Barrès, Maurice, French novelist, journalist and far-right politician (1862-1923). 2 autograph letters signed.

€ 250,00

Both letters to the playwright and poet Maurice Pottecher, concerning his Théâtre du peuple in Bussang and a new book.

Shortly before the opening of the season of the open-air People's Theatre, Barrès asked Pottecher to write a letter on the theatre that he would turn into a piece for his journal "Le Drapeau": "Voici qu'approche le moment de vos représentations d'été. Écrivez-moi donc une lettre, au courant de la plume, dont je ferai faire 'une conversation' sur vos projets pour le Drapeau". The Théâtre du peuple opened as an open-air theatre in 1895, staging folk and morality plays at low ticket prices. Pottecher led the theatre until his death in 1960, and it is still operative today.

Le Drapeau, the official newspaper of the Ligue des patriotes, was considerably less successful. Founded by Louis-Robert d'Hurcourt in 1881, Paul Déroulède took personal control of the weekly newspaper in 1885. Despite several important contributors, Le Drapeau never attracted a large readership. In March 1901, Déroulède charged Barrès with transforming Le Drapeau into a daily newspaper, but it was discontinued only months later, in December 1901. Thus, the letter must date to the summer of 1901.

The letter from Charmes on headed stationery, with good wishes and congratulations on the publication of a book.