the essential
A look back at an unusual auction that took place on April 25 in Paris.
Mission accomplished for the president of the historical society of Friends of Clairac: he brings back to Lot-et-Garonne the exceptional collection auctioned on Thursday April 25 in Paris (rue Drouot), more than 3,500 handwritten pages essentially written by the knight of Varens, an 18th century scholar.
“We experienced a great moment of anguish, but in the end: what a relief!” exclaims the president of the Friends of Clairac, who was also mandated to bid on behalf of the Departmental Archives. “Everything started well,” says Clair Morizet. “We took away the 17 lots, one by one.” No counter bids, and the 17 lots of manuscripts were purchased for just over €12,000 (excluding taxes).
On the phone, an American counterattacks
Only what Lot-et-Garonnais did not know was the so-called “faculty of meeting” procedure. Indeed, when certain lots have similarities (and belong to the same seller), the auctioneer can propose a global sale. Each lot is auctioned individually, then the whole lot is put back on sale with the sum of the unit auctions as the price. So the auctions can resume, and at that moment a buyer comes forward on the phone: an American bookseller!
“I said to myself: this is not possible…” adds Clair Morizet. The latter offers €13,000, and the American goes up to €14,000. “We were going to exceed our budget, I offered €15,000, he €16,000, and I said €17,000. We were at the maximum of our financial possibilities. If he put in €18,000, everything was lost for We.”
But the American will throw in the towel, and the fund therefore returns to Lot-et-Garonne: €17,000 hammer price, but more than €22,000 including fees. “We are tense about the budget, but we are proud because these documents will reach Lot-et-Garonne. They are new, and tomorrow researchers or doctoral students will be able to work on them. In the boxes, we have found a “book of reason” by Bernard de Labat, covering the period 1583-1644.”
The Society of Friends of Nérac obviously thanks the departmental council and their Archives, but also Crédit Agricole, the Traditab company (which purchased manuscripts linked to tobacco cultivation in the 18th century), the Vieilles Maisons de France, and the few 70 individuals who participated in the subscription, for donations ranging from €20 to €500.
A public presentation event is already in the works, probably organized in Clairac, cradle of this treasure of our Lot-et-Garonnais heritage.
