Dreyfus the Martyr, Recorded by Pen and Pencil. Over One Hundred Illustrations, Special Issue of The Graphic. A special illustrated issue of the newspaper The Graphic that was published in London at the end of the re-trial of Dreyfus. London, September 14, 1899.
48 pages, 41.5 cm, over one hundred illustrations.
The Dreyfus Affair was a French anti-Semitic libel that caused an uproar in Europe and throughout the world, in which a Jewish officer in the French army was tried for treason with the claim that he was passing documents to Germany. During the trial, forged confidential documents were presented which seemingly proved his guilt. As a result of public pressure a re-trail was held in 1899, in which he was again found guilty and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. Only later did he receive a pardon from the President, and in 1906 he was exonerated from all guilt. This special issue describes the trial through many illustrations which were drawn throughout the trial, accompanied by text, special events such as removing Dreyfus’s ranks in a humiliating ceremony, a description of the forged documents, and more. The issue was published on September 14, after the end of the second trial and prior to the pardon granted by the President. It is therefore entitled “Dreyfus the Martyr.”
The affair was a turning point for Theodore Herzl, who covered the trial as the reporter of the Viennese newspaper Neue Freie Presse. Herzl was appalled by the false accusation of Dreyfus because he was a Jew, and by the wave of anti-Semitism that swept through the French public. The Dreyfus trial was one of the factors that caused Herzl to recognize the problems faced by the Jewish people and spurred him to formulate a model of political Zionism.
Rust and stains on the staples. Detached spine. Fine-very fine condition.