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University of St. Michael's College, John M. Kelly Library, Special Collections Zola Research Programs fonds
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Zola Research Programs fonds

  • CA ON00389 F17
  • Fonds
  • 1873-2008

Fonds consists of documents relating to the Zola Research Program and the publication of the 10 volume "Émile Zola Correspondance" series, including project files, inventories, reference materials, photocopies of Émile Zola’s correspondence and other documents related to the project. The project files contained in this fonds document the development and activities of the Zola Research Program. Project files records include inventories of various letters, funding information, budgetary forms, donor agreements, publicity documents and summaries of the project written both by external entities (newspapers) and internal figures (members of the Program staff). Also included are supplementary documents that were collected to create a broader contextual framework. Each letter is be supported with annotations and background information on the correspondents, events or people discussed in the letters as well as the social and political state of France during the 19th century. While the collection of letters by Zola was the primary mandate of the project, along the way the Program collected a vast number of reference materials to broaden the perspective. This fonds contains the off-prints, various documents (both collected by Zola and collected by the Zola Research Program about various 19th century figures) and bibliographies. Books collected by the Program are now the basis of the Émile Zola Collection in the Rare Book Collection of Kelly Library.

The correspondence is composed mostly of photocopies of handwritten letters, post cards, cartes de visites, telegrams and typed transcriptions of letters. The correspondence is a mixture of professional and personal letters that discuss various matters from the publication of Zola’s main works to the birth of his children. It is clear from the various handwritings and documentation styles that multiple figures were involved in the processing of the letters. However, as a Research Associate and long-term member of the team, Dorothy Speirs was the primary figure creating, processing and cross-referencing the letters. This can be seen through the presence of her initials on most of the documents. Additionally, as Project Archivist Hélène Issayevitch organized the letters and maintained the record-keeping practices throughout. It is important to note that after the dissolution of the Zola Research Program in 1995, Speirs continued collecting reference materials and adding them to the collection. As a result, there are a number of documents contained within that extend outside the dates of the Program. The result of this continued research is an additional publication completed in 2008, in association with Owen Morgan.

This collection remains the largest repository of Émile Zola’s letters available in North America. In recent years, the descendants of Zola have divided the estate, including the letters, resulting in a dispersal of the documents. This collection represents the largest single collection of Zola’s letters that is accessible and open to the public. Additionally, this fonds contains a fountain of information on key figures in the Naturalist Movement of the 19th century, as well as other well-known artists, scholars, intellectuals and political and social figures, including J.K. Huysmans, Edmond de Goncourt, Gustave Flaubert, Édouard Manet, Alfred Bruneau, Paul Alexis, Henry Céard, Léon Hennique, and Guy de Maupassant - all of which can be found either through personal discussions in the letters or supplementary documentation. The hidden value in this fonds lies in the plethora of reference resources that are available. The fonds also houses a vast number of off-prints that explore various aspects of Zola’s life as well as the broader Naturalist community of the 19th century. Some other significant pieces include original 19th century illustrated theatrical pamphlets from the Théâtre Libre, various original newspaper clippings and original letters by Émile Zola, Alexandrine Zola, Paul Alexis and Jules Claretie.

Fonds is arranged into 6 series:

1) Project Files series: consists of a variety of records that document the development of the project over the years, including funding information, publicity and marketing documents, donor agreements, budgetary forms and some correspondence amongst various scholars.

2) Letters by Zola series: consists of photocopies of letters written by Zola between 1856 and 1902. This series also contains an original letter by Émile Zola, dated June 22, 1890 (File #107).

3) Letters to Zola series: contains photocopies of letters written to Zola between 1858 and 1902. This series also contains an original letter by Alexandrine Zola to Émile Zola, dated May 27, 1890 (File #248).

4) Letters by Contemporaries series: consists of photocopies of letters sent between Zola’s family and contemporaries. This series contains an original letter from Paul Alexis to Léon Hennique, dated September 19, 1887 (File #420).

5) Collected and Reference Material series: contains photocopies of documents about the project and the various correspondents in the fonds (documents written by or about Émile Zola, documents about his family and correspondents, off-prints of works written about Émile Zola and naturalism, project inventories of letters and bibliographies). Series contains a variety of original documents including newspapers and theatrical pamphlets.

6) Alphabetical Index Forms series: consists of biographical and contextual information on correspondents of Émile Zola, figures mentioned in the letters, or the main journals for which he wrote.

Zola Research Program

Files: 874-942

These files consist of photocopies of off-prints, articles and chapters of books that pertain to Émile Zola
and/or Naturalism written by authors with the surnames Nelson to Newton. The dates of publication range
from 1951 to 2004. Joy Newton dominates these files with over 60 articles, however other recurring authors
include Brian Nelson and William Newton.

