47 - MERMOZ, Jean

MERMOZ, Jean 16 letters “Jean” (2 “JMermoz”), Hirson, February–July 1914, to his “dear mother,” in Paris and Mézières; 49 pages in various formats (in-8, in-12, and in-16), 2 with a vignette from the Hirson (Aisne) Upper Elementary School, 4 envelopes (some imperfections; the last one is very faded). Letters from the young boarding student. He is a boarding student at the Hirson Upper Elementary School and describes his daily life: the cold, punishments, corporal punishment, the food, games (soccer), recess, dirty laundry (he’s run out of collars), vaccinations, classes, his grades... He’s struggling with geography: “We’re learning the departments. We have at least two pages to learn almost by heart. […] The problem is, I can’t remember them” (February 14)… His report card (which he copied) was average, but he reacted: “You know I have a lot of pride. I was ashamed of myself. I got back to work. I got good grades” (March 8). His father is coming to visit him, and he’ll be going out on the town: “Tomorrow there’s going to be an airplane race, and one of them is going to land. There’ll also be a car race” (March 14). “I’m first in spelling and I’m good at math problems” (March 22). He doesn’t want to go to Reims: “We’ll just be visiting the same places again—the Pommery cellars and the cathedral”; he’d rather save his money for the end-of-year trip (June 2). He works hard, and in June he takes the exam: “I came in 3rd or 4th in the canton with 51 out of 72 or 54—I don’t remember exactly. I didn’t get the honors mention—do you know why? Because I’d drawn shadows in my drawing. It was a candlestick. It’s funny, a drawing without shadows”… (June 18). He’s studying for the exam and will go to the movies that evening (June 25)… Etc. Source: - Jean Mermoz (1901–1936); - Gabrielle Gillet-Mermoz (1880–1955); - Then passed down through the family