Description:

Frank Anne

Anne Frank's "tales"; Father, Otto Frank Corresponds with Portuguese Publishers about Obtaining Free Copies for Donation to Libraries

 

1p typed letter in English signed by Otto Frank, father of teenaged German Jewish diarist Anne Frank (1929-1945), as "Otto Frank" at center. Written in Basel, Switzerland on May 12, 1960. On "Otto H. Frank / Herbstgasse 11 / Basel / Suiça / Telephon 43 82 66" letterhead. The cream stationery has a double hole-punched left margin. 5.75" x 8.125". Accompanied by a clerical copy of a Portuguese translation printed on a slightly larger sheet of green tissue. With minor corner folds and old staple holes, else near fine.

 

Frank wrote to Portuguese publishing house representatives in their common language of English. Otto's occasional awkward turn of phrase, and his isolated typographical errors, further underscore his sincerity. 

 

"Dear Sirs,

 

From Messrs. Lawrence Smith, Buenos-Aires I received the enclosed forms for a contract about the tales of Anne Frank.

 

It is a normal contract and the only point I want to mention is the number of three free copies. I need at least 12 copies of every foreign edition as I give most of them to libraries and the publishers let me have 6 free copies whereas I pay the others at wholesale price. You do not need to change the contract for this item, just confirm your this agreement in a letter sending me the signed forms back for signature. Then I will return them to you, signed by myself.

 

I hope that everything is satisfactory and am sending you kind regards

 

Very sincerely

 

[signed] Otto Frank".

 

This letter demonstrates Otto Frank's lifelong commitment to publishing his daughter's writings. Otto wanted his daughter's works to reach the largest possible audience, as we see when he emphasized donating free copies to libraries in the letter.

 

Anne Frank's Tales from a Secret Annex was originally published in the Netherlands in 1949, and appeared in an expanded edition in 1960.

 

Otto Heinrich Frank (1889-1980) was the sole survivor of his 4-person family, comprised of wife Edith (1900-1945), daughter Margot (1926-1945), and Anne. The Franks, along with four others, hid in a secret annex located in the back upper stories of an Amsterdam business between July 1942 and August 1944. The Franks were discovered, arrested, and sent to Auschwitz in September 1944. Edith died of starvation at Auschwitz in January 1945; her two daughters died of typhus in February or March 1945 at  Bergen-Belsen. Otto was released after the Soviets liberated Auschwitz in late January 1945.

 

Anne's writings had been collected and preserved by Otto's coworker Miep Gies, who had sheltered the families in the annex. Otto had initially transcribed Anne's diaries in order to give them to family members, but was eventually persuaded to seek publication. The final manuscript was a combination of two versions of the diaries Anne wrote, with Otto's edits and redactions. The book was first published in Dutch on June 25, 1947 as The Secret Annex: Diary Letters from June 14, 1942 to August 1, 1944.

 

In early January 1958, the Portuguese publishing firm of Livros do Brazil, Ltd. wrote to notify Otto of their first 3,000 limited edition printing of The Diary of Anne Frank. The book's popularity was such that it had already been published in German and French in 1950, and then in English (for both the US and UK markets) in 1952. The Portuguese publishers had been eager to acquire the publication, and worked closely with Otto Frank during the process. Livros do Brazil, Ltd. collaborated with Frank over the next twenty years, as they sought to publish similar and complementary works about Anne Frank and other Jewish war experiences.

 

The book's success in multiple languages led to an adapted stage play, which premiered at Cort Theater in New York City on October 5, 1955. The play, while not a strict reproduction of the book, won both the Pulitzer for Theater and the Tony Award. In turn, Hollywood set out to produce a film version, which premiered on March 18, 1959 and would go on to win three Oscars.

 

The Diary of Anne Frank received both critical and popular acclaim. As of 2015, the book has been translated into over 60 different languages. Both its literary and historical importance cannot be overlooked. Dutch historian Jan Romein put it this way: "To me, however, this apparently inconsequential diary by a child... stammered out in a child's voice, embodies all the hideousness of fascism, more so than all the evidence at Nuremberg put together."

 

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

 

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.


After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item.Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000