Descrizione

3 volumes (two bound together). 8vo (194 x 120 mm; 193 x 120 mm; 183 x 110 mm). 47, [1] pp.; 81, [1 blank] pp.; 46 pp. Later wrappers. Woodcut printer's devices and head-pieces. Foxing, several worm holes and tracks throughout but hardly ever affecting the text (more heavily at the end of the second English catalogue).
Extremely rare sales catalogues of the Florentine bookseller Giuseppe Molini devoted to English (catalogues of 1834 and 1839, bound together) and French (catalogue of 1835) literature. It is arranged in aphabetical order by author's surname. Each entry also provides the printing place and date, the format, a brief description and the price in the papal currency of "the Paoli, which corresponds to 56 centimes, the French currency". The bookseller also adds a short section dedicated to books in foreign languages, such as Italian and Greek or Latin, but published in England. Among the most expensive books are an Holy Bible bound in violet morocco (1807, 300 pauli), a series of 57 books of the London Cabinet Cyclopedia (1830, 855 pauli), 64 volumes of Walter Scott's works (1830, 800 pauli), the Atlas Universel de Geographie Physique, Politique, Statistique et Mineralogique Sur L'echelle D'une Ligne Par 1900 Toises by Philippe Vandermaelen, published in Bruxelles in 1827 (1200 pauli).  
Giuseppe Molini (1772–1856) was a prominent Italian publisher, bookseller, bibliographer, and librarian. Born in Florence, he inherited a well-established bookselling business from his father. Through his family's extensive commercial network, which stretched across major cultural hubs including Paris and London, Molini became one of Italy's premier antiquarian dealers, recovering invaluable historical artifacts, early printed books, and rare codices for Italian collections. Beginning in 1820, Molini expanded his business into publishing, founding a printing house named All'insegna di Dante ("At the Sign of Dante"). Among its most influential publications was the multi-volume Biblioteca portatile italiana, a collection designed to make classical Italian literature accessible in high-quality, portable editions. Molini's reputation as an expert bibliophile led to his appointment as the Palatine Librarian in Florence in 1827 by Grand Duke Leopold II. Upon accepting this prestigious role, he transferred ownership of his printing shop to his son, Luigi. During his tenure as head of the Palatine Library, Molini significantly enriched its collections, procuring numerous valuable manuscripts and authoring important descriptive catalogs, including his acclaimed 1833 survey of Italian manuscripts held in the Palatine collection. However, his son's poor administration pushed the family bookstore into financial distress, forcing Molini to step down from his position at the Palatine Library in 1834 to personally rescue and run the business. He spent his later years managing the shop, publishing bibliographic studies, and corresponding with scholars across Europe.
In the English Catalogue it is stated that "Mr. J. Molini engages himself to execute orders for english books and other articles, with exactitude, by means of his Correspondent in London, Mr. Charles Frederic Molini, N°. 14 Paternoster Row, at the rate of 50 paoli in Tuscan money for each pound sterling, or at Paoli 2 1f2 each shilling, of the prices in the catalogues of the booksellers in London; the books delivered free of all charges in Florence. The said Mr. Molini has a large stock of Italian, Latin, Greek, and French books, the catalogue of which is now in the press. He engages himself to forward to London, at a moderate rate, the books purchased of him, receiving here only a part of the cost, the remaining part to be paid, together with the freight and duty, in London, on delivery." (p. [48]).
OCLC, 728705680; OCLC, 41474528. The French catalogue is not recored in OCLC.