NOT SOLD (BIDDING OVER)
0.00USD+ applicable fees & taxes.
This item WAS NOT SOLD. Auction date was 2003 Mar 29 @ 13:00UTC-05:00 : EST/CDT
MARC CHAGALL: (1887 - 1985) French artist whose naive style incorporating subjects of Russian and Jewish life made him one of the foremost artists of this century. A fine and unusual grouping of material relative to Chagall's attempt to immigrate to the United States in 1952, following his exile here during World War II. In 1941, fleeing from the Nazis, Chagall went into exile in New York at the invitation of the Museum of Modern Art. During his stay in New York in the 1940s, Chagall created costumes for Stravinsky's Firebird, and in 1946, held a major retrospective at MOMA. He returned to France in 1948. Chagall entered the U.S. again temporarily on May 3, 1949, when he granted a temporary visa (included) for six months, until Nov. 3, 1949. However, Chagall desired to return to the U.S. two years later, as explained in a fine content T.L.S. (see below). This grouping contains, in all, two fine D.S.'s signed by Chagall, both being his original visa applications for residency within the United States, dated 1941 and 1949, which bear, in addition to signatures, signed passport photograph affixed thereon; three T.L.S. by Chagall; an A.L.S. by Chagall in French, thanking his lawyer; two A.L.S. by Chagall's daughter, IDA MEYER CHAGALL, and four T.L.S. by VIRGINIA McNEIL, Chagall's personal secretary. Additionally, there are approximately 10 carbon copies and original letters by Chagall's lawyer, the Dept of State, and so on. Our grouping includes the original "Declaration of Intention" signed by Chagall on Oct. 2, 1941 upon his arrival in New York, complete with a signed passport photograph affixed thereon, and another D.S. "Permit to Reenter the United States", New York, May 3, 1949, also with a signed photo affixed thereon. After several years in France, Chagall explains in a fine content T.L.S. 2pp. 4to., Vence, Feb. 20, 1951, to Max Blecher, who would become his lawyer for the protracted immigration case, that he wished to return to the United States. However, his reentry would become very complicated indeed due to his prolonged absence from the United States despite his retaining a residence and bank account there, and, more suspiciously, political reasons cited due to his involvement with anti-war movement and his original emigration from Russia. In part: "...Doctor Camille Dreyfus recommended you highly to me...My re-entry permit expired on May 3, 1950. I was wrongly informed that I would not be able to obtain a third extension, so I did not attempt to obtain one. I resided in the United States from 1941-1948 and have property there...At the Consulate of Nice...I was told that I could apply for a special returning alien's permit. This I did...Later I wrote again and received a definite refusal...The reasons for my long stay in France are the following: When I came over in 1948 it was for some work which is not yet completed owing to many difficulties. This work was the completion of my three books each containing about one hundred etchings done by myself. These books were commenced by the great Art Editor, Ambroise Vollard in 1923. The third book was still unfinished when the war broke out and then Vollard died...The I bought them back from Vollard's brother...The third [book] will be completed next year. The work I have been doing these three years has been urgent work but it has been interrupted by ill health...Since the spring of 1950 I have been suffering from prostate trouble and finally in...December 1950 I was operated on...Now I have a great desire to return to the United States, even though only two of the three books will be completed. As I have property there I wish to return with my English secretary and her two American-born children....Her name is Mrs. Virginia McNeil and she lived in the United States from 1939 to 1948...I hope all the enclosed information is sufficient for you to study our case...". Blecher's correspondence with Chagall, the Department of State, and related bodies indicates the level of complication arising in this issue, however. In a serious of seven carbon copies of T.L.'s, written from New York, Feb. 27, 1951 - Oct. 3, 1952, he writes to the various governmental bodies about Chagall's case, in part: "...