Rare typescript of The Little Prince to go up for sale

A rare carbon typescript of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s beloved “Le Petit Prince,” featuring extensive handwritten corrections by the author, is set to go on sale. This remarkable artifact is one of only three known copies and represents the first time that a typescript of this classic tale has been offered to the public.

Among its notable features is what is thought to be the earliest written version of one of the book’s most famous phrases: “On ne voit bien qu’avec le cœur. L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux,” which translates to “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”

Sammy Jay, a senior literature specialist at the London-based book dealer Peter Harrington, explains that in earlier drafts, Saint-Exupéry was “toying with and turning this phrase back and forth in his head.” Jay pointed out that in this typescript, “you can actually witness the author making that breakthrough and writing that full sentence for the first time.”

The asking price for the typescript is $1.25 million. It will be showcased at Abu Dhabi Art, an annual art fair occurring at the end of November.

“Le Petit Prince” was first published in the U.S. in 1943, available in both French and English, and saw its release in France in 1946. It is among the most translated books in the world, second only to religious texts.

The story is narrated by a pilot who meets the little prince, who has journeyed to Earth from a distant planet where his only companion was a rose. Saint-Exupéry created this timeless tale while living in exile in New York, fleeing from occupied France.

Included with the typescript are two original pencil sketches of the little prince, which encompass a preliminary design for the book’s final illustration of the prince returning home, along with a check signed by Saint-Exupéry himself.

Jay notes that Peter Harrington acquired the typescript from a private collection dedicated to materials related to Saint-Exupéry. He describes the typescript as “a really evocative object,” despite its seemingly plain exterior, which consists of a simple black card folder with no markings and staples holding the pages together. Inside, it is “rather endearingly” filled with doodles, notes, and sketches.

Of the two other carbon copies, one resides in the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, Texas, and the other is housed in the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris. The version for sale appears to be the only one that Saint-Exupéry retained as his personal working copy.

“He’s filled the typewritten text with his own handwritten annotations, corrections, and additions, working toward perfecting and finalizing the text,” Jay explains. Most pages contain handwritten corrections, including the removal of references to New York, replaced by more universal imagery.

The $100 check included in the package was likely added by the collector, according to Jay. Dated February 26, 1943, it was made out to “Brooks Uniform Co” for an “approximation of a French air force uniform” that Saint-Exupéry had ordered, as noted by biographer Stacy Schiff. He wore this uniform during his last visit to his lover, Silvia Hamilton, before returning to the war, leaving her the original handwritten manuscript of “Le Petit Prince,” which is now preserved in the Morgan Library in New York. Saint-Exupéry left the U.S. in April 1943 and is believed to have perished during a reconnaissance mission in July 1944.