DEPREZ (Marcel). - Lot 67

Lot 67
Go to lot
Estimation :
60 - 80 EUR
Bid on drouot.com
DEPREZ (Marcel). - Lot 67
DEPREZ (Marcel). Born in Aillant-sur-Milleron, 1843 - died in 1918. French engineer, pioneer in the industrial applications of electricity, particularly in long-distance power transmission. Autograph card signed "Marcel Deprez", addressed to Dr. Labbé, Senator. Paris, January 19, 1903. 2 pages in-16 oblong, envelope enclosed. Interesting correspondence relating to Dr. Labbé's election to the Institut. Deprez gives a detailed account of the circumstances surrounding the election, mentioning the role of various influential supporters and the maneuvers surrounding the composition of the presentation lists. He welcomes the favorable outcome of the vote, while denouncing with some irony the competing initiatives to alter the number of seats available, which he attributes less to scientific interest than to opportunistic considerations. This lively, well-informed text sheds light on the backstage workings of the Académie and the mechanisms of co-optation at the beginning of the twentieth century. It also bears witness to the relational network of one of France's great electrical engineers, a major player in the first experiments in long-distance power transmission. Two additional items are enclosed: a letter of thanks and congratulations (May 11, 1911) and a letter of condolence addressed to Mme Lermoyer, daughter of Dr. Labbé (March 22, 1916).
My orders
Sale information
Sales conditions
Return to catalogue