Bartholdi finishes a sculpted group for Gaston Tissandier

"Dear sir and friend, I was very sorry not to be at home; your group is finished and I have made a design for a base in case it would be of interest to you. I can send it to you soon, but I prefer to let the base dry before sending it. Let me know when you would like it." [This may be a model or a reduced version of The Defense of Paris, which was part of the Tissandier collection, or of the Monument to the Aeronauts]