Description:

Sigmund Freud
Villa Schüler, Semmering, Austria, September 13, 1925
Sigmund Freud ALS Re: Contributing Psychoanalysis Article to Encyclopædia Britannica, What Would Become the 1926 13th Edition
ALS

A 1p autograph letter in English signed by Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) as "Freud" at lower right. Written at Villa Schüler, Freud's summer retreat in Semmering, the Austrian Alps resort town located about 60 miles southwest of Vienna. September 13, 1925. Inscribed on "Prof. Dr. Freud / Wien IX., Berggasse 19" letterhead. Appearing to be hinged along the right edge, and mounted behind glass within a gilt-trimmed frame. Expected wear including flattened transmittal folds and a few extra wrinkles mostly confined to the edges. Isolated edge darkening. A closed tear at the left edge touches just one letter of one word. Not examined out of the frame. Else near fine. The sight size of the letter is 5.625" x 9.125"; the overall size of the frame is 9.375" x 11.875" x 1."

Freud wrote this letter to an unidentified English-speaking correspondent, almost certainly the editor of the Encyclopædia Britannica reference volume series. In it, Freud writes out the word "Psychoanalysis" twice, once on line 5 and once on line 11; interestingly, he does not hyphenate the word "psychoanalysis" as it sometimes appeared in contemporary contexts. Freud agrees to write an article on psychoanalysis for submission to the revised edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, but requests clarification about which time period the gloss must cover.

Freud wrote in full, with unchanged spelling and punctuation:

"Semmering
Villa Schüler
Sept 13th 1925

Dear Sir

I am glad to accept your proposal to give you an article on the progress of psychoanalysis for the new volumes of the E.B.

But I see one difficulty which I trust you will abolish by your answer. The E.B. of 1910 has no article on Psychoanalysis, does not even mention its existence. How [?] [can] I restrict my report to the progress made since 1910, when the reader is not informed of the condition before that term?

Yours most sincerely

Freud."

The Encyclopædia Britannica was considered then, and is considered now, one of the most trusted reference sources of miscellaneous information. Published continuously since 1768, the Encyclopædia Britannica had by necessity reached its 10th Edition by the early 20th century, as volumes were updated to encompass recent events, cultural trends, and intellectual movements. The "E.B. of 1910" which Freud mentions in the letter refers to the 11th Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, published in 1910-1911 in 28 volumes. Freud is absolutely correct in his statement that the 11th Edition did not contain any discussion of psychoanalysis. It was not until 1922, with the issue of the 12th Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica (comprised of the 11th Edition plus a 3-volume supplement), that the term psychoanalysis was referenced, but then just in passing. Psychoanalysis was not properly described within a dedicated entry article until Freud's summary appeared in the 1926 13th Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica (representing the 11th Edition plus a new 3-volume supplement covering the years 1910-1926).

Sigmund Freud's promised article entitled "Psychoanalysis: Freudian School" appears in the "The Encyclopædia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature & General Information, The Three New Supplementary Volumes constituting with The Volumes of the Latest Standard Edition The Thirteenth Edition," Volume III, Pacific to Zuyder Zee and Index (London: The Encyclopædia Britannica Company Ltd., 1926). Freud's contribution is listed in the table of articles on xxiii, under the heading "Psycho-analysis," and the author's initials, "S. Fr."

Freud's 2pp article on Psychoanalysis appears on p. 253-255. Freud had by that time received an answer to the question posed in this letter, for he provides a brief historical overview of the developments of psychoanalysis since the 1880s to set the stage for his explanation of its modern progress leading into the 1920s. In addition to Freud, other contributors of the 13th Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica included Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Niels Bohr, Guglielmo Marconi, Harry Houdini, Leon Trotsky, George Bernard Shaw, Henry Ford, and Bertrand Russell.

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.

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  • Dimensions: framed: 9.375" x 11.875" x 1"
  • Medium: ALS

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