Since its initial publication in 1943, The Little Prince has become one of those books that people will tell you is for “children of all ages,” alongside classics by the likes of Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein. It’s the type of book that parents want to read to their children, and one that probably conjures up memories of their own parents doing the same.
As the story goes, while visiting New York the book’s author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, showed up at a friend’s door before going off to fight in the Second World War — a journey from which he’d never come home. “I’d like to give you something splendid,” he said, but then told her that all he had was the rumpled paper bag he placed on her table.
It turns out that the bag contained the manuscript and drawings for The Little Prince, which New York’s Morgan Library acquired from her in 1968 and will display from January 24 until April 27.Here is a selection of images from the exhibition.
Courtesy of Morgan Library
Courtesy of Morgan Library
Courtesy of Morgan Library
Courtesy of Morgan Library
Courtesy of Morgan Library
Courtesy of Morgan Library
Courtesy of Morgan Library
Courtesy of Morgan Library