ZOLA, Émile & Gabriel THYÉBAUT. Lot n° 26

Set of 7 documents: 4 working manuscripts by Zola, relating to the Rougon-Macquart addressed to Gabriel Thyébaut and 3 manuscripts by the latter, containing the answers. Thyébaut, jurisconsult of the Rougon-Macquart -Le Rêve. Zola's autograph manuscript. Circa 1887]. 3 pp. in-8. Long list of questions and precisions, addressed to Thyébaut. Requests relating to midwives, public assistance, the journey of an orphan, apprenticeships, adoption and guardianship, etc. "In 1850, could a midwife carry a newborn child to the assisted children, declaring it to be of unknown father and mother, and giving only its name and address (the child would keep a sign, silver earrings, with a name and date engraved on them). What would be, from that day on, the life of the child, a little girl? Sent as a nanny; how long in the countryside, and under what conditions; at what age would she be removed from the nanny and returned to Paris to the Enfants-assistés? Around the age of seven, can she be taken as an apprentice, in Paris, in a household where the wife is a florist? [...]». La genèse du Rêve, sixteenth volume of Les Rougon-Macquart. Fascinating demonstration of Zola's working method. -Long autograph manuscript by Gabriel Thyébaut, containing all the answers to the questions asked by Zola. S.l.n.d. Circa 1887]. 14 pp. in-4. Attached is a draft of Gabriel Thyébaut's autograph letter to Zola. S.l.n.d. 2 pp. in-4. He thanks Zola for sending a copy of the Dream and describes his impressions of reading it. -The Human Beast. Zola's autograph manuscript. Circa 1889]. 1 p.½ in-12. List of questions, addressed to Thyébaut, relating to a hypothetical crime, committed on the railway between Paris and Le Havre, the police, the public prosecutor and the examining magistrate, as well as to M. de Lachesnaye, councillor at the court of Rouen, etc. Long autograph manuscript of Gabriel Thyébaut, containing all the answers.