Files: 1007-1081

These files consist of photocopies of articles, off-prints, and chapters from books that discuss Émile Zola
and/or Naturalism written by authors with surnames Pagès to Peyrot. The dates of publication for material in
these files range from 1858 to 2001. Recurring scholars in these files include Alain Pagès, Allan Pasco, and
Sandy Petrey

Files: 743-801

These files consist of photocopies of off-prints, articles and chapters from books that relate to Émile Zola or
Naturalism written by authors with the surnames Iwabuchi to Mitterand. The dates of publication range from
1897 to 2001. Recurring scholars include Gian-Carlo Menichelli, Elise Michel and Henri Mitterand. There are
also multiple booklets written in Japanese in these files.

Files: 802-873

These files consist of photocopies of off-prints, articles and chapters from books that discuss Émile Zola
and/or Naturalism written by authors with the surname Mitterand to Nardi. The dates of publication range
from [1894] to 2001. Recurring authors include Henri Mitterand and Owen Morgan.

Files: 1158-1226

These files consist of off-prints, newspaper and academic articles, and chapters from books that pertain to
Émile Zola and/or Naturalism written by authors with surnames Rigaud to Salvan. The dates of the works
published in these files range from 1886 to 1998. Recurring authors include Guy Robert, Edouard Rod, Sergio
Sacchi, Murry Sachs and A.J. Salvan.

Files: 1280-1351

These files consist of off-prints, articles and chapters from books that pertain to Émile Zola and/or
Naturalism written by authors with surnames Sederberg to Symons. The publication dates for works contained
in these files range from 1891 to 1997. Recurring authors include Masakazu Shimizu, Dolorès Signori,
Dorothy Speirs and Halini Suwala. Most of the works in these files are written in French or English, however
Shimizu’s works are written in Japanese. File #1291 contains an original article by Severine, published in 1898
and titled "Notes d’une frondeuse - Liste de suspects."

Files: 1428-1491

These files consist of chapters from books, articles and off-prints that discuss Émile Zola and/or Naturalism
written by authors with surnames Vaughn to Wierenga. The publication dates for works contained in these
files range from 1873-1996. Recurring scholars include Robert M. Viti, Philip Walker, Rodolphe Walter and
Henry Weinberg.

Files: 645-697

These files consist of off-prints, articles, and chapters from books that pertain to Émile Zola or Naturalism
that have been written by authors with surnames Adamo to Becker. These files also contain anonymous
articles and one file (#643) that contains articles that are to be categorized. The dates of the works range from
1892 to 1995. The files within have been arranged alphabetically by surname with each work possessing its
own folder. Recurring scholars include Auriant and Colette Becker.

Files: 698-742

These files consist of photocopies of off-prints, newspaper and academic articles and chapters from books
that discuss Émile Zola and/or Naturalism that have been written by authors with the surnames Bedo to
Hemmings. The dates of publication in these files range from 1900 to 1994. Key scholars in these files include
Saint-Georges de Bouhélier and Pedro Calheiros. These files include a number of original documents by SaintGeorges
de Bouhélier, with dates ranging from 1908-1938 (in Files #713-717, #719) and three newspapers:
Comœdia (dated 1908, in File #728), Le Figaro (dated 1927, in File #736) and La Feuille Litteraire (dated 1913, in
File #737).

Files: 943-1006

These files consist of photocopies of articles, off-prints and chapters from books that focus on either Émile
Zola or Naturalism written by authors with the surname Niederstenbruch to Page. The dates of publication
for material in these files range from 1898 to 1994. Recurring scholars include Robert J. Niess and Kazuo
Ozaki. There are articles written in French, English, Italian, Japanese and Russian in these files.

Files: 1492-1543

These files consist of chapters from books, off-prints and articles written about Émile Zola and/or Naturalism
written by authors with surnames Wilson to Zolling. The publication dates for works contained in these files
range from 1878 to 1994. Recurring authors include Nelly Wilson, Albert Wolff, Geoff Woolen, Alexandre
Zevaes and Liugia Zilli.

Files: 1352-1427

These files consist of off-prints, articles and chapters from books relating to Émile Zola and/or Naturalism
written by authors with surnames Tabarant to Varndoe. The publication dates for works contained in these
files range from 1876 to 1993. Recurring scholars include René Tournois, Clive Thomson and Akira
Tsuneoka. Most of the works contained in these files are written in French or English, however there are some
pieces written in Japanese.

Files: 1082-1139

These files consist of photocopies of articles, off-prints and chapters from books that discuss Émile Zola
and/or Naturalism written by authors with surnames Pia to Rienzo. The dates of publication for material in
these files range from 1868 to 1991. Recurring scholars include V.S. Pritchett, Madeleine Reberioux and
Theodore Reff. These files also contain three original documents: an article written by Gaston Picard,
published in 1927 (in File #1085); one La Presse newspaper clipping, published in 1897 (in File #1102); and
one Revue de l’art Pour Tous newspaper clipping, published in 1904 (in File #1144).

