Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$450.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: Stated second printing, November 1961. Beautifully signed by Julia Child on signature cut lightly adhered at title page: "Julia Child." Very attractive. Patterned fleur-de-lis boards w/turquoise stars, black and white cover and spine titles on bright orange fields, light shelf wear, toning. Pages near fine, clean. Loose hand-written recipe set in to volume. Orange top stain, some discoloration, toning. Bind fine, square; hinges intact. Original dust wrapper, moderate shelf wear, rub, sunning; clipped, protected in new clear sleeve. Code 1061 at front flap. Original single volume edition with Simone Beck above Julia's in titles. Near very good November 1961 printing in same wrapper. "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" is for both seasoned cooks and beginners who love good food & long to reproduce at home the savory delights of the classic cuisine, from the historic Gallic masterpieces to the seemingly artless perfection of a dish of spring-green peas. This beautiful book, with over 100 instructive illustrations, is revolutionary in its approach because: It leads the cook infallibly from the buying and handling of raw ingredients, through each essential step of a recipe, to the final creation of a delicate confection. It breaks down the classic cuisine into a logical sequence of themes and variations rather than presenting an endless and diffuse catalogue of recipes; the focus is on key recipes that form the backbone of French cookery and lend themselves to an infinite number of elaborations bound to increase anyone's culinary repertoire. A note about authors at last page. 684 pages plus index. Insured post. Size: 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall
Seller: The BiblioFile, Rapid River, MI, U.S.A.
Price: US$1450.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: Stated First Edition; Note About Authors dated August, 1961. Ultra-rare first printing in original wrapper with Julia Child signed, dinner menu. Patterned fleur-de-lis boards w/turquoise stars, black and white cover and spine titles on orange fields, moderate corner, edge wear, some sunning to spine. Pages near fine, clean. Few with slight corner crease. Turquoise endpapers. Warm, attractive vintage inscription inside cover at front pastedown: "A Happy, Happy Birthday to my beloved wife. May you master the art of French cooking as well as you have mastered the imitation of Christ and the art of wifely love and devotion in Him. Your loving husband, Bill (and, of course, Bernie), January 18, 1962. 2 Thess. 3: 16." Orange top-stain, exterior text block, moderate toning. Bind fine, square; hinges intact. Original dust wrapper, moderate edge wear, rub, toning, crease; clipped, protected in new clear sleeve. Code 10/61 at front flap. Rare good first printing in same wrapper. Includes special event menu for Chez Philippe in The Peabody Memphis stylishly signed by Julia Child at cover and set into volume. Very attractive vintage signature. Julia served as "Guest Celebrity Chef" with the master "Chef de Cuisine" José Gutierrez for "An Evening with Julia and José, July 18, 1992." Inside, printed in elegant cursive, is the grande four-course meal; each with a unique fine wine, also listed. Finally, a "Chocolate Napoleon with Raspberries and 'Creme Fraiche'" with "Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve NV." At lower back is a small iconic emblem of The Peabody with the row of ducks vignette. Very good folded, textured 6" x 8" menu tinted in slightly pinkish off-white, moderate corner wear, edge toning to cover; preserved in clear sleeve. Chez Philippe, in The Peabody Memphis, is the MidSouths only Forbes Four-Star and AAA Four-Diamond rated restaurant and is honored with the "Award of Excellence" from both Distinguished Restaurants of North America and Wine Spectator. In 2023, USA Today named Chez Philippe the "Best Hotel Restaurant" in the USA. The Peabody Memphis on BB King Blvd. is distinguished as the "South's Grand Hotel." With a style and tradition befitting one of the grandest, most legendary hotels, The Peabody offers a magnificent bridge between the "Blues City's" celebrated past and cosmopolitan present. The Peabody Memphis is legendary for its charm, elegance, gracious hospitality, and rich history. This historic icon opened in 1869 and is world-famous for its five resident Mallard ducks, who march daily on a red carpet through the lobby to and from the rooftop at 11am and 5pm. "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" is for both seasoned cooks and beginners who love good food & long to reproduce at home the savory delights of the classic cuisine, from the historic Gallic masterpieces to the seemingly artless perfection of a dish of spring-green peas. This beautiful book, with over 100 instructive illustrations, is revolutionary in its approach because: It leads the cook infallibly from the buying and handling of raw ingredients, through each essential step of a recipe, to the final creation of a delicate confection. It breaks down the classic cuisine into a logical sequence of themes and variations rather than presenting an endless and diffuse catalogue of recipes; the focus is on key recipes that form the backbone of French cookery and lend themselves to an infinite number of elaborations bound to increase anyone's culinary repertoire. 684 pages w/32 page index and a Note About the Author. Insured post. Size: 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall
Seller: The BiblioFile, Rapid River, MI, U.S.A.
