The Allure of the Archives (The Lewis Walpole Series in Eighteenth-Century Culture and History)

Arlette Farge's 'Le Goût de l'archive' is widely regarded as a historiographical classic. While combining through two-hundred-year-old judicial records from the Archives of the Bastille, historian Farge was struck by the extraordinary intimate portrayal they provided of the lives of the poor in pre-Revolutionary France, especially women. She was seduced by the sensuality of old manuscripts and by the revelatory power of voices otherwise lost. In this book, she conveys the exhilaration of uncovering hidden secrets and the thrill of venturing into previously unknown dimensions of the past. Read more... Abstract: Arlette Farge's 'Le Goût de l'archive' is widely regarded as a historiographical classic. While combining through two-hundred-year-old judicial records from the Archives of the Bastille, historian Farge was struck by the extraordinary intimate portrayal they provided of the lives of the poor in pre-Revolutionary France, especially women. She was seduced by the sensuality of old manuscripts and by the revelatory power of voices otherwise lost. In this book, she conveys the exhilaration of uncovering hidden secrets and the thrill of venturing into previously unknown dimensions of the past An exquisite appreciation of the distinctive rewards of historical research and a classic guide to the personal yet disciplined craft of discovery, now in its first English translation. Arlette Farge's Le Goût de l'archive is widely regarded as a historiographical classic. While combing through two-hundred-year-old judicial records from the Archives of the Bastille, historian Farge was struck by the extraordinarily intimate portrayal they provided of the lives of the poor in pre-Revolutionary France, especially women. She was seduced by the sensuality of old manuscripts and by the revelatory power of voices otherwise lost. In The Allure of the Archives , she conveys the exhilaration of uncovering hidden secrets and the thrill of venturing into new dimensions of the past. Originally published in 1989, Farge's classic work communicates the tactile, interpretive, and emotional experience of archival research while sharing astonishing details about life under the Old Regime in France. At once a practical guide to research methodology and an elegant literary reflection on the challenges of writing history, this uniquely rich volume demonstrates how surrendering to the archive's allure can forever change how we understand the past. Arlette Farge's Le Goût De L'archive Is Widely Regarded As A Historiographical Classic. While Combing Through Two-hundred-year-old Judicial Records From The Archives Of The Bastille, Historian Farge Was Struck By The Extraordinarily Intimate Portrayal They Provided Of The Lives Of The Poor In Pre-revolutionary France, Especially Women. She Was Seduced By The Sensuality Of Old Manuscripts And By The Revelatory Power Of Voices Otherwise Lost. In The Allure Of The Archives, She Conveys The Exhilaration Of Uncovering Hidden Secrets And The Thrill Of Venturing Into New Dimensions Of The Past. Foreword / By Natalie Zemon Davis -- Traces By The Thousands -- On The Front Door -- Paths And Presences -- She Has Just Arrived -- Gathering And Handling The Documents -- Captured Speech -- The Inventory Room Is Sepulchral -- Writing -- Notes -- Notes On The Translation. Arlette Farge ; Translated By Thomas Scott-railton ; Foreword By Natalie Zemon Davis. Originally Published As Le Goût De L'archive. Editions Du Seuil, 1989. Collection La Librairie Du Xxie Siècle Sous La Direction De Maurice Olender. Includes Bibliographical References. Arlette Farge’s Le Goût de l’archive is widely regarded as a historiographical classic. While combing through two-hundred-year-old judicial records from the Archives of the Bastille, historian Farge was struck by the extraordinarily intimate portrayal they provided of the lives of the poor in pre-Revolutionary France, especially women. She was seduced by the sensuality of old manuscripts and by the revelatory power of voices otherwise lost. In The Allure of the Archives, she conveys the exhilaration of uncovering hidden secrets and the thrill of venturing into new dimensions of the past.

Originally published in 1989, Farge’s classic work communicates the tactile, interpretive, and emotional experience of archival research while sharing astonishing details about life under the Old Regime in France. At once a practical guide to research methodology and an elegant literary reflection on the challenges of writing history, this uniquely rich volume demonstrates how surrendering to the archive’s allure can forever change how we understand the past.