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A selection by: Astrid Guillon Maison de ventes aux enchères

An exceptional show of confidence and support, or a call to …
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Lot no. 183
Estimate: €5,000 - €6,000
Sale date : 12/10/2025 at 10:30 AM
Sale commission
Books, manuscripts, old papers and historical documents
Description
An exceptional show of confidence and support, or a call to resistance, sent by the prisoners of Oflag II B to Marshal PETAIN? [Collective]. Act of Faith of the Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Troops of Oflag II B dedicated to Marshal Pétain, Head of the French State. Offlag II B [Arnswalde (Choszczno, Poland)], 15 August 1942. Manuscript in-4° (31.7 x 23.8 cm) with 1 bl. f., title, 13 ff. and 8 full-page illustrations in gouache and wash. 1 bl. f. Paperback, cream cover with embossed initials of Philippe PETAIN, preserved in an inlaid wooden case opening in two flaps, presenting on the upper cover a Marshal's baton with a francisque decorated with 10 metal stars on its handle, placed on the map of France with the coats of arms of its regions, dated "anno d[omi]ni MCMXLII", and, on the lower cover, "Oflag II B. 1942" in the centre of 7 metal stars arranged in a circle [2 stars missing]. The cover is laminated to the bottom of the slipcase. Extraordinary tribute to the Marshal, called upon to put France back on its feet and continue his work of National Revolution, inspired by the great moments of national history: Bouvines, Joan of Arc, Henri IV, Villars, Valmy, Verdun, in a glorification of "Work-Family-Patriotism", on "this long national road of French unity, [...] the road to France". Each of the 7 illustrations is mounted on coloured paper, in a frame, with the text opposite decorated with an initials and sometimes illuminations. Some of the artists have signed: LAMBERT-NAUDIN, J. BAYARD, H. DULAC, LANOUX. From 1942 onwards, this famous officers' camp housed more than 6,000 French prisoners. Life there was organised: a rich French and foreign library, courses in literature, law, philosophy (by Paul RICŒUR in particular), mathematics (by Jean KUNTZMANN), languages, drawing and painting, and so on. The Cercle Pétain, launched at the end of 1941, organised conferences, New Year's greetings were sent to the Marshal (to which he replied on 10 February 1943), his birthday was celebrated on 2 May 1942, and a lottery in his name was organised (25 August 1942). Given that the resistance was being organised within the camp, could this Act of Faith not be seen as an appeal to the Marshal to resist the occupying forces, inspired by the moments in French history magnified by our manuscript? Whatever the case, this document, in its inlaid slipcase, is an exceptional vestige of the artistic production within the notorious Oflag B II.124 [/125] plates on 108 ff. including 1 large fold-out map, 10 maps and plans and 20 fold-out plates. Rotted fawn calf [the atlas in half with small corners], long ornate spine, t.p. and g.p. in fawn morocco, double gilt fillet on covers, gilt roulette on edges, edges speckled with red (period binding). The Atlas includes a very large general map of the Russian Empire, and numerous plates of botany, animals, idols, costumes, monuments, etc. (Binding of the period). Plate 1 of volume II lacking; errata of volume III partly glued with the endpaper. Some foxing to the atlas, some plates browned. Small but not serious defects to the binding of the 5 vol. of text, some hinges fragile. Good edition of the plates, a good copy in a contemporary binding.
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