La Théorie de L'Escrime. [The Theory of Fencing].

GOMARD [POSSELLIER A.J.J.],.

La Théorie de L'Escrime. [The Theory of Fencing].

Paris: Librairie Militaire de J. Dumaine , 1845.

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First Edition of The Theory of Fencing; Signed by Gomard

First edition of this monumental nineteenth-century French fencing manual. Octavo, written in French, bound in full morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, crossed foils and armored helmet decorations stamped in gilt to the corners of the front and rear panels, top edge gilt, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, double marbled endpapers, tissue-guarded vignette of a coat of arms, original wrappers, ribbon bound in, illustrated with twenty drawings made from life by Th. Guérin. Boldly signed by Gomard on the authentication page to the front which states, "Any copy that is not bearing the author’s signature (or mark) will be considered counterfeit.” In the 19th century fencing manuals were often copied, so Gomard added his signature (“griffe”) as an authenticity mark. Copies without it were considered unauthorized reproductions. In near fine condition. An exceptional example.

La théorie de l’escrime (1845) by A.-J.-J. Possellier, known as Gomard, is an important nineteenth-century treatise on the theory and practice of fencing, reflecting the codification of the sport during a period when it remained both a martial discipline and a gentlemanly art. Written by a prominent French fencing master who taught at elite institutions such as the École Polytechnique, the work presents fencing technique through a systematic method grounded in observation, pedagogy, and the principles of classical swordsmanship. The book also includes a historical introduction surveying earlier fencing manuals from the sixteenth century onward, situating contemporary practice within a longer European tradition of the art des armes. Illustrated with instructional plates, the volume exemplifies the nineteenth-century effort to formalize fencing as a disciplined system of movement, strategy, and instruction that would ultimately influence the development of modern sport fencing.