MATISSE HENRI: (1869-1954) French Artist. A good A.L.S., ` Henri Matisse´, one page ...

MATISSE HENRI: (1869-1954) French Artist. A good A.L.S., ` Henri Matisse´, one page, oblong 4to, n.p., n.d. [1940], to a friend, in French. Matisse explains to his correspondent what he has found in his wallet and instructs on how to proceed, stating ` Cher Monsieur et ami, Je trouve dans mon portefeuille une carte de pain qui n´est pas à moi. La voici... Si elle n´est pas à vous, veuillez la remettre sous enveloppe et la déposer au bureau de l´hotel, je la ferai reprendre demain matin...´ (Translation: " Dear Sir and friend, I found in my wallet a bread card that is not mine. Here it is... If it is not yours, please put it back in an envelope and drop it off at the hotel office, I will have it picked up tomorrow morning...") Matisse refers to the "cartes de pain", rationning bread during World War II, from 1940 to 1950.The card consisted of a cover and an insert called a coupon sheet. It included ten coupons each month numbered 1 to 10. VG