Foucher, Paul-Henri, playwright, theatre and music critic (1810-1875). 16 autograph letters, all but one signed.

[Paris], mostly 1827.

8vo and 4to. Together 13 pp.

 680.00

All letters are addressed to Foucher's friend, the writer Alcide Hyacinthe Dubois de Beauchesne, and mostly written in 1827, when Foucher was still employed at the War Department in Paris. In most of the letters he asks Beauchesne for tickets, but also for other favours: "[...] c'est jeudi à 8 heures, mon cher Beauchesne, que je vous ferai subir un des plus rudes travaux que je puisse vous commander... je vous lirai les trois premiers actes d'un drame [...]".

In 1828 Foucher met Alexandre Soumet, who advised him to read the play "Amy Robsart" by his brother-in-law Victor Hugo. Hugo himself found the play so bad that he intended to burn it, but he consented to let Foucher revise it. The play combined comedy and tragedy, and Foucher, under the influence of the enormous success of Shakespeare as recently performed in Paris, revised it further and produced it under his own name in 1829, but it failed so completely that Hugo came forward and avowed his own share in the production, taking responsibility of the non-success. Nevertheless, the whole affair did gain the young Foucher some notability.

Some letters on stationery with printed letterhead "Ministère de la Guerre".