Description
New York: Éditions de la Maison française, Inc., Reynal & Hitchcock, Inc.,, 1942. A parting gift to his American muse, who supplied many elements for The Little Prince First edition, first printing, number 10 of 50 large-paper copies on papier Texte, presentation copy from the author to his closest American friend and partial inspiration for The Little Prince, inscribed warmly by the author on the half-title, "Pour Sylvia Hamilton, Avec la profonde et tendre amitié de son vieil ami, Antoine". Silvia Hamilton, later Reinhardt, was an inspiration for key aspects of Saint-Exupéry's most famous work, written while he was living in New York City for two years during the Second World War, where he acted as an expatriate voice of the French Resistance, hoping that his presence there might help bring the United States into the war. In New York the author, who was married, developed a strong bond with Reinhardt, who was divorced, and wrote some of the book in her apartment. She was the model for the character of Saint-Exupéry's fox, who uttered the book's oft-quoted line, "What is essential is invisible to the eye." Her black poodle inspired the sheep character, and her mop-topped doll, the little prince himself. The presentation of this copy was likely made on Saint-Exupéry's final visit to Sylvia. He was leaving New York, bound for Algiers, where he planned to serve again as a French military pilot - a mission from which he never returned, disappearing on a 1944 reconnaissance flight from Corsica to Germany. At the same time, he presented her with the original manuscript of Le Petit Prince, which Reinhardt later donated to the Morgan Library. Pilote de guerre, which relates Exupéry's own experiences flying with the Free French on reconnaissance missions during the Battle of France, was published in February 1942 simultaneously in French and English (as Flight to Arras, in an edition of 500 copies), under the auspices of the New York publishing house Reynal & Hitchcock, the French version carrying the imprint of the publishing arm of La Maison française, a showcase for French culture in New York established at Rockefeller Center in 1932. The French edition was issued in the traditional three-tiered French format aimed at both connoisseurs and readers: the total edition was 526 copies, with 50 large paper, 26 lettered, and a further 450 trade copies on papier Corsican. The book reached France towards the end of 1942 where it was banned by both the Nazis and the Vichy government because of Saint-Exupéry's praise for the courage of a Jewish pilot, Jean Israël. Small quarto. Original pale brown wrappers printed in black and red, edges untrimmed, pages unopened. Housed in a custom chemise and slipcase by Devauchele. Tiny chips at extremities, spine a little rubbed, contents clean and unopened. An excellent copy.