Files: 1227-1279

These files consist of articles, chapters from books and off-prints relating to Émile Zola and/or Naturalism
written by authors with surnames Sanders to Scott. The dates of works published in these files range from
1891 to 1991. Recurring scholars include J.B. Sanders, Rita Schober and Naomi Schor. File #1268 contains an
original 1891 article by Aurélien Scholl, titled “L’Amant de sa femme."

Files: 1544-1558

These files consist of inventories created by the Zola Research Program between the years of 1975 and 1991.
The inventories are a mixture of handwritten and typed, with various additions and annotations present. In
particular, the inventories documenting the Collection Le Blond Zola have very interesting ways of organizing
letters sent to Zola based on various information including author, content of letter or reference of Zola’s
work and country from which the letter was sent. These inventories are documenting the early years of the
program, as they developed more advanced systems of record keeping later on. As a result, most of the
inventories in these files were created in 1975 and 1976. There are also an extensive number of inventories in
the second half of the box that were used for cross-checking between the two teams. These inventories were
divided into years by the Zola Research Program staff, and a letter between Hélène Issayevitch and Collette
Morin-Laborde dates them to 1991. There is also an inventory of Letters by Contemporaries sent amongst
Zola’s family members (corresponds with letters in Boxes 54 and 55), which have been arranged by
correspondent.

Files 1-4

These files consist of records that document the various sources from which letters and documents were donated for the project. File #2 contains donation agreements for private French donors. The dates of these forms range from 1974 to 1988. File #3 contains an inventory of French libraries and journals that were visited throughout the course of the project. File #4 is a collection of references cards that outline the different public and private institutions that donated documents or letters to the project. These cards outline the name of the institution or figure, location, and a listing of the letters donated to the project.

Files: 1559-1569

These files consist of a bibliography of works written about Émile Zola between 1864 and 1981. Although
not indicated on the document itself, the original folder identified D. Baguley as the compiler of the
document. Other materials in this fonds indicate that David Baguley was head of a project out of the Western
University (then University of Western Ontario) in the 1970s to compile an international bibliography of all
existing works written about Zola. It is likely that the bibliography included in this sub-series is an updated
version of this project. The document has been divided by year, with distinctions made between types of
publication (book or article). Publications in this document are mostly French and English, however there are
other languages present as well. The years 1896-1899 and 1922-1930 are missing from this document. This
bibliography is also available online and Baguley has continued updating it in recent years (it can be found at http://www.cahiers-naturalistes.com/baguley.htm).

Files: 510-537

These files consist of photocopies of handwritten manuscripts, published material and typed transcriptions of
manuscripts and other documents pertaining to Zola’s works written between 1866 and 1952. The files within
have been arranged alphabetically by title of works, starting with Angeline and finishing with Vérité. These files
document some of Zola’s thought process and brainstorming when writing his books and short stories.
Germinal and Une Page d’amour contain extensive (though not complete) photocopies of manuscripts written in
Zola’s hand.

Files: 418-447

These files consist of photocopies of letters written by and amongst Zola’s contemporaries with the surnames
A through L. Although most of the files are indistinct groupings of letters (for example, letters with authors that start with “A”), recurring correspondents possess their own distinct file (for example, File #424 is
dedicated to Alfred Bruneau). The dates of letters in these files range from 1864 to 1936. These files include
three original letters: one letter written by Paul Alexis to Léon Hennique (dated 19 September 1887, in File

420), one letter by Jules Claretie (undated, in File #432), one letter by Maurice Le Blond (1903, in File #445).

Files: 473-482

These files consist of photocopies of letters written by and amongst Zola’s family and friends, starting with
letters written by Alexandrine to Eugène Fasquelle through to Zola’s mother Émilie Zola and finishing with
letters written to and from Zola’s wife, mistress and children between 1903 and 1905. File #474 contains
letters sent to Alexandrine Zola by Eugène Fasquelle. The dates of letters in these files range from 1841 to

  1. The letters sent to and from Zola’s family are arranged chronologically.

Files: 483-496

These files consist of photocopies of letters written amongst Zola’s immediate family: Alexandrine Zola,
Jeanne Rozerot, Denise Émile-Zola (previously Rozerot), Jacques Émile-Zola (previously Rozerot) and
eventually Denise’s husband Maurice Le Blond and Jacques’ wife Marguerite Émile-Zola. The files within are
arranged chronologically, starting in 1906 and continuing through to 1924, including undated letters. There is
no clear indication as to why these letters have been compiled and preserved, as they could not have provided
context for the annotations in the published volumes (as they were all written after Zola’s death); however, it is
possible that these letters were collected to document the lives of Zola’s children, who would eventually have a
great impact on the development of the project because the children of Denise and Jacques provided the
primary and foremost source of letters.

