Beaumarchais, Pierre-Augustin Caron de. (1732-1799). Signed Document. An interesting signed document from the important French dramatist and author, most notably, of the three Figaro plays.
An order receipt for an installment for the "Oevres Complettes de Voltaire" in 60 Volumes, knows as the edition "de Beaumarchais." Shortly after Voltaire's death in 1778, Beaumarchais set out to publish Voltaire's complete works, many of which were banned in France. He scoured all of Europe for Voltaire's many scattered manuscripts and to evade French censorship, set up his printing presses "La Société littéraire typographique," and paper mills in Kehl, Germany. There, he undertook this publication in 1780 and offered the edition of 60 volumes in 8vo or 40 in 4to to subscribers through the end of 1782. While the venture proved a financial failure, Beaumarchais was instrumental in preserving many of Voltaire's later works which otherwise may have been lost.
To cover production costs for the subscriptions, Beaumarchais sold shares to the 8vo subscribers. The addressee of the present receipt of subscription ticket, "Mr. Defrance, au chateau de Longueval, pres Albert," subscribed to one of the 4,000 examples in 8vo, the number 922 (the entire subscription included 4,000 copies), at the price of 6 livres tournois. The complete edition finally included 70 volumes, the last of which was issued in 1790. (Bengesco IV, p. 110sv)
An order receipt for an installment for the "Oevres Complettes de Voltaire" in 60 Volumes, knows as the edition "de Beaumarchais." Shortly after Voltaire's death in 1778, Beaumarchais set out to publish Voltaire's complete works, many of which were banned in France. He scoured all of Europe for Voltaire's many scattered manuscripts and to evade French censorship, set up his printing presses "La Société littéraire typographique," and paper mills in Kehl, Germany. There, he undertook this publication in 1780 and offered the edition of 60 volumes in 8vo or 40 in 4to to subscribers through the end of 1782. While the venture proved a financial failure, Beaumarchais was instrumental in preserving many of Voltaire's later works which otherwise may have been lost.
To cover production costs for the subscriptions, Beaumarchais sold shares to the 8vo subscribers. The addressee of the present receipt of subscription ticket, "Mr. Defrance, au chateau de Longueval, pres Albert," subscribed to one of the 4,000 examples in 8vo, the number 922 (the entire subscription included 4,000 copies), at the price of 6 livres tournois. The complete edition finally included 70 volumes, the last of which was issued in 1790. (Bengesco IV, p. 110sv)
Beaumarchais, Pierre-Augustin Caron de. (1732-1799). Signed Document. An interesting signed document from the important French dramatist and author, most notably, of the three Figaro plays.
An order receipt for an installment for the "Oevres Complettes de Voltaire" in 60 Volumes, knows as the edition "de Beaumarchais." Shortly after Voltaire's death in 1778, Beaumarchais set out to publish Voltaire's complete works, many of which were banned in France. He scoured all of Europe for Voltaire's many scattered manuscripts and to evade French censorship, set up his printing presses "La Société littéraire typographique," and paper mills in Kehl, Germany. There, he undertook this publication in 1780 and offered the edition of 60 volumes in 8vo or 40 in 4to to subscribers through the end of 1782. While the venture proved a financial failure, Beaumarchais was instrumental in preserving many of Voltaire's later works which otherwise may have been lost.
To cover production costs for the subscriptions, Beaumarchais sold shares to the 8vo subscribers. The addressee of the present receipt of subscription ticket, "Mr. Defrance, au chateau de Longueval, pres Albert," subscribed to one of the 4,000 examples in 8vo, the number 922 (the entire subscription included 4,000 copies), at the price of 6 livres tournois. The complete edition finally included 70 volumes, the last of which was issued in 1790. (Bengesco IV, p. 110sv)
An order receipt for an installment for the "Oevres Complettes de Voltaire" in 60 Volumes, knows as the edition "de Beaumarchais." Shortly after Voltaire's death in 1778, Beaumarchais set out to publish Voltaire's complete works, many of which were banned in France. He scoured all of Europe for Voltaire's many scattered manuscripts and to evade French censorship, set up his printing presses "La Société littéraire typographique," and paper mills in Kehl, Germany. There, he undertook this publication in 1780 and offered the edition of 60 volumes in 8vo or 40 in 4to to subscribers through the end of 1782. While the venture proved a financial failure, Beaumarchais was instrumental in preserving many of Voltaire's later works which otherwise may have been lost.
To cover production costs for the subscriptions, Beaumarchais sold shares to the 8vo subscribers. The addressee of the present receipt of subscription ticket, "Mr. Defrance, au chateau de Longueval, pres Albert," subscribed to one of the 4,000 examples in 8vo, the number 922 (the entire subscription included 4,000 copies), at the price of 6 livres tournois. The complete edition finally included 70 volumes, the last of which was issued in 1790. (Bengesco IV, p. 110sv)