Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 15037 - Autographs, Historical Documents, Ephemera and Postal History
Lot: 131

Documents
France
Émile Zola
1891 (May) two autograph notes signed on his visiting cards to J.T. Grein (a Dutch born theatre impresario and drama critic) with one autograph envelope addressed within Paris.



Translations of the notes, "My dear colleague, I will happily receive you on whatever day you like, at 6 o'clock, Sunday excepted. Cordially, Émile Zola" and "I shall only be home tomorrow, Monday, after 8 in the evening, and will be pleased, sir, to shake your hand if you can step out at such a late hour. Émile Zola".



It is possible that these invitations were to discuss arrangements for that autumn's production of Thérèse Raquin in London. Photo

Émile Zola (1840-1902), a French novelist, critic, and political activist who was the most prominent French novelist of the late 19th century. He was noted for his theories of naturalism, which underlie his monumental 20-novel series Les Rougon-Macquart, and for his intervention in the Dreyfus Affair through his famous open letter, “J’accuse.”

Jacob Thomas Grein moved to London in 1885 and became a naturalised British subject in 1895. His greatest achievement was founding the Independent Theatre Society in 1891. Their first production was Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts in 1891. Their performances were held as "private" subscription performances, which allowed them to present plays that were not officially licensed by the Lord Chamberlain's Office. In 1892 the Society produced George Bernard Shaw's first play, Widowers' Houses.[2] Grein married the actress Alice Augusta Greeven in 1904; she later wrote and edited a biography of him under the pseudonym Michael Orme

Subject to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium. For more information please view Terms and Conditions for Buyers.

Estimate
£500 to £600