Files: 448-472

These files consist of photocopies of letters written by and amongst Zola’s contemporaries with the surnames
M through to Alexandrine Zola’s letters to Doctor Larat. The files within have been arranged alphabetically by
author, with recurring correspondents possessing their own distinct files. Letters sent by Alexandrine Zola to
various correspondents dominate these files, with particular emphasis on letters to the Laborde family (Amélie,
Albert and Elina). The dates range from 1871 to 1922. File #460 contains nine original cartes de visites from
Alexandrine Zola to various correspondents, dated from 1903.

Files: 497-509

These files consist of photocopies of a variety of documents written and/or owned by Émile Zola or that
pertain to his business affairs between 1863 and 1903. There are four broad categories of documents included
in these files:

  1. Articles, Declarations, Speeches, Interviews: These files consist of photocopies of a variety of
    documents created by Zola throughout his career, including articles for journals, speeches and
    declarations he wrote and/or made, as well as copies of interviews with various people.
  2. Contracts and Financial Documents: This file consists of various legal documents belonging to Zola,
    including contracts for his works and financial documents
  3. Dedications, Introductions, Prefaces: These files consist of photocopies of works written by Zola for
    the purpose of dedications, introductions or prefaces to others’ works.
  4. Handwritten Manuscripts: These files consist of photocopies of notes on his various works as well as
    notes that Zola wrote about various hobbies, including photography. There are four original pieces in these files: the first is an original article handwritten by Saint-Georges de
    Bouhélier titled Une entrevue avec Émile Zola (dated 1894, found in File #497) and three newspapers from
    L’Aurore, (all dated 1900, found in File #498).

Files: 163-172

These files consist of photocopies of handwritten correspondence and typed/handwritten transcriptions sent
by Émile Zola between July of 1901 and September of 1902. Recurring correspondents include Fernand
Labori, Denise Rozerot, Alfred Bruneau, Fernand Desmoulin, Ernest Vizetelly and Joseph Reinach. The
letters included in these files focus on Zola’s works (the development of Vérité, which would be published
posthumously, as well as various articles for journals). These files also include undated letters #1-165 retained
by the Zola Research Program (most of which were not included in the volumes). These letters are heavily
annotated and demonstrate the process of cross-referencing and researching that the Zola Research Program
staff undertook in their attempt to date the letters.

Files: 193-205

These files consist of photocopies of correspondence written by Émile Zola between 1858 and 1902. These
files are photocopies of letters published in 2010 through the University of Montreal Press by Dorothy Speirs
and Owen Morgan. This publication was not within the scope of the original Zola Research Program project,
but it is titled as the eleventh book in the Émile Zola Correspondance series. For the most part, the
correspondence is composed of typed transcriptions of the letters, some of which are accompanied by
photocopies of the handwritten version. Some of the source information has likewise been documented, either
through annotation at the bottom of the transcription or by stapling a copy of the catalog to the transcription.
Each year is accompanied by a typed inventory – although this inventory does not correspond directly with the
letters in the file (sometimes there are letters listed in the inventory but not included in the file). Markings on
the transcriptions indicate that Speirs and Morgan were attempting to remove any letters that had already been
published in the Emile Zola Correspondance series (as seen on a letter that has been crossed out with the markings
"tome VIII, lettre 180"), implying that the letters in these files cannot be found anywhere else in this fonds.

Files: 311-318

These files consist of photocopies of handwritten and typed letters, postcards, cartes de visites, telegrams and
typed and handwritten transcriptions of letters sent to Émile Zola between November of 1900 and December
of 1901. Recurring correspondents throughout these files include Alexandrine Zola, Ernest Vizetelly, Chatto
& Windus Publishers, the Loiseau family (Elina, née Laborde, and her husband Georges) and Antoine
Guillemet. For the most part, the correspondence within discusses both personal and professional matters,
including the death of Paul Alexis in July of 1901, as well as praise and requests for rights for Travail. Multiple
close family friends also comment on Zola’s hobby for photography. File #318 also contains the first
communication (in this series) between Alexandrine Zola and Denise Rozerot (Émile Zola’s daughter with
Jeanne Rozerot) in a postcard dated February 7, 1902.

