DENIS (Ferdinand) - Lot 43

DENIS (Ferdinand) Ferdinand Denis Paris, 1798 - Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 1890. Traveler, historian, bibliographer and administrator of the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, renowned specialist in Brazilian history and Portuguese literature. L.A.S. "Ferdinand Denis" accompanied by Édouard-Benjamin Frère's autograph draft reply, Paris and Rouen, May 1868; 4 pp. in-8 in total, including 2 pp. on Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève letterhead. Interesting bibliophilic and scholarly exchange between Ferdinand Denis and Normandy bibliographer Édouard-Benjamin Frère, concerning academic recommendations, historical works and Baron Malouet's publications. In his letter dated Paris, May 18, 1868, Ferdinand Denis indicated that he had immediately taken the necessary steps concerning his correspondent's son, adding that "what could be done with so little time to spare has been done". He also thanks Frère for the warm welcome he gave to a letter by Baron Malouet, and mentions the publication of a memoir that required extensive documentary research. Finally, Denis underlines his correspondent's critical finesse, "always knowing how to discover what is useful and what is true". Édouard-Benjamin Frère's autograph draft reply, written in Rouen on May 26, 1868, provides a valuable counterpoint to this correspondence. In it, Frère again solicits Denis' support for his son's law exams, mentioning the young man's frail health and the difficulties associated with his studies. He also develops various literary and bibliographical considerations around Baron Malouet's work and its reception in scholarly circles. A handsome set testifying to the intellectual networks and scholarly solidarities of the Second Empire, between two important figures in the French bibliographic world. Bends, minor signs of use; very good condition.