Médan (Yvelines)

Autograph letter signed by Emile Zola, dated in his hand April 10, 1898. One and a half pages in black ink on a bifolium, addressed to Octave Mirbeau.
Fold marks inherent to mailing, some foxing to outer margins.
Published in his Correspondance, ed. B. Bakker, Presses de l'Université de Montréal et Editions du CNRS, 1978-1995, vol. IX, p. 186; bibliographers are divided on the identity of the recipient, and also propose his publisher Charpentier, who had remained at his side and played the role of bodyguard in February 1898, during the first trial.
Immense missive from the writer as defender of justice, resilient and even cheerful after being condemned to the maximum penalty for having written "J'accuse!", and consequently released after the cassation of the judgment condemning him.
Unsurprisingly after "J'accuse!", the Minister of War prosecutes Émile Zola for defamation before the Seine assizes court. The trial takes place in Paris from February 7 to 23 in a context of extreme tension and threats of civil war. Zola receives one year in prison and three thousand francs fine, under the cheers of the ferocious crowd: "Mon sacrifice est fait" he affirms in this letter. As Alain Pagès rightly indicates, "to intervene in the name of the authority of his pen and his literary renown is both audacious and necessary." Zola is conscious of the risks incurred, while his article has the expected effect and restarts the affair, giving it a new social and political dimension. Transported by his total abnegation, he takes the decision of justice with philosophy: "Nous nous attendions à la nouvelle secousse, et elle nous a laissé très gais, heureux du repos que nous prenons ici."
Having left the capital after a trial of unheard-of violence, Zola will enjoy very little of the rest of his house in Médan: the very day after this letter, during a bicycle outing, the writer is accosted by nine soldiers and some young people who shout 'À bas Zola ! Vive l'armée !' while throwing stones at him.

"je ne suis très fort que parce que je m'attends à tout et que mon seul but est le peu de vérité que nous réussirons sans doute à faire encore. Après, mon Dieu, qu'importe !"

This courageous tirade undeniably approaches the words he had at the beginning of the affair, after his first articles defending the captain: "Tant pis pour les conséquences, je suis assez fort, je brave tout !". Now condemned for his commitment, the writer reiterates here his decision to bring forth the truth at any cost, which he had already repeated like a litany in the lines of "J'accuse!" .
Precious and exceptional letter from a Zola far from being discouraged by his first condemnation, whose confirmation on appeal will force him into exile. He will die before seeing the fruit of his battles and Dreyfus's rehabilitation.

Autograph letter signed by Emile Zola - apparently unpublished - addressed to Léon Carbonnaux, written in black ink on a double sheet. Folds inherent to mailing. Envelope included.
Important testimony to the colossal documentation work and the capital role of Emile Zola's informants in depicting his immense natural and social fresco.
This letter was sent to Léon Carbonnaux, department head at Bon Marché who transmitted precious information to Emile Zola for the creation of the eleventh volume of the Rougon-Macquart series: Au Bonheur des Dames.
Only two letters from Léon Carbonnaux to Emile Zola are known: they can be consulted in the digitization of the preparatory file for Bonheur des Dames made available online by the Bibliothèque nationale de France. However, we know thanks to this same file, which contains a long section entitled "Notes Carbonnaux," that this department head at Bon Marché provided a significant amount of information to Zola, particularly about employee customs and their remuneration. The two men undoubtedly met when Emile Zola, eager for information about the functioning of department stores, conducted field research in February and March 1882. This response would therefore be the very first that the writer addressed to the department head, in reply to his letter of June 19, 1882. Far from imagining the keen success that this new novel would achieve, Zola even seems to take it lightly: "Je désire simplement toucher au sujet dans mon livre, pour le besoin du petit drame commercial qui me sert de fable. Vos notes sont excellentes. [...] Enfin, me voilà au travail. Le sujet est à la fois bien vaste - et bien ingrat pour un roman. On devra me tolérer un peu de fiction, car il faut bien que je passionne la matière. Mais je tâche de m'en tenir le plus strictement possible à mes notes." ["I simply wish to touch on the subject in my book, for the needs of the little commercial drama that serves as my fable. Your notes are excellent. [...] Finally, here I am at work. The subject is both very vast - and very thankless for a novel. One will have to tolerate a bit of fiction from me, for I must make the material passionate. But I try to stick as strictly as possible to my notes."]