Files: 156-162

These files consist of photocopies of handwritten correspondence and typed/handwritten transcriptions sent
by Émile Zola between January of 1900 and June of 1901. Recurring correspondents include Fernand Labori,
Denise Rozerot, Alfred Bruneau, Fernand Desmoulin, Ernest Vizetelly and Joseph Reinach. Zola kept in close
contact with many of the figures involved in the Dreyfus Affair (as can be seen in the number of letters sent to
Fernand Labori, Alfred Dreyfus and others); however, a large portion of his correspondence is focused on
business after 1900. Most of the letters focus on Travail, however there are numerous references to articles and
critiques being written by Zola at this time

Files: 305 – 310

These files consist of photocopies of handwritten letters, postcards, cartes de visites, telegrams, newspaper
clippings and handwritten transcriptions of letters sent to Émile Zola between October 1899 and December 1900. The earlier correspondence is largely composed of either discussion around the Dreyfus Affair (the retrial
of Alfred Dreyfus at Rennes, his reconviction and subsequent pardon) or praise for Zola’s Fécondité. A
large portion of these files are correspondence between Ernest Vizetelly, Zola, Macmillan & Co.
representatives and Chatto & Windus regarding Vizetelly’s difficulties in translating Fécondité into a book that
would be deemed both legal and appropriate for the English-speaking audiences in England and the United
States. The later files begin to discuss Zola’s rough draft of Travail (the next novel in his Quatres Évangiles
series), as well as translations and rights of distribution.

Files: 151-155

These files consist of photocopies of handwritten correspondence and typed/handwritten transcriptions sent
by Émile Zola in 1899. Recurring correspondents include Fernand Labori, Denise Rozerot, Alfred Bruneau,
Fernand Desmoulin, Ernest Vizetelly and Joseph Reinach. The content of these files include letters sent to
Alfred Dreyfus upon his return to France, expressing his admiration and support (the first of many, dated July
6, 1899, in File #153), as well as a letter to Alexandrine expressing his displeasure with the ambiguous end to
the Dreyfus Affair (where all pending cases received amnesty – letter dated October 31, 1899, in File #154).
The first half of these files contain mainly personal correspondence to family, however after July (when Émile
Zola returns to France), the letters are mostly concerned with professional and business matters, focusing on
the publication and translation of Fécondité.

Files: 300-304

These files consist of photocopies of handwritten and typed letters, postcards, cartes de visites and telegrams
sent to Émile Zola between January and September 1899. This period marks Zola’s exile in England and the
correspondence likewise reflects this, as can be seen by the number of telegrams and letters sent from close
family friends assuring Émile Zola that all is well with his family back at home. As well, there is an increase in
the number of Letters of Contemporaries in these files for two reasons: much of Émile Zola’s business was
being conducted through either Ernest Vizetelly or Alexandrine Zola, and people who did not know how to
contact Zola directly would send mail to Alexandrine and ask her to forward it through to Zola. Starting in
June of 1899, most of the correspondence is addressed directly to Émile Zola because he returned to France at
this time. Most of the correspondence discusses either potential literary or dramatic representations of the
Dreyfus Affair, or they congratulate Zola on his return to France. Recurring correspondents include
Alexandrine Zola (sometimes signing as Caroline), Ernest Vizetelly, Antoine Guillemet, the Laborde family
and Fernand Labori (Zola’s defense lawyer). These files also encompass the period of the publication of
Fécondité, which is indicated through the requests for translation rights, requests for information on release
dates and discussion between Vizetelly and Brett of Macmillan Co. regarding the American rights to the book.

Files: 146-150

These files consist of photocopies and typed transcriptions of letters, postcards, telegrams and cartes de visites
sent by Émile Zola in 1898. Recurring correspondents include Henry Céard, Alexandrine Zola, Fernand Xau,
Alfred Bruneau, Fernand Labori and Jeanne Rozerot. The contents of the letters are both personal and
professional, and span Zola’s involvement in the Dreyfus Affair starting with his article J’Accuse in January of
1898 through his trial and conviction in February and the first half of his exile. These files also include a
touching letter to Jeanne Rozerot, explaining that he must leave for England because of the turn the trial had
taken, dated July 18, 1898 (in File #148). There is a noticeable increase in the number of personal letters
written to family members in these files, due to Zola’s exile (largely Alexandrine Zola, Jeanne Rozerot, Denise
Rozerot and the Laborde family members).

Files: 368-372

These files consist of photocopies of handwritten and typed letters, postcards, cartes de visites and telegrams
sent to Émile Zola between November of 1897 and January 16, 1898. The letters in these files all pertain to
the Dreyfus Affair, with the early files focusing on the lead-up to Zola’s direct involvement in the Affair. The
later files mostly focus on Zola’s public letter to the President of the Republic, J’Accuse, printed in the
newspaper L’Aurore on January 13, 1898. Some of the letters refer to the Dreyfus Affair through general
discussion of events; however, most demonstrate a clear support or criticism of Zola’s involvement.

