PICARD (Alfred) - Lot 242

PICARD (Alfred) PICARD, Alfred. (Strasbourg, 1844 – Paris, 1913) Engineer and administrator, vice president of the Council of State, a leading figure in the organization of World’s Fairs and technical institutions. Autograph letter signed “A. Picard,” addressed to a colleague. Paris, February 9, 1905. 1½ pages, in-12 format. Letter regarding an invitation, which Picard courteously accepts while expressing a reservation related to his professional obligations. He specifies: “Allow me, however, to reserve the right to decline should, as I fear, the International Commission of Railway Congresses, of which I am vice president, meet in Brussels on the 25th…,” demonstrating his involvement in international bodies related to railway development. This brief but revealing note illustrates Picard’s central role in the technical and administrative networks of the Third Republic, as well as the importance of international exchanges in the fields of infrastructure and transportation in the early 20th century. This document is characteristic of the professional correspondence of a high-ranking civil servant and leading engineer.