SANSON, Charles-Henri, letters, autographs, documents, manuscripts



Home | Archive | Facsimiles | Forgeries | Back


SANSON, Charles-Henri (1739-1806). Public executioner of Paris. Guillotined Louis XVI.
Autograph Letter Signed ('Sanson'), in French, to an unnamed correspondent, 1 page 4to with integral blank, 5 June 1790. A highly truculant letter complaining of his inability to meet a debt. With full transcription and translation.
'The tone of your first letter made it clear that the only response you wanted was the hard cash. Despite all my efforts, I haven't been able to procure it, and I have been counting on putting my hands on things, but they always escaped me. So I kept thinking tomorrow...tomorrow. Well finally, Sir, not having received it yet, I won't have the honor of sending you what I owe you sometime between today and next Wednesday. For now, as if by a miracle, I got lucky and procured that sum elsewhere. Times have been difficult for me, which has been very hard for me, but luckily now I will have the means to get out of my difficulties. My being so lucky to come out of this today, you, Monsieur, are the first to learn of it.'
Letters of Sanson appear to be of the greatest rarity. The Bibliotheque Nationale appears to possesses only a facsimile. There was another letter, dated 19 June 1790, in the Morrison Collection (Vol. VI page 76 (unillustrated), but its present whereabouts are unknown.
[No: 23678]

The image links to a larger or more detailed version.

This is the archived description of an item that has already been sold. Please contact me by email if you would like any further information.