ALS in French, signed “C. B.,” one page, 5.25 x 8.25, no date [but 1862]. Letter to his publisher, Auguste Poulet-Malassis, describing the complicated bureaucratic ordeal he went through to obtain a permit in the Palace of Justice in Paris. Baudelaire describes in detail his endless Kafkaesque procession through the corridors of the Palace, pushing through door after door only to be sent back to the first offices he visited. He ends (translated): “Now, when do you believe this can have an end, and where will it lead us?” In fine condition, with central vertical and horizontal folds, light creases, and two small tears to the right edge (affecting a single letter of one word).
Best remembered for publishing the works of his close friend Charles Baudelaire, Auguste Poulet-Malassis only maintained his now-admired career for six short years. After releasing the stunning first edition of Les Fleurs du mal at a great expense to himself, both the publisher and author were fined, and the title was banned for obscenities, leaving Poulet-Malassis with an insurmountable debt. After years of struggle, he was imprisoned for his unpaid debts in 1862. Sharing his own bureaucratic struggles with his dear friend, who supported Les Fleurs du mal from its inception, this is a wonderful personal letter from the controversial poet. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA.
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