Jean COCTEAU (1889-1963) 5 L.A.S., October-December 1959; 6pages in-8 (one on Santo-Sospir letterhead) and 1page in-4, 2 envelopes. October 22. "I arrive in Paris and learn that you have not yet signed your contract with Worms. I ask you to sign this contract as a matter of urgency and never to sell an image without consulting me. I'm talking to you for your own good - because it's essential not to let your photographs scatter and form a block. Francine [Weisweiller] was very sad about what her brother told her about your attitude. I told her that he and she were wrong and that you were incapable of breaking your promises and playing the wrong card. (Blackmail style after the fact.) You know what I think of Mirkine. I only have hope in yours. So sort out the photos "around the film" (those of Worms) and the photos that must be from the film. [...] On the plane, I wrote the Preface Poem for our book. It will be dedicated to you in the words of Gongora"... November 14th. "Tell our dear Magnan that I am overwhelmed by a terrible wave of work. I did in London, in 5 days, the work of 5 months (the church - and the Œdipus Rex with Strawinsky). The Œdipus Rex was a triumph. I'm in Milly where I had to write a quarter-hour scene that was missing from the film (and that the film demands). You know the music".... [November]. "I'm amazed that I'm still "holding" and tomorrow I'm shooting a scene I wasn't happy with (yesterday I was shooting another at La Turbie above Nice). It's a great joy to see you at work. Your photos sent to Francine are admirable and make me impatient to see the others"... November 21: "The scene is all portraits. [...] I'm shooting on Wednesday and have almost finished editing. All that's left is the music and commentary"... Tuesday [December]. "Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Be rare because the times have no sense of the rare. That's the only way we win. It's our contempt for Match that expresses itself. You have to stroke the style - it's something else again than "your style". [...] I get up and my legs are still shaky. The day after tomorrow, I'll be in Saint-Moritz, because we need excessive cures. Don't let the wave roll you over. It's important to swim against the wave. Keep works secret".... Attached are a telegram from Cocteau (October 18); and 4 letters from Lucien CLERGUE to Cocteau (double carbon), October-November 1959. CCC p. 70-73. Lots 24 to 68 are sold by provisional auction with the option of reunion.