René Char Papers, 1928-2019 (mostly 1939-1980)

Contents and Arrangement

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Collection Overview

Creator:

Char, René (1907-1988)

Collector:

Char, Marie-Claude.

Title:

René Char Papers

Repository:

Manuscripts Division

Permanent URL:

http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/4q77fw20f

Dates:

1928-2019 (mostly 1939-1980)

Size:

64 boxes and 58 linear feet

Storage Note:

This is stored in multiple locations.
Firestone Library (scamss): Boxes B-001233 to B-001243
ReCAP (scarcpxm): Box 1-53

Language:

French

Abstract: Consists primarily of the correspondence of 20th-century French poet René Char (1907-1988); a smaller subset includes correspondence and records documenting his involvement with the French Resistance during World War II.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

Consists primarily of the correspondence of 20th-century French poet René Char (1907-1988), including correspondence and records documenting his involvement with the French Resistance during World War II.

Most of the description included here is from an inventory provided by Marie-Claude Char and Librairie Benoît Forgeot, which brokered the acquisition of the collection.

Arrangement

The order of the materials, most likely established by René Char and Marie-Claude Char, was mostly maintained.

Collection Creator Biography:

Char, Marie-Claude.

Marie-Claude Char is a French editor and publisher. The widow of poet René Char, she has been involved in disseminating her late-husband's work, and preserving the history of his role in the French Resistance.

Char

Celebrated 20th-century French poet René Char(1907-1988) published more than 30 volumes of poetry, criticism, and plays during his lifetime, many of which were widely translated. He frequently collaborated with both writers and artists, including Georges Braque, Joan Miró, and Nicolas de Staël. He was also decorated military veteran, receiving recognition for his service in the French army and his involvement with the French Resistance during World War II.

In the early 1930s, Char was active in the surrealist movement, joining a community of writers and artists that included Louis Aragon, André Breton, and Pablo Picasso. From 1939 to 1940, he served as a private with the 173e RA (Régiment d'Artillerie) in Alsace for which he was awarded the Croix de Guerre. During the Nazi Occupation, Char and his first wife Georgette, who were under surveillance, took refuge in the town of Céreste. It was there, in 1941, when Char began his involvement with the Resistance. By 1943, under the nom de guerre Captain Richard Alexandre, he became the commander of landing operations and parachute drops in the Basses-Alpes (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) as head of Section Atterrissage Parachutage (SAP) Region 2. Char was awarded the Medal of the Resistance and also named to the Legion of Honor for his service. His prose poem collection Feuillets d'Hypnos documents his wartime experiences.

After the war, Char moved to the Luberon Mountains of southern France, near his birthplace. In his later years, he was involved with anti-nuclear activism.

Collection History

Acquisition:

Purchased from Marie-Claude Char in 2018 AM 2018-88; and in 2019 AM 2020-38.

Librairie Benoît Forgeot brokered both purchases.

Appraisal

No materials were removed from the collection during 2018 and 2022 processing beyond routine appraisal practices.

Processing Information

The papers on the French Resistance was processed by Faith Charlton with assistance from Julia English '19 and Matthew Oakland '20 in 2018. Finding aid written by Faith Charlton in 2018. Folder inventory added by Julia English '19 and Matthew Oakland '20 in 2018.

The correspondence was processed by Kelly Bolding, Faith Charlton, and Amy C. Vo in 2022. Finding aid updated by Kelly Bolding, Faith Charlton, and Amy C. Vo in 2022. During 2022 processing, archivists did some minor sorting and interfiling of unsorted letters in the Correspondence series. While materials were removed from binders, most were left in the enclosures (sleeves) in which they were housed at the time they arrived at the library.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

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