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Mes vers by Herminie Delavault
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Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6206
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
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Born in Noirt, France, Herminie was the daughter of stockbroker Louis-François Vauguyon. She was writing poems from at least the age of seventeen. A ballad entitled "La Fileuse," published in 1889, won critical acclaim. In 1850 Herminie married musician and mathematics teacher Germain-Eugène Delavault. Known as Eugène, he was born in Noirt in 1814. Herminie Delavault supplied verse for Eugène's musical compositions. Eugène was a member of the Conseil général de Duex-Sèvres and president of the Société philharmonique de Niort. He died in 1892. Eugène and Herminie Delavault had no children.
Comprises two green, leather-bound volumes spanning the years from 1840 to 1879. The first page of volume one is titled Mes vers and the first page of volume two is titled Les grains de sable. Some poems and ballads have quotations by writers following the title. A parenthetical note next to the title indicates the number of lines in the work. Each volume has a table of contents and numbered pages. Volume one contains the earliest poems, beginning in 1840 and ending in 1863. Works in this volume prior to Herminie's marriage are signed Herminie Vauguyon or H. V. There are many marginal notes made by the author and editorial changes in pencil are throughout. There are ballads to friends such as Caroline B. and Camille P. and poems on the occasion of marriages of friends. There is an ode to Victor Hugo on death of his daughter in 1843. Volume two spanning from 1860 to 1879 contains a translation of John Gay's libretto for Handel's Acis and Galatea with notes by Herminie indicating a well-received performance of the work in June 1870. She notes the city where poems were written when she traveled. Musical compositions written by Herminie's husband Eugène Delavault are noted by the author.
Sold by Justin Croft Antiquarian Books (Kent, England), catalog 8 (2014), no. 10.
- Publisher
- University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts
- Finding Aid Author
- Donna Brandolisio
- Finding Aid Date
- August 2014
- Access Restrictions
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This collection is open for research use.