[Chagall] was quite ill in 1950 with a prostate condition and was operated on in December 1950. He has applied to the American Consul in Marseilles for a 4b returning visa and apparently has been refused. The alien in question [Chagall] alleges to have maintained his residence in the United States...It is the desire of Mr. Chagall to return here and maintain his residence here. I therefore respectfully request that you communicate with the American Consul in Marseilles for a complete report of this matter...". On Mar. 5, 1951, in a carbon copy T.L. to Chagall, 1p. 4to., New York, Mar. 22, 1951, Blecher reports to Chagall that: "...the English and French quotas are just about open...The Consul, in order to give you a 4-b returning resident's visa, would have to refer the case back to Washington and this will entail a great deal of procedure and time...I personally feel the better way to go would be to accept your visa as an immigrant...". Chagall responded in a T.L.S. 1p. 4to., Vence, Mar. 29, 1952, in part: "...You say that you advise me to register for an immigrant's visa. I have already done this and I have received a 'Notification of Registration' slip...I agreed that it would be better to come in to American on the quote if the time needed for obtaining a special returning alien's visa would be longer and the result is uncertain. Would you be so kind as to write me as soon as possible and tell me if I have done all that is required of me...". Less than a month later, Blecher continues, in a carbon copy T.L. 1p. 4to., New York, Apr. 2, 1951, in part: "...We definitely feel that you are eligible for almost immediate visa...". Chagall replies, in a T.L.S. 1p. 4to., Vence, Apr. 9, 1951, "...I have been in touch with the Consulate in Marseilles and they have explained to me that an immigration visa is only valid for four months and cannot be renewed, so I now have to wait until about July in order to receive one, because I do not think it will be possible to go to America before October or September...". An original telegram sent by Blecher to Chagall on Jan. 18. 1952 (included), indicates that Chagall's "Advisory Approval" was cabled to the Consulate in Marseilles. However, Chagall's case was not over: just two months later, the Foreign Service of the United States of America in France sent a T.L.S. (included) to Blecher, 1p. 4to., Marseilles, Mar. 18, 1952, in part: "... The Consulate General has reason to believe that Mr. Chagall is a person manditorily excludable from the United States under the provisions of Section 1 of the Act of Oct. 16, 1918 [which prohibits it on the grounds of prolonged absence], as amended...no formal decision in the matter can be rendered until Mr. Chagall personally appears at this office for further examination...". It is not clear whether Chagall in fact agreed to the meeting, and his case remained open. Despite the Department of State's position on Chagall's case, it seems clear from a letter from Blecher shortly thereafter, that Chagall's problem was less an issue of his prolonged absence from the U.S. and more that he had been involved with anti-war activities during World War II. On Oct. 3, 1952, Blecher again writes to Chagall in a carbon T.L. 2pp. 4to., New York, Oct. 3, 1952, giving a litany of proto-McCarthyite reasons for the further protraction of his case: "...From 1941-1948 while in the United States and your subsequent sojourn in France you did lend your name to various Peace movements and fund-raising organizations which may be on the subversive list and apparently have become a member of certain organizations which are presently on the subversive list. We have been requested to get in touch with you and to get from you in the greatest detail a list of organizations that you belonged to in the United States and in France, list of organizations to which you have lent your name for any purpose whatsoever. This is of the greatest importance if you are to be cleared. Furthermore, the State Dept. wants to know when and where you left Russia and under what circumstances...Furthermore, we have bee requested to find out from you whether you were in touch with any Soviet or Communist official or organizations by telephone, mail or cable...We have been assured that your case will be cleared if we get the answers...However, this is the only [underlined] way to straighten out your case...You must realize that if we send a man over to France on your case, which we are prepared to do and which we think is absolutely necessary, we do have to charge you a minimum of $2,500...". The very same day, Blecher cabled Chagall (included), saying: "Please disregard my letter do not visit consul until you receive my letter of October 3rd". ...". In October, Chagall's daughter Ida Meyer Chagall, who resided in the United States in the 1940s, wrote to Blecher on behalf of her father an A.L.S. 2pp. 4to., Paris, Oct. 30, 1952, in part: "...In connection with my father's case...I am writing to N.Y. to my ex-husband Mr. Michael Gordey to visit you. Mr. Gordey is a French correspondent who is in the States now for the President's election and is since 20 years perfectly aware of all my father's affairs. I would like him...to discuss with you my father's visa situation...". Indeed Gordey wrote to Blecher to set up an appointment (included). An intimate and intriguing look into one of the world's foremost artists' battle with bureaucracy and post-war anxiety. In overall very good condition, and very worthy of must further research. $2,000-3,000
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