The Bibliothèque littéraire Jacques-Doucet is a public library in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, France. It was established in 1929 upon the death of fashion designer Jacques Doucet. The collection of works assembled by the patron Jacques Doucet, on the advice of the writer

André Suarès André Suarès, born Isaac Félix Suarèshttp://data.bnf.fr/11925703/andre_suares/fr.pdf (12 June 1868, Marseille – 7 September 1948, Saint-Maur-des-Fossés) was a French poet and critic. From 1912 onwards, he was one of the four "pillars" o ...

, started in 1916, and grew thanks to prestigious librarians and advisors, such as

André Breton André Robert Breton (; 19 February 1896 – 28 September 1966) was a French writer and poet, the co-founder, leader, and principal theorist of surrealism. His writings include the first ''Surrealist Manifesto'' (''Manifeste du surréalisme'') o ...

Louis Aragon Louis Aragon (, , 3 October 1897 – 24 December 1982) was a French poet who was one of the leading voices of the surrealist movement in France. He co-founded with André Breton and Philippe Soupault the surrealist review ''Littérature''. He wa ...

, Marie Dormoy and

Robert Desnos Robert Desnos (; 4 July 1900 – 8 June 1945) was a French poet who played a key role in the Surrealist movement of his day. Biography Robert Desnos was born in Paris on 4 July 1900, the son of a licensed dealer in game and poultry at the '' H ...

. When Doucet died in 1929, his collection was bequeathed by will to the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

, which transferred the works to the

Place du Panthéon The Place du Panthéon ( las dy pɑ̃teɔ̃ is a square in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France. Located in the Latin Quarter, it is named after and surrounds the Panthéon. Rue Soufflot, west of the Place du Panthéon, runs towards Bouleva ...

, under the direction of Marie Dormoy until the 1950s. Designed to bring together the literature of what would later be called modernism and its precursors, the collection includes works by Stendhal,

Charles Baudelaire Charles Pierre Baudelaire (, ; ; 9 April 1821 – 31 August 1867) was a French poetry, French poet who also produced notable work as an essayist and art critic. His poems exhibit mastery in the handling of rhyme and rhythm, contain an exoticis ...

, Guillaume Apollinaire and André Malraux. Various funds and collections were later added to the original legacy. As a university and research library of last resort, open to researchers, students and professionals by reservation, it has two reading rooms. However, its operations are regularly marred by irregularities in the twenty-first century: the management of various funds (notably that of Jean Bélias), and even the misappropriation of many elements of certain legacies for the benefit of members of the management, have forced various inspection bodies to carry out audits, and its supervisory authority to lodge complaints on several occasions.

References

Libraries in Paris 1929 establishments in France {{Paris-geo-stub

See also

References