Verba Volant, Scripta Manent (Epistolary Art)

Manuscript note by Philippe Soupault, 22 lines in mauve ink on a sheet, headed with this inscription: "Les séances", devoted to the famous "sleep" sessions conducted in André Breton's studio consisting of oneiric writings or texts dictated by a dreamer.
The manuscript notes contain three deletions and corrections.
Philippe Soupault considers his attempts questionable and even labels them as imposture, distancing himself from any active participation in these practices: "Neither Aragon nor I participated actively in the experiments called sleep sessions, while Breton accepted with great interest Crevel's suggestion to engage in experiments he had discovered among friends. One had to fall asleep and recount what 'one saw'..."
He recalls the results that were not always convincing: "Crevel, Desnos and Péret 'fell asleep' and, despite his efforts, Breton could not manage to fall asleep. Listening to the accounts of these sessions, I could not help thinking that the 'sleepers' did not hesitate to simulate in order to make themselves interesting." to such an extent that the intransigent leader of surrealism interrupted them: "Breton realized the danger of one-upmanship and especially of Desnos's exaltation. He ceased attempting new sleep experiments."
Interesting recollections from the last living historical surrealist, often harsh toward his former or new companions.

First edition of the French translation by A. J. B. Defauconpret. Illustrated vi­gnette on the title page of each volume, with two illustrations in each volume (60 in total) by Louis Marckl after Noël Bertrand.
Green half shagreen binding, spine with five raised bands elaborately framed in gilt and blind, spine-ends stamped with a gilt rosette bearing cabbalistic signs, marbled paper boards, marbled endpa­pers and pastedowns, speckled edges, contemporary bindings.
Spines slightly lightened, some corners slightly dulled, more pronounced foxing on some volumes, a tear not affecting text to pp. 303-304 of vol. 2, a restored tear and a marginal lack of paper not af­fecting text to pp. 213-214 of vol. 5.

Autograph letter signed by James Fen­imore Cooper in French, bound in the first volume, written to Charles Goss­elin, publisher of his complete works.
Slight folds to the corners of the leaf, pencil and pen notes by a previous bib­liographer.

Handsomely bound set, exceptionally containing an autograph letter signed by the author to his publisher.

Autograph note signed by Jean Paulhan, 20 lines in black ink addressed to Felia Leal, publisher of "Paroles transparentes," a work by Jean Paulhan illustrated with 14 original lithographs by Georges Braque.

Paperclip marks to the upper left corner.

The note refers to a planned collaboration with Marc Chagall:
"Saturday,

Dear Felia
well, Chagall approves of the short summary. He even seems delighted with it. He says he has had many such ideas. But we are to discuss it in a few days, when he passes through Paris. (He is attending the Rembrandt anniversary celebrations, to which he has been invited by the Netherlands – something he appears quite proud of). Jean P. sends his love."

Autograph letter dated 3 June 1941, signed and addressed to Frédéric Lefèvre, comprising 40 lines in blue ink on two pages of a bifolium, written from Lyon.

Folds from original mailing, envelope present.

During these troubled times, Frédéric Lefèvre was difficult to reach for his friend Francis Carco: "J'ai appris par Raymond Millet - qui me donne ton adresse - que tu es à Vichy ! On m'avait dit que tu étais retourné à Paris... [...] c'est pour cette raison que je ne t'ai pas envoyé mon dernier livre mais je dois recevoir des exemplaires prochainement et le premier sera pour toi."

Francis Carco discusses his future plans: "J'irai me poser en Haute Savoie afin d'écrire le roman que je dois à Gringoire. [...] un éditeur suisse désire publier une petite plaquette de mes vers inédits. N'aurais-tu pas une copie de ceux que je t'ai envoyés à Cannes, l'automne dernier, et de ceux qui commencent par : C'est le pays de Gérard de Nerval..."

Autograph letter dated and signed by Ginger Rogers, addressed to the renowned Swiss collector Claude Armand, 20 lines penned in blue felt-tip from New York,

Folding marks from mailing, with a light paperclip impression to the upper left corner of the letter; original envelope included.

