Research Guides
French Studies: Primary Sources
Library resources for the study of French and Francophone language, literature, and culture.
What are Primary Sources?
Primary sources are the evidence of history. They are the first-hand accounts of an event or period of time created by participants or observers. There are many kinds of primary sources including texts (letters, diaries, government reports, newspaper accounts, novels, autobiographies), images (photographs, paintings, advertisements, posters), artifacts (buildings, clothing, sculpture, coins) and audio/visual (songs, oral history interviews, films).
See the History Research Guide for information on how to find specific types of primary sources.
Digital Collections
- GallicaDigitized collection from the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF).
- Electronic Enlightenment
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Offers access to correspondence between the great thinkers and writers of the 18th century and their families and friends, bankers and booksellers, patrons and publishers. - Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC)Digitized versions of Caribbean cultural, historical and research materials currently held in libraries, archives, and private collections
- Réseau des bibliothèques francophones numériquesDécouvrez le patrimoine documentaire numérique de la Francophonie
- Diderot's EncyclopédieEncyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, par une Société de Gens de lettres was published under the direction of Diderot and d'Alembert. Also, in English.
- ARTFL Project This link opens in a new window
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Collection of classical French writings including literary and political works - Hathi Trust This link opens in a new window
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Digital library of books and journals scanned by a partnership of major research institutions and libraries. See our HathiTrust Guide
- Bibliothèque Bleue OnlineMass-produced, inexpensive books that were sold to peasants for pennies by colporteurs (peddlers), the Bibliothèque Bleue was comprised of texts ranging from the practical (recipes, almanacs, and how-to books) to the pious (hagiographies, prayer books, and other religious instruction) and to the entertaining (fiction, romans de chevalerie, songbooks, burlesque), providing a unique insight into the popular culture of 17th to mid-19th century France.
- CESAR - Calendrier Electronique des Spectacles sous l’Ancien RégimeCESAR is a dynamic resource at the service of all those with an interest in the French theatre of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
- The French Book Trade in Enlightenment EuropeMaps the trade of the Société Typographique de Neuchâtel (STN), a celebrated Swiss publishing house that operated between 1769 and 1794.
- H-France Digital Humanities DatabaseA searchable database of French and Francophone Studies digital projects.
Oceania
- Resources for Research in French Polynesia and New Caledonia
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Aymonin, David and Isabelle Heutte. "Resources for Research in French Polynesia and New Caledonia." The Contemporary Pacific, vol. 27 no. 2, 2015, p. 465-484. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/cp.2015.0052.
Visiting Archives & Libraries
Look on the institution's website for guidelines on visiting and using the collection. Libraries and archives often have a "prepare for your visit" section and email or chat help services.
Finding Archives and Digital Collections
Search keywords for archives (or digital collections) and the name of the city, state, region or country of interest to find local archives (use the language of the country).
- Fresh from the Archives (Reviews)"Dissertation Reviews" publishes personal accounts of archival research, which offer tips and strategies for conducting research in archives around the world.