Louis Desgraves

Louis Paul Marie Desgraves is a librarian and French historian born the April 25th 1921 with Saint-Trojan-the-Baths (island of Oléron) and dead the January 31st 1999 with Bordeaux.

The librarian

After secondary studies with La Rochelle, Louis Desgraves between with the School of the charters, of which it leaves Archiviste paleographer in 1945 thanks to a thesis entitled the intendant Claude Boucher and the administration the general information of Bordeaux of 1720 to 1743 . It is named director of the Departmental records of the Lot-et-Garonne as of its exit in 1945. However, as of 1947, it joined the public library of Bordeaux where it carries out all its career of conservative. Following its predecessor Andre Masson, it modernizes the library largely and implements a development plan of the public reading. It creates a network of libraries of district, founds one of all the first libraries for children of France and makes come a new public by the organization from exposures sets of themes. It also tries to obtain its removal in new buildings, only means for it of fully fulfilling its missions within the city. This project does not come to anything but Louis Desgraves continuous to follow the file after its departure and obtains that a new building either built in the district of Mériadeck.

He is president of the Association of the librarians of France in 1969 - 1970.

Louis Desgraves becomes in 1970 general inspector of the libraries and the public reading. It acts for the recognition of the inheritance of the libraries by in particular writing a Report/ratio with Mister the Director of the book and reading on the inheritance of the libraries (1982) which had a certain influence. He takes advantage of his rights to the retirement in 1983.

The historian

Parallel to his activities of librarian and administrator, Louis Desgraves always undertook research activities. It belonged to learned society local like the Company of history of Bordeaux, the academy of Bordeaux or the national Academy of Sciences, Belles-lettres and Arts of Bordeaux and is also active on the level main road, inter alia within the Comité of historical and scientific work. Its work is organized around three axes: the bibliography, history of the book and the study of Montesquieu. Its bibliographical studies, relating primarily to the printed production of the Old Mode is, brought books of reference. They in particular contributed to a better knowledge of the provincial centers of edition, starting from studies devoted to a printer or in one period like Bibliographie of the works printed by Simon Millanges of 1572 in 1623 or the Books printed in Bordeaux at the 16th century . Essence lies however in 28 volumes which it gave to the bibliographical Répertoire printed books in France at the sixteenth century , published in Baden-Baden. Its studies of history of the book relate mainly to Bordeaux and the Aquitaine but not only since one finds beautiful studies like Éloi Gibier printer in Orleans (1536-1588) . Historian of the book, it takes a big part with the life of the Company of the bibliophiles of Guyenne, widening his audience and transforming the modest bulletin of the company into the French Revue of history of the book , of university level (1971).

Its work deals more particularly with Montesquieu: Louis Desgraves is the initiator of the conference of tercentenary (1989) and of that of the 250e birthday of Of the spirit of the laws (1998). He was one of the best specialists in the philosopher of Bordeaux, of which he published several texts, that he largely studied (in scientific articles or while taking part in conferences, at the Montesquieu Company…) and he wrote the biography.

He combines until fine work of librarian and historian by classifying the manuscripts of the dation of the countess of Chabannes in order to give in 1998 a Inventaire of the handwritten documents of the Montesquieu funds of the library of Bordeaux , facilitating with all the researchers the exploitation of his sources of first importance.

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