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a lot of papers that have been written on thema pile of old handwritten letters on top of each otherseveral old books are stacked on top of each other on a white surfacean open book with a drawing of a man in a suit and tiea book with an open page on the front and a page on the back of itan open book with a piece of paper on top of itseveral old books are stacked on top of each other on a white surfacethree coins with a statue of a woman and a man on thema box full of books that are sitting on a tablea cardboard box filled with lots of papers and a notethree old black and white photos of men in suits and tiesseveral old books are lined up on top of each othertwo old black and white photos of a man and a womanthree old black and white photos of men standing on a bridgeseveral old black and white photographs of people and horses in a fieldseveral old black and white photos of men in suits and tiesa black and white photo of a man sitting at a tabletwo old black and white photos of a man in a suit and tietwo black and white photos of a man with his hands in the airportrait of a man in a suit and tie with his arms crossedan old black and white photo of a man in a suit and tiea woman standing next to a tree with a bunch of flowerswoman standing in front of a tree with a bunch of flowers in her handseveral old papers with a picture of a man in a suit and tie
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27 - Personal archives, comprising private, literary, theatrical …
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Estimate €3,000 - €6,000
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Description
Personal archives, comprising private, literary, theatrical and political writings by René Benjamin, a key witness to the interwar period, 1919–1939 A substantial collection comprising correspondence, handwritten notebooks and notes, diaries, photographs and miscellaneous items FIND THE FULL AND DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THIS LOT IN OUR ONLINE AUCTION CATALOGUE A significant collection of over 930 letters to and from the writer and lecturer René Benjamin, 1916–1939, comprising correspondence between him and his wife Elisabeth (Beth) Henriette Lecoy and his mother-in-law Marie-Louise Jeanne Bodin (née Lecoy), forming a vivid, scathing and relentlessly lucid portrait of the cultural life and political turmoil of the era. With dazzling stylistic verve, wielding biting irony and anti-democratic rhetoric with the talent of a master pamphleteer, René Benjamin delivers here a first-rate account for understanding the intellectual and artistic inner workings, as well as the ideological divisions, of interwar France. At the heart of these exchanges lies the daily work of a passionate author. Benjamin details the genesis and reception of his major works (including *Valentine*, *Clemenceau*, *Molière*, *Mussolini* and his writings on Barrès and Sacha Guitry), his proofreading and his long-term agreements with major publishing houses such as Fayard and Plon. But it is his immersion in the world of theatre that makes this collection particularly fascinating. The letters offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creation, rehearsals and premieres of his landmark plays: *Les Plaisirs du hasard* (performed at the Vieux-Colombier), *Paris* (performed at the Porte Saint-Martin) and *M. Fritz Franz Neumann* (premiered in Brussels). The author recounts his regular collaborations with legendary figures of the theatre world such as Jacques Copeau, Albert Willemetz, the actor Dorville and the director Jean Choux. He recounts with verve the intrigues of the Parisian critics and the courage of his wife Beth, whom he describes as a veritable archangel fighting sword in hand to defend his plays during memorable dress rehearsals. A vital account of the ideological struggles of the interwar period, this correspondence follows step by step René Benjamin’s countless lecture tours across France, North Africa and Europe (Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Romania). His public appearances turn out to be veritable battles. With his satirical pen, he describes the fury of secular schoolteachers and Communist activists who regularly attempted to sabotage his talks, as well as the bans imposed by certain left-wing mayors. The accounts of epic lectures saved by the massive intervention of the gendarmerie or royalist supporters (as in Loches, Perpignan or Grenoble, where the writer was physically assaulted and narrowly escaped being strangled) read like true anthology pieces. These tours directly reflect his unwavering commitment to Action Française. He thus records his intimate conversations and regular lunches with Charles Maurras, Léon Daudet and Jacques Bainville, whose literary portraits he assesses and refines. The great appeal of this collection lies in the parade of leading figures Benjamin mingled with at elite dinners and high-society receptions. The correspondence offers direct and previously unpublished insights into: the literary and artistic world: it expresses an absolute and poignant devotion to the poet Anna de Noailles, the ‘queen of poetry’, whom he visited regularly. The author describes the mutual admiration that bound them, the poetess’s painful final days, and recounts the emotion of her funeral in 1933. We also encounter Paul Valéry, Sacha Guitry, Maurice Barrès and Abel Bonnard. Historical giants and military leaders: Benjamin records his face-to-face encounters with Georges Clemenceau, his intimate dinners with Marshal Pétain, and his regular exchanges with General Weygand, Marshal Joffre and General Gouraud. It also features incisive portraits of political figures such as Léon Blum, Louis Marin, Mandel and Jacques Doriot. 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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