Alfred Franklin (historian)

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Alfred Franklin
BornAlfred Louis Auguste Poux
(1830-12-16)16 December 1830
Versailles, Yvelines
Died10 July 1917(1917-07-10) (aged 86)
Viroflay
Pen nameAlfred Franklin; Alfred Mantien
OccupationLibrarian, historian, bibliographer, and author
Notable worksLa Vie privée d'autrefois
(1887–1900)[1]

Alfred Louis Auguste Poux, better known by his pen name Alfred Franklin, (1830–1917) was a French librarian, historian, and writer.

Biography[edit]

After education at the collège Bourbon in Paris, Franklin began his literary career by writing feuilletons and theatrical reviews for the popular press. In 1856 he published a political pamphlet L'Intervention à Naples : le règne de Ferdinand II, related to the political turmoil during the reign of Ferdinand II.[2]

In 1856 Franklin gained employment in a supernumerary position at the Bibliothèque Mazarine and was promoted there to librarian, to assistant director in 1879, and to director in 1885 upon the death of Frédéric Baudry, who had been the director from 1874 to 1885. Franklin held the directorship until his retirement in 1906.[1] He contributed articles to many journals, including Bulletin du bouquiniste, Bulletin du bibliophile, Bibliophile illustré, Nouvelle biographie générale, Paris à travers les âges, and L’Intermédiaire des chercheurs et curieux.[2]

As a bibliographer and historian, he wrote many works, specializing in the history of Paris. Notably, from 1887 to 1902 he published Vie privée d'autrefois in 27 small volumes and Histoire des bibliothèques parisiennes in 3 volumes. In 1875 Alfred Franklin published two works of fiction: an historical novel Ameline du Bourg and an alternate history novella Les Ruines de Paris en 4875.[3] He also published Mœurs et coutumes des Parisiens en 1882 under the pen name Alfred Mantien.[1]

Alfred Franklin, a nephew of Pastor Montaudon, was, from 1865 to 1903, the treasurer of the Société d'histoire du protestantisme français. On 9 February 1876 he was awarded the Légion d’honneur for his work on the history of Paris.[2] His last book was published in 1914.[4] He was survived by his widow.[5]

Selected publications[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Bulletin du bibliophile". 1917: 377–378. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de biographie contemporaine française et étrangère. A. Levy. 1886. p. 221.
  3. ^ Franklin,LAlfred (1875). Les ruines de Paris en 4875. Flammarion.
  4. ^ "Nécrologie. M. Alfred Franklin". Bulletin de la Société d'histoire du protestantisme français: 272. 1917.
  5. ^ "17 julliet 1917". Bulletin de la Société d'histoire du protestantisme français: 339. 1917.