Ethel Crocker - Andre de Limur Collection
Collection
Identifier: GTM-GAMMS344
The Crocker-de Limur Collection, which consists of two boxes (2.5 linear feet) of documents, brings together a fine historical and literary documents collection gathered by a family of collectors; a small portion of the papers of French diplomat Andre de Limur (1890?-1971); a small part of the papers of Ambassador Aime Joseph de Fleuriau, French Ambassador to Great Britain (1924-1933); French documents from the Bibliotheca Lindesiana concerning political matters in France in the 1790s; and oversized printed proclamations by the French Government during World War I. This collection has great informational value for researchers in the fields of American and British history and literature, twentieth century French diplomatic and political history, and eighteenth century French political history.
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SERIES SYNOPSIS:
SERIES 1 - Collected Documents (1737-1929). Consists of some thirty documents, mostly letters, created by notable historical and literary figures, such as Robert Browning, Aaron Burr, Henry James, Napoleon III, Robert Louis Stevenson, Alfred Tennyson, Queen Victoria, Daniel Webster, and the Duke of Wellington. Represents a fine personal manuscript collection. Arranged alphabetically by last name of individual.
SERIES 2 - Andre de Limur Papers (1890-1938). Consists of four documents from the personal papers of French diplomat and soldier Andre de Limur (1890?-1971). Correspondents include Gabriele D'Annunzio, George Fugger, and Joseph Joffre. Arranged alphabetically by last name of individual.
SERIES 3 - Ambassador Aime Joseph de Fleuriau Papers (1925-1932). Consists of nine folders of documents from the personal papers of Ambassador Fleuriau, French Ambassador to Great Britain (1924-1933). Correspondents include Lord Curzon, Marshal Ferdinand Foch, Raymond Poincare, and Khristian G. Rakovsky. Arranged alphabetically by last name of individual.
SERIES 4 - Bibliotheca Lindesiana (1770-1792). Consists of fourteen documents relating to French political matters. Arranged alphabetically by last name of individual. Correspondents include Louis XVI, Louis Philippe, and Jerome Petion. All documents bear the stamp of the Bibliotheca Lindesiana, which was one of the finest noble libraries founded in family houses throughout the British Isles. The impressive collection began to be dispersed nearly 100 years ago, and its contents represent fine and rare books and documents. Dating to the late 1500s with the establishment of the Lindsday family at Balcarres in Fife by Lord Menuir, the collection was augmented by Alexander William, twenty-fifth earl of Crawford and eighth earl of Balcarres (1812-1880, i.e. Lord Lindsay) and James Ludovic (1847-1913). Financial reasons led to the sale of the collection, beginning as early as the 1880s and continuing into the 1940s. The fourteen documents in this series were once part of the great Bibliotheca Lindesiana collection.
SERIES 5 - Oversized Documents (1828-1916). Consists of numerous folders containing oversized documents. Includes a manuscript by Dante Gabriele Rossetti. Also includes a bound volume containing several oversized printed proclamations of the French Government during World War I. Proclamations by French President Raymond Poincare and American President Woodrow Wilson are present. The oversized series is preserved in Box 2 of this collection.
EXTENT: 2 boxes (2.5 l.f.).
Most manuscripts collections at the Georgetown University Booth Family Center for Special Collections are open to researchers; however, restrictions may apply to some collections. Collections stored off site require a minimum of three days for retrieval. For use of all manuscripts collections, researchers are advised to contact the Booth Family Center for Special Collections in advance of any visit.
Andre de Limur (1890?-1971), French count and diplomat, was born in Vannes, Brittany. He was the son of the Count and Countess de Limur. After graduating from the Jesuit College of St. Xavier, the University of Paris and the Cavalry School at Saumur, he served in the French armed forces in World War I, first as a cavalry officer and then as a pilot. For his conduct he won the Croix de Guerre. De Limur married Ethel Crocker (d. 1964) of San Francisco, California, in 1918. He joined the French diplomatic corps and held posts in Madrid, London, and Washington. When France fell in World War II, de Limur resigned from the French Embassy in Washington. Soon thereafter, he became an American citizen and joined the U. S. Army in 1942. De Limur participated in the D-Day landing, worked as General George Patton's liaison with Free French forces, and took part in the liberation of Paris. De Limur served for a time as president of the Georgetown Citizens Association. He founded the Alliance Francaise in Washington. In 1965, he married Mrs. Edmunds Lyman of San Francisco. Andre de Limur died on January 30, 1971 at the age of 80 in Washington, D.C. (Source: Obituary of Andre de Limur in "New York Times," 31 January 1971.)
1.75 Cubic Feet (2 boxes)
English
Part of the Georgetown University Manuscripts Repository