Deux lettres à Pierre Louÿs

In the first letter, Haraucourt discusses a proposed literary “fête” in which Louÿs wished to involve the Société des Gens de Lettres. Haraucourt approves the idea and considers its practical arrangements: “Your idea seems excellent to me […] this event should reasonably be held during the bright months: May, June… Would we have time to organize it? […] I will present your project. Try to come on the 29th, to the General Assembly…”

The second letter concerns Pierre Louÿs’s promotion within the order of the Légion d’honneur. Haraucourt expresses warm surprise at how long this recognition had taken: “Well indeed, my dear Louÿs, it was about time! It takes this list to inform me that you had been overlooked for more than ten years in being ribboned. Justice is slow!…” Louÿs was in fact included in the 1909 promotion as chevalier of the Légion d’honneur, in the category of men of letters; he would be promoted to officer in 1922.

Poet, novelist and playwright, Edmond Haraucourt had made his name in 1882 with the audacious collection La Légende des sexes, published under the pseudonym Sire de Chambley. Curator of the Musée du Trocadéro and later of the Musée de Cluny, and a member of the Hydropathes circle, he also played an active role in official literary life and presided over the Société des Gens de Lettres from 1920 to 1922. He himself was raised to the dignity of grand officer of the Légion d’honneur in 1937.