36, 37, 40, 41, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60, 62, 63, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71, 74, 75, 76, 77, 82, 83, 85, 86, 88, 89, 90, 91, 94, 95, 96, 97.