Files: 280-285

These files consist of photocopies of handwritten letters, postcards, cartes de visites and telegrams as well as
typed and handwritten transcriptions of letters sent to Émile Zola from January of 1897 to January of 1898.
The contents of these files are divided between discussion around Rome and Paris, and rumblings about Zola’s
increasing involvement in the Dreyfus Affair, culminating with the publication of J’Accuse on January 13, 1898.
As a result, the later files of 1897 contain letters from various newspapers and journals (both in Europe and
the United States) requesting Zola’s opinion on the current social and political situation in France (the Dreyfus
Affair was becoming a massive issue), some of which directly mention the Dreyfus Affair. Additionally, these
files also contain correspondence from the first two weeks after Zola published J’Accuse. As well, the final file
of 1897 (File #283) contains correspondence that discusses the death of Alphonse Daudet. There are a large
number of Letters of Contemporaries in these files, both professional (sent from Ernest Vizetelly) and
personal (sent from Alexandrine Zola), which have presumably been placed here because the contents pertain
directly to Zola’s affairs.

Files: 136-145

These files consist of photocopies and typed transcriptions of letters, postcards, telegrams and cartes de visites
sent by Émile Zola between January of 1896 and December of 1897. Recurring correspondents include Henry
Céard, Alexandrine Zola, Alfred Bruneau, Jeanne Rozerot, Gabriel Thyébaut, and Ernest Vizetelly. The
contents of the letters are both personal and professional. Many of the letters sent to editors, publishers and
translators are regarding Rome and Paris. As well, these files cover the months leading up to Zola’s direct
involvement with the Dreyfus Affair. Discussion of the Dreyfus Affair becomes more prevalent in November
of 1897 (particularly when Zola writes to Alexandrine) and demonstrates Zola’s increasing involvement and
anger (as seen in letter to Alexandrine Zola, dated November 19, 1897, in File #144)

Files: 268-274

These files consist of photocopies of handwritten letters, postcards, telegrams, cartes de visites and
handwritten and typed transcriptions of correspondence to Émile Zola written between January of 1895 and
March of 1896. Frequent correspondents include Ernest Vizetelly, Eugène Fasquelle, Fernand Xau, Alfred
Bruneau, Guiseppe Giacosa and various family members (including his cousin Carlo Zola and his niece Elina
“Lili” Laborde). Most of the contents of the letters are concerned with the publication and subsequent
translations of Zola’s Rome, including a number of Letters of Contemporaries discussing the translation of
Rome in the United States. This increase in both the popularity and intellectual presence of Zola in the U.S. is
evidenced in the number of American correspondents and the photocopies of newspaper and journal articles
attached that discuss Zola’s works. As with some of the other files in this series, on some letters, Zola has
written brief notes to himself about responding to the letters (as can be seen on a letter from Ernest Vizetelly,
dated May 25, 1895, in File #268).

Files: 126-135

These files consist of photocopies and typed transcriptions of letters, postcards, cartes de visites and telegrams
sent by Émile Zola between January of 1894 and December of 1895. Recurring correspondents include Ernest
Vizetelly, Alfred Bruneau, Henry Céard, Georges Charpentier, Jacques van Santen Kolff, Gabriel Thyébaut,
Jeanne and Denise Rozerot, and Ely Halpérine-Kaminsky. Works discussed in these files include Le Docteur
Pascal and Lourdes. The contents of the letters include both personal and professional matters; his personal life
is quite prevalent in this period as seen in a letter to Jeanne Rozerot where he expresses his unhappiness with
his double life (dated July 13, 1894, in File #128). However, professional matters likewise influence his
writings, particularly as they relate to his work but also as his role with La Société des gens de lettres and the
criticism of Auguste Rodin’s Statue of Balzac, commissioned by Zola in 1891 as the President of the Society

Files: 261-267

These files consist of photocopies of handwritten letters, postcards, cartes de visites, telegrams and
handwritten and typed transcriptions of letters sent to Zola between January and December of 1894.
Recurring correspondents include Ernest Vizetelly, Henry & Co. and Antoine Guillemet. File #264 contains a
Zola Research Program fonds
vast number of cartes de visites, most of which contain expressions of gratitude to Zola for the release of
Lourdes and his generosity in sending copies of the book to his friends, associates and acquaintances.

Files: 119-125

These files consist of photocopies and typed transcriptions of letters, postcards, cartes de visites and telegrams
sent by Émile Zola between October of 1892 and December of 1893. Recurring correspondents include
Ernest Vizetelly, Alfred Bruneau, Henry Céard, Georges Charpentier, Jacques van Santen Kolff, Gabriel
Thyébaut, Jeanne and Denise Rozerot, and Ely Halpérine-Kaminsky. Works discussed in these files include La
Débâcle, Le Docteur Pascal and Lourdes. The contents of the letters include both personal matters (his discussion
of his children and relationship with Jeanne Rozerot) and professional (both with the publication and
translation of his works and as the President of the Société des gens de lettres).

