Writers' autograph manuscripts, work drafts, handwritten notebooks, autograph poems, romantic manuscript fragments

Autograph quatrain and tercet from Jean Cocteau's youth, comprising fourteen stanzas penned in black ink across 15 lines on grey paper bearing the poet’s silver monogram in the upper left corner.
Two pencil corrections in the poet’s hand.
This poem presents a variant of the version published in the collection "Le prince frivole," released by Mercure de France in 1910, Cocteau’s second published work; “Versailles dont on a tant dit” (appearing as “Le vieux parc dont on a tant dit” in the printed edition).



 

| "the time for planting has come" |
Autograph letter signed by François-René de Chateaubriand, dated March 14, 1827. 3 1/2 pages in black ink on a bifolium, addressed to Michel-Augustin Varcollier.

Chateaubriand writes to the husband of his goddaughter, Atala Stamaty-Varcollier, the first to bear the name of the heroine of his famous novel that propelled him onto the literary scene in 1801. Head of the Fine Arts Division of the Seine Prefecture, Michel-Augustin Varcollier acted as Chateaubriand's intermediary in the development of the grounds of l'Infirmerie Marie-Thérèse, his wife Céleste's grand project to house...

Autograph letter signed by Victor Hugo to his friend H. de Cambier, 20 lines written in black ink on a bifolium, autograph address on the verso of the final leaf.
Splendid and likely unpublished letter from Victor Hugo inviting his correspondent to the famed Romantic 'Cénacle' gatherings at the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal, a veritable literary institution in the 1830's.

"This Saturday the 6th,
I noticed the other evening, Sir, that you expressed, with some regret, not having a ball to attend on Sunday (tomorrow).
Now, I have managed to arrange my guard duty so as to be free tomorrow from nine o'clock to midnight (alas, I could not obtain...

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Autograph letter dated and signed by Antonin Artaud on Le Dôme brasserie letterhead, addressed to Maurice Martin du Gard, founder and director of Nouvelles Littéraires. 29 lines in blue ink in a nervous handwriting.
Traces of folds and small marginal tears inherent to postal dispatch and handling. Minor stains at the beginning of the letter.

Antonin Artaud fought to have his article on Balthus's painting, exhibited for the first time in France, published. He fiercely defended the artist he considered his 'double', so similar were they physically and intellectually.

Original autograph signed and dated manuscript by Paul Claudel, for his preface to Jacques Rivière's 'A la trace de Dieu'. Seventeen and a half pages in black ink on five double leaves.
A few words crossed out and rewritten. Horizontal fold, some foxing to the first page, pencil notes by a bibliographer on the last blank page. The preface, dated June 1925, first appeared in Le Correspondant on September 25, 1925, then with Rivière's Carnets published the same year by his wife under the title 'A la trace de Dieu' (Gallimard, pp. 9-24).



Complete manuscript of Paul Claudel's moving preface to the notebooks kept by Jacques Rivière during his captivity in WW1. The writer pays...

Original signed drawing in pencil and pink crayon by Antoine de Saint-Ex­upéry, on “Navarre” watermarked paper. Horizontal fold, annotation in pencil in upper left-hand corner, min­ute tears in lower margin.

Precious drawing signed by Saint-Exupéry – the writer-artist very rarely signed his graphic works – of a caricature character, sharing some of the writer's own features.

Autograph letter dated from Liane de Pougy to the French archaeologist, curator of the Musée de Saint-Germain and professor of art history at the École du Louvre, Salomon Reinach, 56 lines written in blue ink on one double-sided sheet, written from her property at Clos-Marie in Roscoff where the famous courtesan stayed until 1926.
A small tear in the right-hand margin of the letter, inherent in the enveloping of the missive; another slight tear at the foot, without affecting the text.
Liane de Pougy marvels at the youthful vigor of Reinach, who had just turned 65: ' Many happy returns for your 65 years, which find you so young, so fresh, so green, with such playful (studious)...

« Chère amoi [sic]
Ton ami arrivé moulu brisé de deux nuits de voitures et de chemins de fer. Il t'attend demain soir mardi. Oh ce sera avec grand bonheur qu'il s'assurera que toutes choses sont dans l'état où il les a laissées
a toi »

Autograph postcard signed by Jean Paulhan, 22 lines written in black ink addressed to Felia Leal the publisher of "Paroles transparentes", a work by Jean Paulhan decorated with 14 original lithographs by Georges Braque.
Central fold mark on the card which represents the painting by Georges Braque entitled: Cliffs and Boat.
Jean Paulhan asks for news of his correspondent: "Are you completely cured? What if it were me instead who came to your place?" and is amazed by the smallness of Parisian taxis: "These taxis for dwarf people are dreadful..."
From the narrowness of taxis, Jean Paulhan shifts to Gallimard's editorial...

