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a handwritten letter from the president of the united statesan open book with a handwritten letter on it sitting on top of a tablean old handwritten letter from a man who is writing a poem
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917 - KROPOTKIN P.A. (1842–1921), AUTOGRAPH
See original version (French)

Estimate €1,200 - €1,500
Sale commission
Description
KROPOTKIN P.A. (1842–1921), AUTOGRAPH Autograph letter signed ‘Pierre Kropotkin’, addressed to his ‘Dear colleague’. Viola, Bromley, Kent, 14 May 1896 4 pp. on a double leaf, in-8. 18 x 11.5 cm. In French. Letter concerning the works he wishes to see published. He promises to send some manuscripts for the exhibition. (…) ‘There is one that my wife is particularly fond of: the Russian manuscript of my work on glacial formations in Finland (…), which I wrote entirely whilst confined to a cell in the Peter and Paul Fortress in St Petersburg in 1874–1875. It is a fine manuscript of about 450 folios. Can we be absolutely certain that it will not go astray?’ He asks whether he should send his manuscript to his correspondent or to Mr Paul Gallimard, and encloses the list of manuscripts he proposes to send. ‘One of them is a first draft, partly illegible, of the lecture on Anarchy that I was prevented from delivering in Paris. But it seems that it is drafts of this sort that enthusiasts appreciate most’ (…). He also notes in a postscript that he possesses two manuscripts by Bakunin which are very dear to him: the programme of the Society for International Revolution and a section of ‘God and the State’. P.A. Kropotkin (1842–1921), a Russian anarchist revolutionary, geographer and geomorphologist, explorer of the tectonic structure of Siberia and Central Asia, and researcher into the Ice Age. A renowned historian, philosopher and publicist, he was the founder of the ideology of anarcho-communism and one of the most influential theorists of anarchism. At the buyer’s request, we shall be happy to provide a general report on the condition of the lot described above. However, as we are not professional conservators or restorers, we strongly advise potential buyers to carry out their own inspection or to consult a specialist of their choice to obtain a comprehensive assessment of the lot’s condition. Descriptions of items provided in the catalogue or by correspondence are for guidance only and should not be regarded as a definitive assessment. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD ‘AS IS’, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE PUBLISHED IN THE CATALOGUE.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale RARE BOOKS & MANUSCRIPTS: Antique books § Autographs, rare editions, photographs § Works on paper
Auction location
Auction time 10/29/2026 at 2:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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