Price: US$1975.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Alfred A. Knopf. New York. 1961. 684 pages + index. First edition, second printing stated, November 1961; only a couple of weeks after the first printing on October 16, 1961. A most rare and uncommon signed copy by the book's artist and illustrator, Sidonie Coryn. Sidonie Coryn signed her name underneath "Illustrations by Sidonie Coryn" printed on the page opposite the title page. Additionally, laid-in is a handwritten, signed letter from Sidonie Coryn on her personal stationary to a friend: Dear ___, / I really didn't forget -/Just a bit of inefficiency on my/ part- The book sold so fast / I couldn't keep up with it- / My best regards for a / Merry Christmas and a / Joyous New Year / to you and your wife- / Sidonie Coryn. Book is tight, bright and clean. Binding and hinges are strong and sound. Minor toning along panel edges. Turquoise endpapers are clean yet front endpaper is age-toned from laid-in paper. Slight darkening to backstrip. Original first issue DJ with Julia Child's name third in the pecking order on front; just above Sidonie Coryn's name. $10.00 price intact on flap. DJ shows open chip on upper right corner, chipping along rear flap fold, and spine of DJ is absent. A solid VG copy of the classic in a poor DJ; signed by the artist of the book's classic illustrations, in addition to a handwritten letter by the artist, commenting on how quickly the book took off. The rest of course is history as this book launched Julia Child's career and celebrity. Worth noting is this book is lauded for its helpful illustrations (Coryn's) and precise attention to detail, and for making fine cuisine accessible. Sixty plus years later, the book is still in print and is considered a seminal culinary masterwork. A much rarer offering than a signed Julia Child copy.
Seller: Medium Rare Books, Mountainside, NJ, U.S.A.
Price: US$3250.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: Stated First Edition; Note About Authors dated August, 1961. Ultra-rare first printing in original wrapper. Signed and holiday inscribed by Julia Child on signature cuts lightly adhered at half-title page: "Merry Christmas, Julia Child." Very attractive and rare Christmas inscription from Julia. Patterned fleur-de-lis boards w/turquoise stars, black and white cover and spine titles on orange fields, light shelf wear. Pages near fine, bright. Turquoise endpapers. Crisp orange top-stain, moderate toning. Bind fine, square. Original dust wrapper, bright with light shelf wear; clipped, protected in new clear sleeve. Code 10/61 at front flap. Rare near fine first printing in same sharp wrapper. "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" is for both seasoned cooks and beginners who love good food & long to reproduce at home the savory delights of the classic cuisine, from the historic Gallic masterpieces to the seemingly artless perfection of a dish of spring-green peas. This beautiful book, with over 100 instructive illustrations, is revolutionary in its approach because: It leads the cook infallibly from the buying and handling of raw ingredients, through each essential step of a recipe, to the final creation of a delicate confection. It breaks down the classic cuisine into a logical sequence of themes and variations rather than presenting an endless and diffuse catalogue of recipes; the focus is on key recipes that form the backbone of French cookery and lend themselves to an infinite number of elaborations bound to increase anyone's culinary repertoire. 684 pages w/32 page index and a Note About the Author. Insured post. Size: 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall
Seller: The BiblioFile, Rapid River, MI, U.S.A.
Price: US$5000.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: The 1961 AND the 1970 stated 1st editions. WARMLY INSCRIBED TO BOOT BY AUTHOR SIMONE BECK along the half-title of Vol. II. Both volumes clean and tight and at least VG+. Vol. II also includes a crisp, price-intact, VG+ dustjacket, with a couple of very small closed tears along the panel edges and a bit of light fading at the spine. Thick, uniform quartos, nicely illustrated throughout by Sidonie Coryn "based on photographs by Paul Child -- Technical Drawings by Paul Child" as well. An impressive example of the landmark set, in its original printings and very uncommon --probably even more so than if signed by Julia Child-- inscribed by Simone Beck.
Seller: APPLEDORE BOOKS, ABAA, WACCABUC, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$6800.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Two volumes, both are first editions (stated), first printings. Signed by Julia Child and her husband Paul Child on the half titles in each volume and inscribed to the same former owner, "Bon Appetit to Ernesta"; Volume II's inscription reads, "Joyeux Noel to Ernesta". Bound in publisher's original white cloth with red and blue Fleur-de-Les pattern; lacking the dust jackets. Very Good with fading to topstains, light general wear, light staining and soiling, tanning and foxing to pages and textblock edges. Discoloration to title block at spine and light rippling to prelims at bottom margin of Volume I.
Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA, Portland, OR, U.S.A.
Price: US$28000.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First edition stated, first printing. A presentation copy with a very important association signed by Julia Child and inscribed to close friends Hadley Richardson and Paul Mowrer on the half-title page, "For Paul and Hadley who were in at the very beginning of this oeuvre - with all my love - Julia / Chocorua - September, 1962." With Paul's ownership signature to the front free endpaper. Hadley was the first wife of author Ernest Hemingway and her second husband, Paul Scott Mowrer, was an American newspaper correspondent and winner of the first Pulitzer Prize for Correspondence. Hadley had first become acquainted with Julia's husband, artist Paul Child, when she and her then-husband Hemingway were in Paris in the 1920s. After World War II and back in Paris, Hadley, now with her second husband Paul Mowrer became very close friends with Paul and Julia Child. This was during the formative years of Julia's culinary journey while she was learning and exploring French cooking, a journey which culminated in the publication of this iconic book. Hadley is mentioned in Julia Child's memoir My Life in France, and Julia was matron-of-honor at Hadley and Ernest's son Jack Hemingway's wedding. Bound in publisher's original white fleur-de-list patterned cloth, lacking a dust jacket. Very Good with fading to cloth heaviest at spine, light soiling and and a few scattered stains to cloth and pages throughout. Pages tanned, several leaves nicked at the bottom edge. Inscribed one year after publication in Chocoreur, New Hampshire where Hadley and Paul lived. A fantastic association copy of Child's magnum opus, inscribed by Child to close friends who were there, as she states, "at the very beginning of this oeuvre"
Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA, Portland, OR, U.S.A.