Item #4453 Prince of Forgers. Henri BORDIER, Emile Mabille. Joseph Rosenblum.
Prince of Forgers.
Prince of Forgers.

Prince of Forgers.

(New Castle, DE): Oak Knoll Press, 1998,

First Edition. octavo, cloth in dust jacket. (xiv), 202pp. Oak Knoll Press, New. Item #4453

The first English translation of the rare French title, Une Fabrique de Faux Autographes, Ou Recit de L'Affaire Vran Lucas (Paris 1870) by Henri Bordier and Emile Mabille. From the dust jacket: "Prince of Forgers is the true story about one of history's most audacious frauds and of the trial that exposed the most colossal literary crime ever perpetrated on learned men. Vrain-Denis Lucas was a self-educated peasant who shook the foundations of the French Academy of Sciences. As a patriot and lover of history, Lucas created over 27,000 forgeries and tried to change the course of French destiny. After fifteen years of scholarly but spurious activity, Lucas' recklessness and disdain for credibility reached new heights as he began writing autographed letters by Mary Magdalene, Cleopatra, and Alexander the great, in modern French, and selling them for thousands of francs. Professor Rosenblum's long-awaited translation of this French forgery classic is a must-read for any collector interested in the darker side of literary history. Prince of Forgers is also a profound reminder of the gullibility of experts and the brazen audacity of one of the most prolific literary scoundrels of the 19th century." Illustrated.

Price: $15.00