261 - PROUST (Marcel), 1871–1922.

PROUST (Marcel), 1871–1922. Autograph letter signed “Marcel Proust,” undated [postmark July 21, 1919], 2 pp., in-12, addressed to Fernand Gregh, with envelope marked “c/o Garnier frères éditeur.” A charming invitation addressed to his old friend Fernand Gregh (1873–1960), a poet and man of letters whom Proust had known since their youth and the days of *Le Banquet*. Their friendship, which began in the early 1890s, continued until Proust’s death. Proust invites Gregh to an intimate dinner the following Tuesday at a quarter past seven: ““Would you do us all the great pleasure of coming to dinner next Tuesday […] with a few friends (casual attire, if that’s all right with you). […] But please try to make it. You know how much we love to see you, and you’ll find the gathering quite small but pleasant.” Proust concludes by extending his “most respectful regards” to Gregh’s parents and best regards from Robert [Proust], his brother. This is a lovely testament to the enduring nature of Proust’s childhood friendships, written at a particularly significant moment in his career: in 1919, Gregh had known for nearly thirty years the man who, a few months later, would receive the Prix Goncourt for *In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower*. Accompanied by its original cultural property export certificate from the Ministry of Culture.