1 / 6
a close up of a piece of paper with writing on itseveral old papers are stacked on top of each other on a white surfacea handwritten letter from the president of the united statesa piece of paper with writing on it sitting on top of a tablean old handwritten letter from a man who is writing on a piece of papertwo pages of a book that are open on a white background
Premium ROUILLAC

170 - Marguerite Deville Chabrol (1881–1959), woman of letters and…
See original version (French)

Estimate €300 - €600
Sale commission
Description
Marguerite Deville Chabrol (1881–1959), woman of letters and wife of the famous American modernist sculptor John Storrs Set of 42 letters written from and to the sender, 1937–1949, addressed to René Benjamin and his son François, including: Letter from the author, Chantecaille, Mer (Loir-et-Cher), 22 February [1942], regarding the arrest of John Storrs Dear friend… Please do not Please do not see in my long silence either forgetfulness or indifference, but on the contrary… proof of all the friendship we have for you. And a fear of making you unhappy… because of our own misfortune… Since 24 December, Christmas Eve, my beloved John has been in the concentration camp for Americans at Compiègne! Everything had been arranged with the Kommandantur in Orléans and that in Blois, with whom we are on the best of terms. Then a deplorable measure from Washington led to the internment of three hundred thousand Germans (...) The 25 or 30 nationals born in the United States, not to mention another 200 or 300 so-called ‘naturalised’ citizens of convenience—Jews or foreigners who had obtained passports (...)—it was a terrible shock, all the more so as my husband, who had been deeply depressed since 1939, the war, having lost 25 kg and been left emotionally shattered, was only just beginning to recover thanks to our care and a restorative diet. I shall not dwell on all the details of this suffering, so as not to put you off (...) The first month in particular was terrible, as John – ‘stunned’ by this surprise – had fallen ill again, with a cold and feeling unwell; but for the past three weeks he has been receiving excellent care. The five doctors—all highly competent: one German, two White Russians and two Americans (internationally renowned and also interned)—carried out a full examination on him (which none of the French doctors who have been treating him for 30 months had even suggested!) and the diagnosis of a simple ‘nervous breakdown’ with no organic complications has reassured my poor prisoner, who is now in excellent spirits. He is being treated very well and with great consideration. I would even say with reverence. He is being kept in the infirmary because it is very warm there and because they have medicines and supplements that are no longer available, such as condensed milk and specialised pharmaceutical products. Perhaps one day they’ll return him to me? I’m allowed to visit him every fortnight – a long, costly and arduous journey to Compiègne (...) and, as a favour, I’m allowed to see him for half an hour, alone, instead of the standard 10 minutes (...) He was surrounded by a black man, a madman who was screaming, and a feeble-minded man who was nodding his head, and John said to me: ‘These are my friends!’ He was beaming with love (...) The Germans said to me, ‘Oh, madam, we should never have arrested someone like him.’ The law of retaliation, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, in wartime (...) That, then, is why I haven’t written to you for three or four months. I am with our lovely Monique. The word ‘admirable’ is no exaggeration. She continues her charitable work, nursing, visiting, dressing wounds and comforting people during these unimaginable times of freezing cold and black ice. Yesterday she cycled 50 km, alone, in the Beauce region. She also looks after the property whilst the owner is away... L.A.S., Chantecaille, Wed, 29 June [1942], John Storrs’ release under supervised release Numerological analysis of the personality and destiny of Jean-Loup Benjamin, April 1943, 7 pp., in-4 L.S., Chantecaille, Mer, 17 April 1943; John Storrs’ injury and operation L.S., Chantecaille, Mer, 14 May 1944; Allied aircraft shot down near the estate Etc... 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
You may also like