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an old letter from a man who is holding up a piece of paperseveral old letters are stacked on top of each other on a white surface
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32 - Bernard Grasset (1881–1955), the publisher and writer
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Estimate €1,000 - €2,000
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Description
Bernard Grasset (1881–1955), the publisher and writer Set of 22 letters and autograph letters, 1923–1942, addressed to René Benjamin, including Letter, Paris, 7 June 1923; expresses a wish to include the author in his new literary collection, *Les Cahiers verts*, launched in 1921 Letter, Paris, 29 August 1923; concerning the case against the newspaper *L’Intransigeant* Letter, Paris, 10 September 1923; Bernard Grasset’s combative and strategic nature L.S., Paris, 10 November 1923; a long letter from Bernard Grasset detailing his plan to launch *Dimanche médical*, a cultural and entertainment magazine designed exclusively for doctors. The magazine was designed to guide practitioners, on Sundays (their only potential day off), through the latest developments in literature, poetry and the arts. In the 1920s, Grasset, who was seeking new avenues to stabilise his publishing house’s business model, realised that highbrow literature—notably his prestigious *Cahiers verts*, launched in 1921—needed a loyal, cultured readership with strong purchasing power. This new newspaper was launched in 1924. 6 L.S., Paris, 11–28 August 1928; Grasset wished to launch a popular publishing project proposed to François Coty, owner of the newspaper *L’Ami du Peuple*, the publisher’s idea being to repurpose a flagship of French popular culture, the ‘Image d’Epinal’, to turn it into a tool for mass political communication, published fortnightly within the newspaper *L’Ami du Peuple*. It would feature the work of renowned illustrators of the time: Hermann-Paul, Delaw, Guy Arnoux, Maxime Dethomas and Roger Chancel, accompanied by texts from Montmartre chansonniers. The publisher realised that to reach the working-class and popular audience targeted by Coty, he needed to draw on oral culture and satirical humour. His approach was almost industrial in scale: he sent his staff to the Théâtre de Dix Heures to assess the scene, purchase songbooks and immediately link the illustrations to the songs. It was a pioneering vision of multimedia communication (press, images, music). L.S., Paris, 3 July 1941; an account of French literary and intellectual life during the ‘dark years’ L.S., Paris, 6 February 1942; a more personal account by the publisher-writer FIND THE FULL AND DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THIS LOT IN OUR ONLINE AUCTION CATALOGUE
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
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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