PORTIER (Paul) - Lot 232

Lot 232
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PORTIER (Paul) - Lot 232
PORTIER (Paul) Bar-sur-Seine, 1866 - Paris, 1962. French marine biologist and zoologist, collaborator with Charles Richet in the discovery of anaphylaxis. Autograph letter signed "P. Portier", addressed to "Misérable ami et affreux égoïste" [Maurice Emmanuel]. No place or date. 2 pages in-12 oblong, on Institut océanographique letterhead (Fondation Albert Ier, Prince of Monaco). A delightful letter with a playful, falsely reproachful tone, in which Portier feigns indignation to his correspondent for not having been informed directly of his recent appointment as professor at the Conservatoire. Beneath this humorous apostrophe - "Misérable ami et affreux égoïste" - lies a sincere and warm friendship. The scholar expresses his regret at having heard the news from third parties, confessing to having "lost a whole week's joy", before immediately changing his mind and celebrating his friend's promotion with enthusiasm: "since this morning, I have raised ten Hoch! in your honor and 20 Hip Hip Hurrah! This exuberance, rare in his writing, gives the letter a particularly lively quality. He concludes by inquiring about his correspondent's feelings about his appointment and the date of his first lessons, showing a keen interest in his career. A charming document, revealing the complicity and humor in Portier's relations, and offering direct testimony to Maurice Emmanuel's appointment to the Conservatoire.
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