Pictured here are pressed flowers and a letter from 1933 that I am transcribing for Margot Irvine as part of her research on Judith Cladel, a lesser known French author, playwright, and art historian who lived from 1873-1958. Much of Cladel's life is documented in letters, like the one depicted here, that were exchanged between her and her siblings in the first half of the 20th century. The letters were donated to Prof. Irvine this summer by descendants of the Cladel family and will be important sources in the biography of Judith Cladel that she is preparing. My role as a research assistant in the experiential learning course FREN*3700 has been to transcribe the letters and, where possible, to identify proper names and places that the authors refer to. Working with these precious letters has ignited a new passion for archival research in me that will stay with me for the rest of my life! I am so proud to be a part of this work and I can't wait to read the biography!