Files: 255-260

These files consist of various correspondence sent to Émile Zola throughout January of 1892 to December of
1893, including photocopies of handwritten letters, postcards, cartes de visites as well as handwritten and
typed transcriptions of letters. Most of the letters discuss business deals (publications and translations) of La
Débâcle, Le Docteur Pascal and Lourdes. Recurring correspondents throughout these files include Ernest Vizetelly,
Antoine Guillemet, Gabriel Thyébaut, the family Charpentier (Georges, Paul and Georgette) and Eugène
Fasquelle. There are a number of letters from Ernest Vizetelly within these files that discuss various business
matters including arranging a dinner in 1893 between Zola and other English authors, translations of books
into English and a biography being written about Zola by R.H. Sherard

Files: 111-118

These files consist of photocopies of handwritten correspondence (letters, postcards, cartes de visites and
telegrams) as well as typed/handwritten sent by Émile Zola between January of 1891 and September of 1892.
Recurring correspondents include Henry Céard, Léon Hennique, Jacques van Santen Kolff, Numa Coste,
Edmond de Goncourt, Gabriel Thyébaut and Alfred Bruneau. The letters pertain to both personal and
professional matters. Works discussed in these files include La Bête humaine, L’Argent and La Débâcle. This
period also includes the birth of Zola’s son, Jacques, as can be seen in Zola’s letter to Henry Céard explaining
that he would be away during Jacque’s birth and thus requests that Céard be present at his birth, name his son
and then place an ad in the newspaper to update Zola (letter dated September 8, 1891, in File #113). As well,
Zola’s language with various doctors and Céard implies a need for discretion and secrecy up until 1891, when
Alexandrine Zola finds out about Jeanne Rozerot and the children (as seen in letters to Céard and Jeanne
Rozerot, dated 10 November, 1891, in File #114).

Files: 98-110

These files consist of photocopies of handwritten correspondence (letters, postcards, cartes de visites and
telegrams) as well as typed/handwritten transcriptions of letters sent by Émile Zola between July of 1888 and
December of 1890. Recurring correspondents include Henry Céard, Léon Hennique, Jacques van Santen
Kolff, Numa Coste, Edmond de Goncourt, Gabriel Thyébaut and Alfred Bruneau. The letters pertain to both
personal and professional matters. Works discussed in these files include Le Rêve and La Bête humaine. This
period also spans the birth of Zola’s daughter, Denise, as can be seen in Zola’s letters to Henry Céard and Dr.
Delineau, requesting both their discretion during Denise’s birth as well as their signatures on her birth
certificate afterwards (letters dated September 22, 1889, in File #103). File #107 consists of an original letter
by Émile Zola, dated June 22, 1890; it has been encased in glass and is accompanied by a photocopy of the
letter (in Italian) that prompted the response. This letter was originally filed in the Documents by Zola subseries
(previously in Box 56), however it was moved as it was seen to be better suited in this series.

Files: 250-254

These files consist of photocopies of correspondence written to Émile Zola between January and December
of 1891. The contents are largely composed of photocopies of handwritten letters, cartes de visites, telegrams
and some typed transcriptions of letters. Recurring correspondents in these files include Gabriel Thyébaut,
Eugène Fasquelle, Ernest Vizetelly, Numa Coste, and Antoine Guillemet. Much of the content is congratulations to Zola for his election as President of the Société des gens de lettres as well as his
commissioning of the Statue of Balzac. In some situations, it appears that Zola has written when he responded
to certain letters on the top of the correspondence (see letter from an editor in Prague, dated May 19, 1891, in
File #252 – they are not signed, but the handwriting resembles Zola’s). File #254 contains a variety of undated
correspondence (organized alphabetically) that is presumed to be from 1891, and is accompanied by an
incomplete inventory of some of the letters. Included in this file is a series of undated cartes de visites from
Antoine Guillemet.

Files: 244-249

These files consist of photocopies of handwritten letters, postcards, cartes de visites, telegrams and some typed
transcriptions of letters sent to Émile Zola between August of 1888 and December of 1890. Georges
Charpentier, Gabriel Thyébaut and Eugène Fasquelle are some of the recurring correspondents in these files.
File #246 includes an invitation sent to Zola in preparation of the birth of Fasquelle’s daughter, followed by a
letter the next day informing Zola of her birth (letters dated respectively November 10 and November 11,
1889). Most of the contents of these files are professional correspondence and fan mail regarding Zola’s
novels Le Rêve, La Bête humaine and L’Argent (pre-published interest). In particular, there is an ongoing
conversation of letters from Eliza E. Chase regarding the rights to the English translation of Le Rêve - these
letters follow the progression from the early stages of discussion through the negotiation and the eventual
agreement (this conversation encompasses both this box and the previous box). There is also an original letter
from Alexandrine Zola to Émile Zola, dated May 27, 1890 (in File #248).

