The epistolary materiality. What the autograph manuscripts tell us

Abstract

Correspondence editions, when facsimile reproductions are not possible, provide readers written texts, besides all that the appearance of autographed manuscripts contain. Generally, such material aspects sustain information of utmost importance: on how the address is written in an envelope, movement of the writing and character format, design of the signature, notes on the boarder of the letters, margins or headings. In the present article we aim to analyze those various elements in light of a privilege object – the correspondence of Emile Zola. The examined samples indicate that in all cases it is extremely productive to go back to the original manuscripts and reexamine them since the documents offer information that the mere knowledge of the written text almost never provides.