It must be said that Carbonnaux takes his role as informant very much to heart and, having no doubt about the book's success, he writes: "Dans le bâtiment chez nous d'ailleurs, partout on attend votre livre. Les lecteurs ne vous manqueront pas. Soyez-en sûr. Vous n'en êtes plus à compter les succès celui-là s'annonce comme devant dépasser les autres." (letter of June 19, 1882) For another work, on the same subject, has just appeared: "J'ai lu le volume de Pierre Giffard. Il me paraît comme vous injuste et même faux dans plusieurs parties. C'est bâclé. Il aurait fallu, pour un pareil ouvrage de documents purs, une entière exactitude. Moi qui écris une œuvre d'imagination, je ne me permettrai pas de tels écarts." ["I have read Pierre Giffard's volume. It seems to me, like you, unjust and even false in several parts. It is hastily done. For such a work of pure documents, complete accuracy would have been necessary. I, who write a work of imagination, would not allow myself such deviations."]It was Carbonnaux who had pointed out the work to Zola: "Pierre Giffard du Figaro vient de faire paraître chez Havard un vol de 300 pages intitulé « Les Grands bazars de Paris ». [...] On sait que le Figaro est inféodé au Louvre [magasin concurrent au Bon Marché] & on peut assurer que ce livre a été commandé et bâclé dès que votre intention de traiter le même sujet a été connue. [...] Il fallait déguiser un peu la réclame pour le Louvre." (letter of June 19, 1882)
We can clearly see here how much department stores fascinate and we understand the immense success that this novel by Zola describing their advent and supremacy would achieve.

Autograph letter signed by Emile Zola - apparently unpublished - addressed to Léon Carbonnaux, written in black ink on a double sheet. Folds inherent to mailing. Envelope included.
Important testimony to the colossal documentation work and the capital role of Emile Zola's informants in depicting his immense natural and social fresco.
This letter was sent to Léon Carbonnaux, department head at Bon Marché who transmitted precious information to Emile Zola for the creation of the eleventh volume of the Rougon-Macquart series: Au Bonheur des Dames.
Only two letters from Léon Carbonnaux to Emile Zola are known: they can be consulted in the digitization of the preparatory file for Bonheur des Dames made available online by the Bibliothèque nationale de France. However, we know thanks to this same file, which contains a long section entitled "Notes Carbonnaux," that this department head at Bon Marché provided a significant amount of information to Zola, particularly about employee customs and their remuneration. The two men undoubtedly met when Emile Zola, eager for information about the functioning of department stores, conducted field research in February and March 1882.
"J'ai pris l'inventaire comme cadre à un de mes chapitres. D'ailleurs je n'ai spécialement besoin que du travail dans le rayon des confections et dans le rayon des soieries. Il est inutile de me renseigner sur les autres rayons." ["I have taken the inventory as the framework for one of my chapters. Moreover, I specifically only need the work in the ready-to-wear department and in the silk department. It is unnecessary to inform me about the other departments."]