Files: 90-97

These files consist of photocopies of handwritten correspondence (letters, postcards, cartes de visites and
telegrams) as well as typed/handwritten transcriptions of letters sent by Émile Zola between January of 1887
and June of 1888. Recurring correspondents include Henry Céard, Léon Hennique, Jacques van Santen Kolff,
Numa Coste, Edmond de Goncourt, Gabriel Thyébaut and Alfred Bruneau. The letters pertain to both
personal and professional matters, or sometimes both, as seen in the case where Zola sent most of his close
friends (The Charpentiers, Céard, Hennique, Guillemot, de Goncourt, etc.) a letter indicating his displeasure
with the Théâtre du Châtelet because they were playing an unauthorized version of Germinal. Zola refused to
attend himself and encouraged his friends to also boycott the show (letters dated April 21, 1888, in File #97).
Other works discussed in these files include La Terre and Le Rêve.

Files: 237-243

These files consist of photocopies of handwritten letters, cartes de visites, postcards, and some transcriptions
of letters sent to Zola between February of 1887 and July of 1888. There is a clear increase in both the number
of letters sent to Zola in these files, as well as his popularity (particularly in 1887). The files within are divided
into 2-3 month section. The early files are comprised of mostly short notes and cartes de visites, with quite a
few on letterheads from the journal Le Figaro and from the Théâtre de Paris. The later files contain mostly
lengthier letters from friends (recurring correspondents include Marius Roux, Jacques van Santen Kolff, Numa
Coste, Henry Céard and Georges Charpentier) as well as supporters and critics. The increase in the amount of
letters sent to Zola in 1887 could perhaps be attributed both to his increase in popularity (some of his most
ground-breaking books had recently been published), as well as a very critical article published in Le Figaro which targeted both Zola and his most recent novel La Terre. Additionally these files include personal
correspondence and professional papers that discuss the publication of the novel Le Rêve in the journal La
Revue Illustrée.

Files: 229-236

These files consist of photocopies of letters, cartes de visites telegrams and postcards written to Zola between
January of 1883 and January of 1887. Recurring correspondents include Georges Charpentier, Antoine
Guillemet, Numa Coste and the Manets. The early contents of the letters discuss Zola’s political and
philosophical battle concerning his naturalist literary style. There are multiple letters within these files that
indicate that Zola was considering multiple English journals when releasing the serial version of Germinal;
within these letters, we can see evidence of the concern on the part of the English for the moral and ethical
contents of Zola’s novels (see letter from Tilloston & Son, dated October 9, 1884, in File #232). Other works
mentioned in the letters include La Terre, L’Œuvre and L’Assommoir. File #235 contains the last letter between
Paul Cézanne and Zola in this collection (marking the end of their friendship) following the publication of
L’Œuvre, a work that was interpreted to be based upon the unsuccessful career of Cézanne (letter is dated
April 4, 1886).

Files: 80-89

These files consist of photocopies of letters, postcards and cartes de visites and typed/handwritten
transcriptions of correspondence sent by Émile Zola between January of 1885 and December of 1886.
Recurring correspondents include Antoine Guillemet, Alphonse Daudet, Ernst Kiegler, Henry Céard,
Edmond de Goncourt, Georges Charpentier, Jacques van Santen Kolff and various family members (Amélie
Laborde, Lina Laborde, etc.). The contents of the box are both personal and professional in nature as can be
seen through the various social gatherings mentioned in the letters, as well as professional discussion of the
publication and translation of the following works: La Joie de Vivre, Germinal, L'Œuvre and early talks about La
Terre.

Files: 70-79

These files consist of photocopies of letters, postcards and cartes de visites and typed/handwritten
transcriptions of correspondence sent by Émile Zola between January of 1883 and December of 1884.
Recurring correspondents include Antoine Guillemet, Alphonse Daudet, Ernst Kiegler, Henry Céard,
Edmond de Goncourt, Georges Charpentier, Jacques van Santen Kolff and various family members (Amélie
Laborde, Lina Laborde, etc.). The contents of the box are both personal and professional in nature; there is
repeated discussion of lunches and dinners at the various houses of friends, as well as discussion of the
publication and translation of the following works: Pot-Bouille, Au Bonheur des Dames and La Joie de Vivre.

Files: 55-69

These files consist of photocopies of handwritten letters as well as handwritten and typed transcriptions of
letters sent by Émile Zola to various correspondents between January of 1880 and December of 1882.
Recurring correspondents include Henry Céard, Léon Hennique, Gustave Flaubert, Ivan Tourgueniev,
Philippe Solari and Numa Coste. Included in these files are discussions of Zola’s works Nana and Pot-Bouille.
As well, the letters discuss the death of both Gustave Flaubert (as seen in a letter to Céard, dated May 9, 1880,
in File #56) and Émilie Zola, Émile Zola’s mother (as seen in a letter to Zola’s uncle, Jules Aubert, dated
October 18, 1880, in File #58).

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