(DREYFUS AFFAIR)
AUCTION 22 |
Tuesday, January 27th,
2004 at 1:00
Fine Judaica: Printed Books, Manuscripts and Works of Graphic Art Including Holy Land Maps, Illustrated Books, Photography and Graphic Art from The Collection of Daniel M. Friedenberg of Greenwich, Conn
Lot 53
(DREYFUS AFFAIR)
v.p: 1898-1906
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish captain in the French army was accused of high treason for spying for the German enemy. Dreyfus was in fact innocent, the true culprit was Major Esterhazy. But before Dreyfus' innocence could be proven, he was forced out of the army, stripped of his epaulets, his saber ceremoniously broken, and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Isle in the Guyanas. “L'Affaire Dreyfus” dragged on for years, provoking agitation against Jews throughout the French countryside.With the help of the journalist, Emile Zola - who wrote a scathing article “J'Accuse,” exposing French miscarriage of justice - and other prominent defenders, Dreyfus was eventually released from prison and restored to his rightful rank in the army.
The present collection includes Dreyfus' own memoirs in French, and English and German translations, as well as coverage in the French press, and the flutter of postcards engendered by this ignoble chapter in French history