Thanks to this important letter we understand that it was Léon Carbonnaux who provided the essential information to Emile Zola for writing his very beautiful eleventh chapter devoted to the inventory: "Vous avez eu l'obligeance de me donner certains détails sur l'inventaire. Vous m'avez dit qu'on choisissait le premier dimanche d'août, qu'on fermait les portes et que tous les employés s'y mettaient. On vide toutes les cases, n'est-ce pas ? on jette les marchandises sur les comptoirs ou à terre, et l'inventaire n'est terminé que lorsqu'il n'y a plus absolument rien en place." ["You were kind enough to give me certain details about the inventory. You told me that the first Sunday in August was chosen, that the doors were closed and all the employees set to work. All the compartments are emptied, aren't they? The merchandise is thrown onto the counters or on the ground, and the inventory is only finished when there is absolutely nothing left in place."]The final version of Bonheur des Dames contains all the precious information provided by the department head of Bon Marché: "Le premier dimanche d'août, on faisait l'inventaire, qui devait être terminé le soir même. Dès le matin, comme un jour de semaine, tous les employés étaient à leur poste, et la besogne avait commencé, les portes closes, dans les magasins vides de clientes. [...] Neuf heures sonnaient. [...] Dans le magasin, inondé de soleil par les grandes baies ouvertes, le personnel enfermé venait de commencer l'inventaire. On avait retiré les boutons des portes, des gens s'arrêtaient sur le trottoir, regardant par les glaces, étonnés de cette fermeture, lorsqu'on distinguait à l'intérieur une activité extraordinaire. C'était, d'un bout à l'autre des galeries, du haut en bas des étages, un piétinement d'employés, des bras en l'air, des paquets volant par-dessus les têtes ; et cela au milieu d'une tempête de cris, de chiffres lancés, dont la confusion montait et se brisait en un tapage assourdissant. Chacun des trente-neuf rayons faisait sa besogne à part, sans s'inquiéter des rayons voisins. D'ailleurs, on attaquait à peine les casiers, il n'y avait encore par terre que quelques pièces d'étoffe. La machine devait s'échauffer, si l'on voulait finir le soir même." (Au bonheur des Dames, chapitre XI)
Concerned with giving this chapter - like all the rest of his work - great veracity, the naturalist questions his correspondent about very specific elements: "Mais il me faudrait maintenant des détails sur les écritures. D'abord le premier et le second ont-ils des rôles spéciaux dans l'inventaire ? Quel (sic) est leur part de besogne ? Et ensuite que font les commis qui écrivent ? Dresse-t-on des listes, pointe-t-on sur des registres ? Y a-t-il un travail préparatoire ? Enfin quelle est exactement la nature et la marche de la besogne, ce jour-là ?" ["But I would now need details about the paperwork. First, do the first and second assistants have special roles in the inventory? What is their share of the work? And then what do the clerks who write do? Are lists drawn up, are ledgers checked? Is there preparatory work? Finally, what exactly is the nature and progress of the work that day?"]On November 30, 1882, Léon Carbonnaux would respond precisely to these requests: "Le samedi soir toute la marchandise est sortie des casiers et mise en pile s'il s'agit d'étoffes en tas ou ballots si ce sont des confections - ce sont à terre ou sur les comptoirs - chaque sorte ou genre espacés afin de rendre la besogne de vérification intelligible à première vue. La marchandise ainsi classée est inscrite sur des notes de papier distribué par le bureau de comptabilité générale et numérotées de 1 à ... par comptoir. Le dimanche - grand appel. C'est là le jour d'inventaire. Un patron les note à la main vérifie - une pile par ci - une pile par là - suivant qu'un gros chiffre, prix ou quantité l'a frappé. Si la quantité est reconnue exacte - il paraphe la note - S'il y a erreur on rectifie. Cela arrive quelquefois mais c'est rare. Ce travail de vérification a été fait plusieurs fois par le premier ou les seconds. Quand le patron a terminé les commis remettent tout en place pour la vente du lendemain. Alors quelqu'un d'autorisé, premier ou second, appelle ces notes numérotées et paraphées - non plus les sommes ou totaux mais le détail à un caissier présent pour la circonstance. Derrière le caissier est un commis qui surveille si l'écrit est conforme à l'appel. C'est cet écrit qui reste pièce officielle dans les archives de la maison. Chaque rayon mis en ordre, les vendeurs s'en vont. Après eux chefs et sous-chefs de comptoir dès que l'appel est terminé - et ensuite les caissiers après que les tirages et additions sont faits. Quelques jours après le patron vient dire au chef de rayon le résultat de l'inventaire. Le chiffre de bénéfice donné inférieur ou supérieur au chiffre demandé par instructions générales - éloge ou blâme."