Long autograph letter signed by Claude Farrère, approximately 160 lines in blue ink (8 pages on two double leaves), to his friend Pierre Louÿs thanking him notably for his thoughtfulness.
Traces of folds inherent to being placed in an envelope, envelope included.
Claude Farrère praises his friend's thoughtfulness towards him: "Thank you for your letter... not only because it is exquisite, - six times more than you can believe, - but much more because I know very well that you told it to me so as 'not to worry me...' as you say." and is amazed by the problems raised by these recent articles: "Said in parentheses, I am quite stunned by the one...

Original autograph manuscript, 8 pages on 4 squared leaves, extensively revised and signed by Boris Vian. Subtle horizontal folds.
This short story, written on 7 June 1948 according to Noël Arnaud, was first published in issue no. 2 of the magazine Dans le train, and later included in the collection Le Loup Garou. The manuscript differs slightly from the printed versions.

Original autograph manuscript of a short story by Boris Vian, written in 1945 and published posthumously in the collection Le Loup-Garou in 1970.
Highly dense manuscript of 17 pages on 9 sheets, written in black ink with deletions and corrections, on perforated graph paper, dated “25.10.45” at the end of the text. One of the very rare manuscripts dated by the author.

Exceptional manuscript of Boris Vian’s first short story, written at the age of 25, just a few months after the Liberation.

Original autograph manuscript of Boris Vian's short story, first published in the magazine Une bouteille à la Mer, no.72, in 1952, then included in Vercoquin et le plancton and republished posthumously in the 1970 collection Le Loup-Garou.
Heavily revised manuscript, written in blue ink on the recto of each sheet, with corrections in purple ink and black pencil.

Important original autograph manuscript, signed, of Boris Vian’s short story written in 1950, first published in Bizarre no. 32–33 in 1964, and later included in the posthumous collection Le Loup-Garou in 1970.
With Vian’s autograph name and address at the head of the manuscript.

Extensively revised manuscript, written in blue and violet ink on the versos of each leaf, with a pasted slip of corrections mounted to page 13.

Autograph manuscript signed by André Breton, written in black ink on two sheets of green paper.
Horizontal fold to each sheet, pagination in red pencil on the 2nd sheet. Published in the journal Art, 1955.

Autograph letter signed by Remy de Gourmont addressed to a writer with whom he collaborates, 1 page on a double sheet, 14 lines in black ink, regarding a sum owed to a publisher: "On lui doit 3 fr, versables quand Ducoté aura donné les fonds du mois de juillet." ["We owe him 3 francs, payable when Ducoté has provided the funds for the month of July."]
Two small stains on the verso of the autograph letter.

Autograph letter dated and signed by Emile Zola, 23 lines in black ink on a page and a half, addressed to press baron Arthur Meyer
Folds inherent to postal delivery.
Emile Zola intervenes with Arthur Meyer, proprietor of the high-circulation newspaper "Le Gaulois", on behalf of his friend Louis de Robert: "Vous sentirez comme moi que c'est un garçon d'avenir, et je suis convaincu que vous l'utiliserez... Je le connais et je désire qu'il travaille." ["You will feel as I do that he is a young man with a future, and I am convinced that you will make use of him... I know him and I want him to work."] in whom he recognizes a talented writer: "Me...

Autograph letter dated and signed by Charles Vildrac to Henri Barbusse; one page with his monogram blind-stamped in the upper left corner and written in black ink on one leaf, 18 lines.
Postal folds, a small tear at the foot of the letter without any damage to the text.
Charles Vildrac congratulates Henri Barbusse for his militant devotion and dynamism: "J'ai pris connaissance du Manifeste appel pour une ligue internationale des écrivains et j'y adhère sans réserves en applaudissant à votre généreuse initiative." ["I have read the Manifesto calling for an international league of writers and I join it without reservation, applauding your generous...

Autograph letter by Jean Cocteau, signed with his famous star, addressed to his great love, the actor Jean Marais. Dated by the author July 1940. One and a half pages in black ink on a sheet.
Two small marginal tears not affecting the text. Traces of transverse folds inherent to posting.
Magnificent love letter from Cocteau to Marais, who formed one of the most legendary artistic couples of the 20th century. Against the backdrop of defeat and German Occupation, their unbreakable bond is embodied in this letter from the writer with its desperate accents.
Published in the Lettres à Jean Marais, 1987, p. 157.
This missive from a...