PICARD (Alfred) - Lot 243

PICARD (Alfred) PICARD, Alfred. (Strasbourg, 1844 – Paris, 1913) French engineer and administrator, vice president of the Council of State, and a key figure in the major exhibitions and technical institutions of the Third Republic. Autograph letter signed “A. Picard,” addressed to “Monsieur.” Paris, December 27, 1889. 1 page, in-8. Letter addressed to a colleague, in which Alfred Picard apologizes for missing a visit and for not having been able to thank his correspondent directly “for the notes you were kind enough to give me regarding Class 15.” He also requests another meeting to obtain “some additional information,” indicating work in progress likely related to the organization or evaluation of an exhibition section—a plausible reference to the major classifications established during the World’s Fairs, in which Picard played a decisive role. This document illustrates the working methods and professional correspondence of a high-ranking civil servant involved in coordinating large-scale technical and administrative projects.