Bidspirit auction | Rocha Martins

Rocha Martins - Vermelhos, Brancos e Azuis, 1ª Edição - Rocha Martins, 1948-1951. Published between 1948 and 1951 by Iniciativa Editorial in Lisbon, this remarkable and esteemed first complete edition by Rocha Martins (member of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences), entitled ”Reds, Whites and Blues”, constitutes a monumental and exhaustive historical and biographical study composed of four volumes devoted to the analysis of the main political, social and cultural ideas of the most significant figures who shaped the history of Portugal over the last one hundred and fifty years. The collection consists of the volumes ”Men of the States” (Vol. I, 1948, with 320 pages), ”Men of Arms” (Vol. II, 1949, with 383 pages), ”Men of Letters” (Vol. III, 1950, with 415 pages) and ”Men of Science” (Vol. IV, 1951, with 407 pages), and is profusely illustrated with dozens of portraits, prints outside the text, engravings of significant events and valuable facsimiles of manuscripts, letters and original period documents. The copies are exquisitely bound in elegant contemporary period bindings in red (bordeaux) half-leather with corners, boasting spines with ribs richly ornamented with elegant floral motifs and gilded fillets, titles and numbering engraved in gold, and plates covered in marbled paper of traditional pattern. They are in very good overall condition with solid bindings and firm text blocks, containing only the natural and expected patina from handling, occasional acid spots, and discreet graphite pencil annotations that document attentive reading. This collection boasts an exceptional bibliographic pedigree due to its documented provenance. The first volume bears, on its title page, the handwritten ownership signature in blue ink of the collector Valdemar Cordeiro, dated ”26-7-951” (indicating an immediate acquisition shortly after the work's publication), accompanied by handwritten pencil annotations recording its subsequent acquisition at the prestigious Soares & Mendonça Auction No. 41 (Lot No. 2382, dated November 1980). This confers upon this work extraordinary historical and bibliophilic value for any specialized collection or catalog.