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Laporte, Is There a Devil, and What Does He Do? [1867]
Title: Is There a Devil, and What Does He Do?
Author: Fr. Laporte T. D. [French Catholic priest, author of a popular apologetic treatise; listed in French catalogs as Albert Delaporte].
Translation: Fr. S. S. D., from the third edition.
Publisher: Warsaw, published by J. M. Neumark, at the J. Psurski Printing House.
Year of publication: 1867.
Format: 16 cm.
Number of pages: 134.
Binding: Period half-leather binding.
A popular edition of Catholic demonology, intended for a broad readership. This is a small, handy volume that was published in Warsaw in 1867. It is a Polish translation of the French apologetic treatise “Le Diable existe-t-il? Que fait-il?”, listed in catalogs under the name of Albert Delaporte. According to the title page, the translation was based on the third edition, which attests to the book’s success in France even before the Polish edition was published. The author answers the questions posed in the title: Does Satan exist as a real, personal being, and how does he operate in the world? He seeks answers in the teachings of the Church. The book was written in the 1860s. At that time, spiritualism and séances with mediums were in vogue in Europe, while in rationalist circles the very existence of supernatural forces was being questioned. Catholic journalism responded to this with numerous popular treatises, among which this work is included. The volume was published by J. M. Neumark and printed by J. Psurski’s publishing house in Warsaw.
Little is known about the author. The Polish edition lists his name as “Fr. Laporte T. D.” French catalogs list the treatise under the name Albert Delaporte. No further biographical details could be ascertained. The translator also used the pseudonym “Fr. S. S. D.” Such anonymous or pseudonymous translations were typical of nineteenth-century religious literature, prepared by clergy for pastoral purposes.
Provenance: on the title page, a stamp reading “M. Schwartz Bookstore in Płock,” attesting to the piece’s circulation through a provincial bookstore in the Płock Governorate. The piece bears no postwar institutional stamps or modern underlining in the text.
This is a Warsaw religious print from the 1860s that is rarely found on the market, in a period binding and with a Płock book trade provenance. An item for collectors of early theological literature, researchers of nineteenth-century religiosity and demonology, and enthusiasts of Warsaw prints and Płock memorabilia.
The block is compact and stable; the stitching holds the pages firmly in place; there are no loose pages; the volume is complete. The paper has retained its proper stiffness, with scattered foxing, acid-induced yellowing, and superficial soiling along the margins from past handling. The original period half-leather binding is stiff and clean, with slight scuffing on the leather surface along the spine edges and minimal wear on the paper at the edges of the cardboard.
Catalog ID: 6849-16-A-Z
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Title: Is There a Devil, and What Does He Do?
Author: Fr. Laporte T. D. [French Catholic priest, author of a popular apologetic treatise; listed in French catalogs as Albert Delaporte].
Translation: Fr. S. S. D., from the third edition.
Publisher: Warsaw, published by J. M. Neumark, at the J. Psurski Printing House.
Year of publication: 1867.
Format: 16 cm.
Number of pages: 134.
Binding: Period half-leather binding.
A popular edition of Catholic demonology, intended for a broad readership. This is a small, handy volume that was published in Warsaw in 1867. It is a Polish translation of the French apologetic treatise “Le Diable existe-t-il? Que fait-il?”, listed in catalogs under the name of Albert Delaporte. According to the title page, the translation was based on the third edition, which attests to the book’s success in France even before the Polish edition was published. The author answers the questions posed in the title: Does Satan exist as a real, personal being, and how does he operate in the world? He seeks answers in the teachings of the Church. The book was written in the 1860s. At that time, spiritualism and séances with mediums were in vogue in Europe, while in rationalist circles the very existence of supernatural forces was being questioned. Catholic journalism responded to this with numerous popular treatises, among which this work is included. The volume was published by J. M. Neumark and printed by J. Psurski’s publishing house in Warsaw.
Little is known about the author. The Polish edition lists his name as “Fr. Laporte T. D.” French catalogs list the treatise under the name Albert Delaporte. No further biographical details could be ascertained. The translator also used the pseudonym “Fr. S. S. D.” Such anonymous or pseudonymous translations were typical of nineteenth-century religious literature, prepared by clergy for pastoral purposes.
Provenance: on the title page, a stamp reading “M. Schwartz Bookstore in Płock,” attesting to the piece’s circulation through a provincial bookstore in the Płock Governorate. The piece bears no postwar institutional stamps or modern underlining in the text.
This is a Warsaw religious print from the 1860s that is rarely found on the market, in a period binding and with a Płock book trade provenance. An item for collectors of early theological literature, researchers of nineteenth-century religiosity and demonology, and enthusiasts of Warsaw prints and Płock memorabilia.
The block is compact and stable; the stitching holds the pages firmly in place; there are no loose pages; the volume is complete. The paper has retained its proper stiffness, with scattered foxing, acid-induced yellowing, and superficial soiling along the margins from past handling. The original period half-leather binding is stiff and clean, with slight scuffing on the leather surface along the spine edges and minimal wear on the paper at the edges of the cardboard.
Catalog ID: 6849-16-A-Z
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
