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several old books are stacked on top of each other on a white surfaceseveral old letters and envelopes are piled together on a tableseveral old black and white photographs of men and women in military uniformsan old black and white photo of a group of men sitting at a table with tennis racquetsphotograph of a group of men in uniform posing for a picturea lot of old papers with writing on themseveral old letters are stacked on top of each other on a white surfaceseveral old papers are piled together on top of each othersome old letters are sitting on top of each other on a white surface
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5 - René Benjamin: his early literary publications and theatrica…
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Estimate €1,000 - €2,000
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René Benjamin: his early literary publications and theatrical performances, 1908–1914 Collection of manuscripts, correspondence and photographs, 1908–1914 FIND THE FULL AND DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THIS LOT IN OUR ONLINE AUCTION CATALOGUE Columns, short stories and tales Manuscripts ‘Petites villes d’eaux – Journées grises’, published in *Gil Blas*, 27 August 1910 ‘La chambre de la cousine’, published in *Fantasio* on 1 October 1910, with handwritten corrections; ‘A Father’, a short story in *Paris-Journal* ‘A Tragedy’, 14–15 December 1909, 9 pages in-8; ‘The Festival of the Dead and the Comedy of the Living’, 21 pages in-8 ‘ ‘The Fan’, 8 pages, in-8 ‘The Jackpot’, dated 16 May 1912, 14 pages, in-8; ‘The Joys of the Cold – A Bobsleigh Race’, 11 pages, in-8 ‘The Mad and the Rest’, 3 pages, in-8 ‘The Domestic Crisis’, 6 pages, in-8 ‘A Saviour’ (1st draft), 20 June – 10 July 1909; 5 October – 1 February 1910’, with deletions, corrections and additions, 245 pp., in-8 ‘A Clever One, a short story’, written in pencil and pen, with deletions, corrections and additions, 127 pp., in-8 Novels *Madame Bonheur* published by Bernard Grasset in 1909 manuscript draft, with deletions, corrections and additions, 291 pp., in-8 press cuttings 21 L.A.S./P.A.S., 1909–1910, including L.A.S., Paris, 20 January 1909, Charles Foleÿ, writer and critic at *L’Echo de Paris* Letter from the addressee, 25 May 1909, Jules Bois, poet, novelist and essayist, in charge of the book review section of the *Annales politiques et littéraires* Letter from the author, May 1909, to Marylie Markovitch, poet and feminist woman of letters, the first female war correspondent during the Russian Revolution, 8 pages in-8 P.A.S., 3 June 1909, Henri Mazel, playwright and man of letters L.A.S., 13 May 1909, Caroline de Broutelles, journalist and secretary of *La Vie Heureuse* Letter from the author (L.A.S.), Jean Rameau, novelist and poet Letter from the author (L.A.S.), 9 June 1910, Eugène Hollande, poet, 4 pages in-8 Letter from the author, 10 June 1909, Auguste Dorchain, writer and poet Letter from the author, 23 June 1909, Toussaint Luca, editor at the *Revue des lettres et des arts*, friend of Guillaume Apollinaire Les Justices de Paix, or Twenty Ways of Judging in Paris Paris, Arthème Fayard & Cie, 1913 illustrated with 38 original woodcuts by Georges Bruye, and a cover by Jean Lefort First edition, in-8, half-shagreen binding with gilt corners and gilt fillets, spine with 5 raised bands framed by blind-stamped fillets, gilt lettering, gilt head Autographed copy dedicated to his future wife, Elisabeth Lecoy + handwritten draft, 25 May–25 July 1912; 3 Oct.–24 Oct. 1912, with a few crossings-out, corrections and additions, 383 pp., in-8 + typewritten letter from Ollendorf Publishers, 18 December 1912, refusing publication + letter from Fayard Publishers requesting to read the manuscript in autumn 1912 Incoming correspondence received after publication, approx. 40 letters and postcards, 1913–1925, press cuttings Paris, its people and customs, the Auction House Paris, published by Georges Oudin, 1914 illustrated with drawings by Jean Lefort 24 x 19 cm Half-shagreen binding with brown corners and gilt fillets, spine with 5 raised bands framed by blind-stamped fillets, gilt lettering, gilt head First edition on paper from the Imperial Paper Mills of Japan Copy A, a collector’s highlight Superb condition Typescript with handwritten corrections and first printer’s proof 45 letters from authors and publishers received upon publication, and press cuttings, including: Jean Richepin, poet; Jean Martet, poet and novelist; Urbain Gohier, lawyer; Emmanuel Bourcier, novelist; Georges Docquois, playwright and poet; Edouard Guerber, veterinary surgeon, writer and poet; Jean Rameau, poet; Fernand Maillaud, painter; Paul Margueritte, writer; etc. Theatre *Comprendre* or *La vache à lait*, a one-act comedy René Benjamin’s first play, performed at the Théâtre Réjane on 30 April 1908, and published in the magazine *Touche à Tout* *Comprendre*, published in *Comoedia* on 1 May 1908 15 letters from the author/author’s letterhead, including a letter from the author on Théâtre Réjane letterhead, 13 December 1907, from Gabriel Signoret Letter from the author, on Théâtre Réjane letterhead, 8 December 1907, from Gabrielle Charlotte Réju, known as Réjane – one of the most popular actresses of her time and owner of the theatre bearing her name – addressed to Gabriel Signoret Letter from the author, 8 June 1909, Marylie Markovitch, poet and feminist writer Have you seen *Calomel*, a grand spectacle in four acts, August 1908 Handwritten draft with additions and corrections, 15 pp. in-8 *Behind the Screen*, studies of theatrical customs Manuscript, 12 pp., in-8, with the printed programme, 7 March 1908, announcing the performance of René Benjamin’s play at the Riberettes’, featuring the famous actors of the time: Mounet-Sully, Coquelin the Elder, Maurice de Féraudy, Paul Mounet, Firmin Gémier, etc. ‘There Are No More Children!’, operetta Manuscript, 27 pp., in-8, performed at the Riberettes’ home on Sunday 26 December 1909 FIND THE FULL AND DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THIS LOT IN OUR ONLINE AUCTION CATALOGUE
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About the sale René Benjamin, the 20th-century Balzac scholar
Auction location
Auction time 10/06/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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