We note that these abundant explanations exceed Zola's requests and will allow him to further specify the description of the annual inventory, as evidenced by the chapter that will finally be published.
Very important letter tracing the elaboration of one of the most beautiful chapters of Au bonheur des Dames.

Autograph letter signed by Emile Zola - apparently unpublished - written in black ink on a double sheet and addressed to Léon Carbonnaux, department head at Bon Marché. Folds inherent to mailing. Envelope included.
Only two letters from Léon Carbonnaux to Emile Zola are known: they can be consulted in the digitized preparatory file for Au bonheur des dames made available online by the Bibliothèque nationale de France. However, we know from this same file, which contains a long section entitled "Notes Carbonnaux," that this department head at Bon Marché provided Zola with a significant amount of information, particularly about employee customs, their remuneration, and especially inventory techniques. The two men probably met when Emile Zola, eager for information about the workings of department stores, conducted field research in February and March 1882.
Very important unpublished letter shedding new light on the pre-original publication of Au bonheur des dames.
In his biography of Emile Zola, Henri Mitterrand writes: "Even before the novel was completed, Zola gave an extract to Panurge in November; and on November 23, 1882, Gil Blas announced its imminent publication in its columns." Our letter, discussing precisely this alleged pre-publication in Panurge, attests that it was simply a joke and thus contradicts Henri Mitterrand: "But your letter surprises and saddens me somewhat. How could you have been taken in by Panurge's stupid joke? Did you not notice that the entire issue is a 'farce'? Not one of the articles is authentic, they are parodies, and very poorly done ones at that." Indeed, reading the said extract cannot fool the assiduous reader of Zola, despite the introduction that the journalists wrote: "After Nana and Pot-Bouille, those epics of elegant vice and bourgeois vice, M. Emile Zola wanted to create one of honesty: Au bonheur des Dames, which will appear shortly, is a reassuring painting of innocence and virtue; the greatest success is assured for this new work whose characters move in the setting of a large novelty store; Parisian high commerce will not long await its observer and painter. We thank Emile Zola for having kindly cut out, especially for Panurge, a few pages from his still unpublished work, and we are proud to give the public first an extract from this work of such high morality and such powerful interest." (Panurge no. 4 of October 22, 1882)
The sentences of this false Zolian text are exaggeratedly long and Panurge took the liberty of endowing the novel with a male main character, Denis Mouret, an amalgam of Denise (the true heroine of the book to appear) and Octave Mouret. One can think that it is a text composed from elements of Pot-Bouille, the previous volume of Rougon Macquart where Octave - future owner of Bonheur des Dames - exercised the function of clerk before his meteoric social rise: "For already more than two months, he had been attached to the 'silks and furs' department; he arrived in the morning at seven o'clock to return home, his day finished, only at nine o'clock in the evening, when all of Paris buzzed strangely with a feverish animation of pleasure and enjoyment, and, on his way back, he followed gawking the great crowded boulevards, where blazed the cafés full of girls, and where, on the asphalt, at theater doors, the crowd jostled with, here and there, in the vague rumor of trampling and pressing, the roguish intonation of the cries of program vendors and ticket sellers." (Panurge) In his letter of November 30, 1882, Léon Carbonnaux - reading the extract from Panurge - had reproached Zola for his errors: "Nowhere except at the Fabriques de France near Les Halles does one arrive at 7 a.m. It's at the earliest 7:30 but more often 8 a.m. and even then. There is no silk and fur counter at the Louvre. [...] It is so easy for you to be accurate that errors of this kind, especially if they were repeated, would not be forgiven." The Master defends himself against these remonstrances in our letter: "The extract given is not mine, it is full of inaccuracies as you have noticed, not to mention that it is inept from a literary point of view. Disabuse those who may have attributed such a thing to me."
Fundamental letter for the restoration of truth and understanding of a detail in the announcement made in Panurge of the publication of the eleventh volume of Emile Zola's natural and social fresco.