The celebrated American actress and dancer expresses her gratitude to her admirer for his previous letter, in which he requested a signed photograph that she is unfortunately unable to send, being away from her home in Eagle Point, Oregon, and currently in New York: "Your most gracious letter is in my hands and i cannot tell you how delighted its make me to read of your affection for my work..."

Ginger Rogers is clearly touched by Claude Armand’s warm letter: "Thank you so much for your good lettre. I shall keep it, always with warm good wishes."

Autograph letter dated and signed addressed to Thierry Maulnier who is not named (25 lines in black ink on one leaf).
Central folds inherent to postal folding.

Patrice de La Tour Du Pin thanks Thierry Maulnier and shows himself delighted to be soon published by la Table ronde even though he requires certain conditions: "... mais vraiment pour l'édition que vous me proposez si amicalement, je ne peux accepter malgré mon désir : il m'est impossible de faire paraître en même temps plus de quatre volumes de luxe ou de demi-luxe. Déjà Gallimard trouve que c'est un peu gros ! ..." ("...but truly for the edition that you propose so kindly, I cannot accept despite my desire: it is impossible for me to publish at the same time more than four deluxe or semi-deluxe volumes. Already Gallimard finds that it's a bit much! ...")

Thanks to Thierry Maulnier's tenacity, this collaboration project will certainly come to fruition: "Merci en tout cas d'avoir insisté, j'espère que ce ne sera que partie remise..." ("Thank you in any case for having insisted, I hope it will only be postponed...")

Autograph letter dated and signed, one page by Jean-Louis Barrault addressed to Thierry Maulnier (34 lines in blue ink on a recto verso sheet)

Central folds inherent to the mailing, some foxing spots on the letter.

Jean-Louis Barrault, returning from a tour in South America, hastens to respond to Thierry Maulnier in order to consider a radio adaptation and possibly theatrical adaptation of his text Une ville sous la mer: "I do not know if this purity would remain in a theatrical realization, but this confirms to me that you must absolutely give us the opportunity as soon as possible to serve you directly on the theatrical plane."

The theatre man therefore proposes to his correspondent to meet soon to make concrete this nascent project: "I would be happy this winter if we could see each other sometimes and begin this rapprochement which must lead one day soon to a beautiful work by you realized with love on our stage." and invites him to come and absorb the atmosphere of the troupe he directs: "Tell yourself that you are at home at the Marigny. You can drop by at any hour - even during rehearsals. It is the best way to know each other thoroughly."

This project would indeed come to fruition but without the participation of Jean-Louis Barrault: Une ville sous la mer, which became La Ville au fond de la mer, was broadcast on radio by RTF on July 1st, 1950, with as principal interpreters, Maria Casares, Roger Blin and Marcelle Tassencourt, Thierry Maulnier's wife, and Michel Witold. A theatrical adaptation would see the light during the Normandy festival, in Caen in August 1953 with, in the principal roles, Monique Mélinand, Jean Servais, Jean Martinelli and Michel Piccoli.

Autograph letter signed and dated, one page, from Maurice Blanchot addressed to the theater actress Marcelle Tassencourt, wife of Thierry Maulnier, 18 lines in black ink.
Central folds inherent to postal handling, envelope included.

Maurice Blanchot praises the acting performance of Marcelle Tassencourt who created, in 1944, the role of Antigone in Robert Garnier's play directed by her husband, Thierry Maulnier:  "... cette Antigone m'a beaucoup touché. Je ne croyais pas que la beauté des vers y fût capable d'une actrice aussi vivante. Que la vie et le style peuvent être à ce point associés, que l'harmonie engendrât l'horreur, et la beauté le déchirement, c'est que je n'imaginais pas pouvoir ressentir aussi complètement et que la plupart des spectateurs me semblent avoir ressenti autour de moi et chez moi." (... this Antigone moved me greatly. I did not believe that the beauty of the verses could be capable of such a lively actress. That life and style can be so closely associated, that harmony could engender horror, and beauty create heartbreak, is something I never imagined I could feel so completely and that most of the spectators around me and within me seemed to have felt.)

