Collection of Pierre Loti Correspondence
Scope and Content
Letters written by French author and naval officer Pierre Loti to his family during the period 1866-1905. The majority of letters are written to his niece Nadine "Ninet" Duvignau (nee Bon), though there are also a significant number written to his sister Marie Viaud Bon. Topics often concern family finances, social engagements, travels, and writing. Other correspondents include Gustave Duvignau and Armand Bon.
Dates
- Creation: 1866-1905
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
The Clark Library owns the property rights to its collections but does not hold the copyright to these materials and therefore cannot grant or deny permission to use them. Researchers are responsible for determining the copyright status of any materials they may wish to use, investigating the owner of the copyright, and obtaining permission for their intended publication or other use. In all cases, you must cite the Clark Library as the source with the following credit line: The William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Biography
Julien Viaud, who would later assume the pseudonym of Pierre Loti, was born born January 14, 1850 in Rochefort, France. Because of family financial and legal problems, Loti was allowed to follow in his late older brother's footsteps and enroll in the naval academy at Brest in 1867. During his time as a naval officer, Loti traveled widely and gathered material for his future novels in such places as Tahiti, Turkey, Senegal, and Japan. His first novel, Aziyadé was published in 1879, and was followed by many many other works, including Le mariage de Loti (1880), Mon frere Yves (1883), Pêcheur d'Islande (1886), Madame Chrysanthème (1887), Le Roman d'un Enfant (1890), Ramuntcho (1897) and Les Désenchantées (1906).
Loti was inducted into the Académie française in 1892. His naval career was of the greatest importance to him, and he reached the rank of captain before being placed on the reserve list in 1910, though he returned to volunteer throughout the First World War.
Loti died 1923 at Hendaye, in the Basque country, one of his most beloved places.
Extent
0.21 Linear Feet (1 box)
Language of Materials
French
Abstract
Letters written by French author Pierre Loti to members of his family from approximately 1866-1905.
Arrangement
At some previous time, these letters were in the possession of a family member who annotated them in pencil, supplying estimated dates and background information for many of them, and numbering each one consecutively from 1-56. Because most letters do not include dates, the original, numbered order imposed by the previous owner has been retained. In most places, it appears to be roughly chronological.
Physical location
Clark Library
Acquisition Information
Purchase, 2003.
Processing History
Processed by Rebecca Fenning, August 2009.
Genre / Form
Topical
- Title
- Finding Aid for the Collection of Pierre Loti Correspondence 1866-1905
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by Rebecca Fenning.
- Date
- ©2009
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library Repository