Victor Hugo to Alexandre Dumas fils, signed autograph letter, 1867, Hachette

  
Victor Hugo offers the complete collection of his works to Alexandre Dumas fils. Splendid large format, superbly signed. Victor Hugo offers the complete collection of his works published by Hachette. Hauteville House [Guernsey], June 9, 1867.

One oblong octavo page mounted on thick cardboard (collage). Black ink on blue letter paper. Traces of the vertical lines of the thick cardboard on the paper. Size: 12.5 x 20.5 cm / 21.5 x 30 cm with frame (included). Large format (21 cm wide, excluding the frame) with a very beautiful central signature.

A particularly graphic and original document. Upon the death of Alexandre Dumas in December 1870, Victor Hugo wrote a beautiful and moving letter to Alexandre Dumas fils in memory of his father. Hachette to hand over to Mr. Alexandre Dumas fils, on the volumes to which I am entitled, the complete collection of my works published by their publishing house. [Handwritten note by the Hachette bookstore receiver].

June 22, 1867 signature of the receiver, Albert F. In 1857, Louis Hachette had acquired the right to publish an edition of Hugo at 1 franc per volume. Hachette had in fact taken over from Hetzel when the latter had gone into exile in Belgium after the coup d’état, and he had taken charge of the sale of all his publications. On October 6, 1860, Hetzel, acting as agent for the poet, who remained in exile, transferred to Hachette, for ten years, the right to publish in the in-18 Jésus format all of Hugo’s works published in France up to that date, except for La Légende des Siècles.

Source: Louis Hachette, A Great Publisher and His Authors. Our letter is presented in a beautiful black frame with matting and protected by anti-UV, anti-glare glass. Below, Victor Hugo by Étienne Carjat in 1876.