Maurice Blanchot particularly emphasizes the actress's perfect mastery of facial expressions:  "... je penserais qu'il y a en vous le pouvoir de confiner à quelques-uns de vos traits - et en particulier à votre regard - les sentiments que les acteurs en général répartissent et éparpillent mollement dans l'ensemble du visage. Mais ce pouvoir ne s'appelle-t-il pas concentration ? (naturelmement je n'ai rien dit)." (... I would think that you have the power to confine to some of your features - and particularly to your gaze - the feelings that actors in general distribute and scatter weakly across the entire face. But is this power not called concentration? (naturally I have said nothing).)

First critical edition, with some parts of the text in first edition, illustrated with 10 portraits, 17 views and 10 facsimiles as well as the coats of arms of the Sévigné, Bussy, Grignan and Simiane families as frontispiece to the first volume.
Bound in half red calf, spines with four fine raised bands set with gilt friezes decorated with gilt fleurons and typographical motifs, gilt friezes at head and foot, owner's name gilt at foot of spines, red paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, elegant contemporary Romantic bindings.
Some foxing, manuscript ownership inscriptions in black ink at head of title pages.
Our copy is complete with the eleventh and twelfth volumes "Mémoires de M. de Coulanges suivis de lettres inédites de madame de Sévigné" published in 1820 at the initiative of M. de Monmerqué, editor of the marquise's letters and "Lettres inédites de madame de Sévigné, de sa famille et de ses amis" published in 1827 by the same publisher, which are always lacking to complete this set.
The eleventh volume is illustrated with 1 portrait, 3 facsimiles and 1 plate; the engravings of the twelfth having been bound and distributed throughout the first ten volumes.
Fine set, established in a charming and elegant uniform contemporary Romantic binding.

Printed calling card on which André Malraux added, in blue ballpoint pen, these few words for his friends Minka and Karl Hans Strauss:
"I am touched, dear friends, by the affectionate part you take in my grief... And what else is there to say?..."





 

Autograph letter signed by the dandy count, 46 lines written in black ink recto-verso, on Hotel de France de Pau letterhead, addressed to a poet friend.
Fold marks inherent to postal handling.
The poet expresses surprise at his friend's reproaches: "Pourquoi parlez-vous du mal que je pourrais vous faire ?... Alors il faudrait bien essayer, pour ne pas vous désobéir mais il me semble que je m'y mettrai sans conviction." (Why do you speak of the harm I could do to you?... Then I would have to try, so as not to disobey you, but it seems to me I would do so without conviction.) and leans rather toward a misunderstanding of his words: "Est-ce donc ainsi que vous avez interprété ma grande, dirai-je ma belle lettre à Lapauze (elle a droit aux anthologies)? Mais, dans ce cas, elle serait comminatoire. Si elle l'est, ce n'est pas pour vous." (Is this how you interpreted my great, I would say my beautiful letter to Lapauze (it deserves to be anthologized)? But, in that case, it would be threatening. If it is, it is not meant for you.)
But the poet-count-dandy does not hold it too much against her: "En attendant, ce qui est certain, c'est que je réciterai vos poèmes inédits, à l'inauguration du musée Ingres." (In the meantime, what is certain is that I will recite your unpublished poems at the inauguration of the Ingres museum.)

Autograph poem by Théodore de Banville, unsigned, entitled "Les exilés," comprising 20 lines in black ink with deletions and corrections.
Vertical and horizontal fold marks from mailing.
In the upper right-hand corner, the poet has written: “envoi de livre à Don Bernardo Calderon.”
This four-quatrain poem appears to be unpublished and was seemingly not included in the collection "Les exilés" published in 1867.
«Ce  livre, pleurant  sur la gloire
Et sur le bonheur envolé,
Renferme toute notre histoire?
Qui donc n'est pas un exilé ?
[...]

Heureux celui qui sous la mer,
Penchant son triste front blémi,
Poursuit sa route aride et nue
En tenant la main d'un ami !... »

Fine quatrain by Théodore de Banville, likely unpublished.