Dreyfus Affair

Autograph letter signed by Emile Zola addressed to Octave Mirbeau, dated in his hand March 4, 1901. Two pages in black ink on a bifolium.
Horizontal fold mark inherent to postal delivery.
Published in his Correspondence, vol. X, p. 242.
Precious letter from Zola to his great supporter Octave Mirbeau, who had paid his fine at the end of his second trial for "J'accuse!".
Now amnestied, the writer attempts - in vain - to recover the sum to reimburse him.
After his historic cry from the heart in l'Aurore, Zola was first condemned by the Seine jury on February 23, 1898 to one year in prison and a three thousand franc fine. The judgment was overturned on appeal...

Autograph letter initialed by Emile Zola, dated in his hand April 10, 1898. Four pages in black ink on a bifolium, addressed to Octave Mirbeau's wife.
Horizontal fold mark inherent to mailing, very rare and discrete foxing on the first leaf.
A particularity of this exile correspondence, Zola chose to omit his signature in his letters - or as here, to initial only, protecting himself from censorship or police investigations.
Published in his Complete Works, vol. XXV, ed. F. Bernouard, 1927, p. 820.
Heart-wrenching letter by Zola written in complete exile, the most unknown retreat, the most absolute silence. The justiciar writer is secluded in England...

First edition, one of 12 numbered copies on hollande paper, the only large paper copies.

Full red shagreen binding, spine with three raised bands decorated with gilt fillets and gilt cartouche enriched with black typographic motifs, marbled paper endpapers and pastedowns, bookplate affixed to pastedown, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, other edges uncut.

Foxing to some uncut edges.

Autograph inscription signed by Georges Clemenceau to Monsieur Henry Leyret, political and judicial chronicler...

First edition, printed in a small number on Dutch paper.

Spine and covers lightly sunned, small tears to the spine, final endpapers browned.

Speeches by M. Chaumié, Anatole France and Abel Hermant.

Autograph inscription signed by Eugène Fasquelle to Marcel Batilliat, whose name he misspelled: "à M. Marcel Batillat."

The Symbolist novelist Marcel Batilliat was a close friend of Émile Zola and campaigned to preserve the memory of the author of the Rougon-Macquart cycle.

First edition, one of 40 numbered copies on alfa paper, our copy not specifically numbered, issued as the only deluxe paper copies.

A few small spots of foxing, mainly affecting the edges and the endpapers, which show two small traces of adhesive paper.

Original colour lithographed poster depicting Jean Jaurès as an elephant sitting on a chair and holding a bottle of “water from the Jordan”. Until then portrayed as a dog – caricaturists mocking his aggressiveness – Jean Jaurès is here, for the first time, represented as an elephant. It is a question here of highlighting his potbelly and his pachyderm silhouette, but we can, nevertheless, highlight the great dignity of this massive personality with a high gaze. The water from the Jordan is held on one of his hoofs and alludes to the rumour that he had his son baptised in the scared river, thus acting against his anticlerical policy. Despite the caricaturist's desire to...

Original lithographed color poster depicting Théophile Delcassé as a circus poodle.
Transverse folds and minor marginal tears without loss.

Distributed between October 1899 and December 1900 in a France inflamed by the Dreyfus Affair, these immense color caricature portraits are the work of Victor Lenepveu who announced the publication of 150 then 200 drawings and ultimately produced only about fifty. Despite the 1881 press freedom law allowing the distribution of politically subversive imagery, the publication of this nightmarish pantheon was interrupted by order of the Ministry of the Interior.

The fragility of the paper and the imposing format of these...

Original color lithographed poster depicting Georges Leygues as a donkey.
Transverse folds and minute marginal tears without loss.

Distributed between October 1899 and December 1900 in a France inflamed by the Dreyfus Affair, these immense satirical color portraits are the work of Victor Lenepveu who announced the publication of 150 then 200 drawings and ultimately produced only about fifty. Despite the 1881 press freedom law allowing the distribution of politically subversive imagery, the publication of this nightmarish pantheon was interrupted by order of the Ministry of the Interior.

The fragility of the paper and the imposing format of these extremely violent...

Original color lithographed poster depicting Louis Lucipia as a dog wearing a masonic sash.
Transverse folds and minute marginal tears without loss.

Distributed between October 1899 and December 1900 in a France inflamed by the Dreyfus Affair, these immense satirical color portraits are the work of Victor Lenepveu who announced the publication of 150 then 200 drawings and ultimately produced only about fifty. Despite the 1881 press freedom law allowing the distribution of politically subversive imagery, the publication of this nightmarish pantheon was interrupted by order of the Ministry of the Interior.

The fragility of the paper and the imposing format of these...

Original color lithographed poster depicting Joseph Reinach in the guise of a king slumped on his throne.
Transverse folds and minute marginal tears without loss.

Distributed between October 1899 and December 1900 in a France inflamed by the Dreyfus Affair, these immense satirical color portraits are the work of Victor Lenepveu who announced the publication of 150 then 200 drawings and ultimately produced only about fifty. Despite the 1881 press freedom law allowing the distribution of politically subversive imagery, the publication of this nightmarish pantheon was interrupted by order of the Ministry of the Interior.

The fragility of the paper and the imposing...

Original color lithographed poster depicting Jude Philipp in the guise of a vulture nailed to a wall.
Transverse folds and minute marginal tears without loss.

Distributed between October 1899 and December 1900 in a France inflamed by the Dreyfus Affair, these immense satirical color portraits are the work of Victor Lenepveu who announced the publication of 150 then 200 drawings and ultimately produced only about fifty. Despite the 1881 press freedom law allowing the distribution of politically subversive imagery, the publication of this nightmarish pantheon was interrupted by order of the Ministry of the Interior.

The fragility of the paper and the imposing format...