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Mid 19th – 28-page literary draft with dialogues and author revisions - French handwritten theater manuscript – Antique Handwritten Draft

Mid 19th – 28-page literary draft with dialogues and author revisions - French handwritten theater manuscript – Antique Handwritten Draft

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Vintage from the Late 19th century

Handpicked by Vincent

Dimensions: 31x20 cm (12.2x7.9 in)

An authentic handwritten French theater manuscript from the mid-19th century, this 28-page document reveals the lively hand and disciplined imagination of a playwright at work. Written in brown ink on laid paper with visible chain lines, it captures the pulse of 19th-century dramatic literature — a balance of dialogue, character, and stage direction expressed through elegant penmanship.

Each page displays a meticulous structure: speaker names underlined, stage cues set apart, and lines of dialogue flowing with the natural rhythm of spoken French. Beyond the formality of its presentation, the text bears the unmistakable signs of an active creative process. Marginal corrections, insertions, and strikethroughs testify to a working draft rather than a fair copy, where the author’s voice can be followed line by line as the narrative evolves.

The manuscript exemplifies the vitality of French theater during the period of realism and moral reflection that characterized the mid to late 1800s. The expressive ink, occasional stains, and slight paper toning add to its documentary value — evidence of its genuine age and use. Whether the play was intended for print or stage remains uncertain, but its preserved state allows modern readers to engage with a tangible trace of artistic labor.

Collectors of antique handwriting, scholars of literature, and enthusiasts of 19th-century theater will find in this manuscript a fascinating blend of artistry and history. It is a testament to the intimate connection between writing and performance, where each revision mirrors the search for rhythm, tone, and emotion on stage.

A true working artifact from the world of 19th-century letters, this piece offers both aesthetic beauty and intellectual depth — a rare survival from an era when every word was crafted by hand and imagination met ink upon the page.
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