The personal belongings of former French President Charles de Gaulle will be sold at the Artcurial auction this December. Among the lots are personal correspondence, works of the politician and his wristwatches.
Of particular note are the former president's letters from the American singer, dancer and actress Josephine Baker, who was a participant in the French resistance and signed her messages to the general "Your faithful and dirty underground".
Also up for auction will be short stories written by de Gaulle in his youth, and iconic watches — the one the president wore in the 1960s, as well as the one given to him by the sister of US President John F. Kennedy, Eunice.
All these items were found in the safe of the son of the former president of France, who died this year. Before these things were made public, no one knew about their existence.
"It was a complete surprise. Only Admiral Philippe de Gaulle had access to the safe, so when we opened it, we had no idea what we would find there. It was a fabulous treasury. The life story of General de Gaulle, the savior of France," said auctioneer Stephan Ober.
It is assumed that part of the funds from the sale of these items will be directed to the Anna de Gaulle Foundation, which was created in 1945 to support people with special needs. It was founded in honor of the president's youngest daughter, who was born with Down syndrome.
Source:
artcurial.com
theguardian.com
