Cahier de Chansons Young man's manuscript notebook of French lyrics
"Book of Songs belonging to Paul Lelièvre." No date, ca. WWI; Hardcover ruled notebook, 7.5 x 6 inches, bound in mottled cloth with author's initirals on the cover. 55 pages (about half of the notebook) filled with neatly calligraphed verses ornamented with blue and red borders and designs. In Good condition with moderate fingersoil and corrosion to the stapled gatherings, making the binding a bit wobbly in places. Cloth mottled, light soil. The writing is occasionally a bit shaky, but overall very neat.
The notebook is full popular songs collected by a young man, represe: Les Myrtes sont flétris, Le maitre d'ecole alsacien, Le sixieme etage, Le poteau frontiere, Un voleur, La financier de mignon, La ferma aux fraises, Mort de Barra, Les tostes a la patrie, Dors mon mignon, La ferme des rosiers, Les suites d’un premiere lis, Sur la route de France, Le prisonnier du Strasbourg, Le deserteur, L’enfant de Paris.
It is possible there may be some original verse among them--one particular entry is signed "Paul Lelièvre à Montargis Loiret", another has some editing marks and instructions to the reader when a song continues onto a new page. A nice visual piece with mysteries yet to be uncovered.