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Le Lièvre (Barbara D. Loughman) Diary
SC.BDL
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Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives
Title: Barbara D. Loughman Le Lièvre Diary
Creator:
Le Lièvre, Barbara D. Loughman, 1918-
Identifier/Call Number: SC.BDL
Extent:
0.20 linear feet
Date: 1945
Abstract: Barbara Le Lièvre kept a diary while
living in Washington D.C. and Paris, France in 1945, during the final days of World War II.
Early entries in the diary highlight Le Lièvre's daily activities in Washington D.C. and New
York, including her attendance with her husband, Lucien, at a formal reception at the French
Embassy in Washington where she met the new French ambassador to the U.S. She often refers
to world events in her entries, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt's death and VJ
Day, about which she wrote on August 16, "V-J Day--official holiday, Japan has
surrendered!!" She and her husband sailed for France aboard a ship she describes as "a dingy
troop transport," and arrived in Paris by way of Marseille on August 30. She writes that she
feels "horror at the sight of Paris" as it rebuilds following the war, but over her time
there gradually makes friends, finds a place to live with Lucien, attends dinners and
fashion shows, visits museums and other tourist sites like Notre Dame and the Trocadéro, and
rides her bicycle or walks through the Bois de Boulogne. Entries are fairly consistent, but
end upon her return to the United States in December 1945.
Language of Material: English,
French
Barbara Davenport Loughman was born on December 31, 1918 in Essex, Massachusetts to parents
Edward and Elizabeth (neé Sufkin). Following graduation from high school in 1937, Barbara
attended Mount Saint Mary's College in New York, and then transferred to Radcliffe College,
where she graduated with a degree in English in 1941. While attending Radcliffe College, she
met Lucien Le Lièvre, a French lawyer studying law at Harvard University. The couple married
on March 10, 1943 in New York. Lucien graduated from Harvard later that year, and in 1944
began work as Associate General Council for the French Supply Council in Washington, D.C. In
1945, he and Barbara spent most of the year living in Paris, returning to the US in
November. In 1946, Lucien was admitted to the New York and Massachusetts bar. Barbara was a
homemaker and socialite, and worked with a number of charities, including the New York
Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Edgartown Boys Club, and other social service
organizations.
In 1945, as World War II concluded, Barbara Le Lièvre kept a diary while living in
Washington D.C. and Paris, France with her husband, Lucien, who was an attorney. The diary's
early pages are filled with doodles, notes, and practice signatures, and has a filled-out
"Important Phone Numbers" section. Early entries in the diary highlight Le Lièvre's daily
activities in Washington D.C. and New York. These include her attendance with her husband,
at numerous cocktail and other parties, especially a formal reception at the French Embassy
in Washington where she met the new French ambassador to the U.S. She typically stays at the
Ritz when visiting New York, and frequently goes to the movies to see films like Experiment
Perilous, The Thin Man, The Great Dictator, and others. Other activities include visiting
with her sister Betty to discuss Betty's wedding and unhappy marriage, seeing the Ballet
Russe, visiting Potomac Falls, picnicking at the Potomac River, and taking weekend trips to
Anapolis. She often refers to world events in her entries, including President Franklin D.
Roosevelt's death and VJ Day, about which she wrote on August 16, "V-J Day--official
holiday, Japan has surrendered!!" She and her husband sailed for France aboard a ship she
describes as "a dingy troop transport," and arrived in Paris by way of Marseille on August
30. She writes that she feels "horror at the sight of Paris" as it rebuilds following the
war, but over her time there gradually makes friends, finds a place to live, attends dinners
and fashion shows, visits museums and other tourist sites like Notre Dame and the Trocadéro,
and rides her bicycle or walks through the Bois de Boulogne. Entries are fairly consistent,
but end upon her return to the United States in December 1945.
Other Information:
This collection was purchased with funds generously donated by Gus and Erika Manders.
The collection is open for research use.
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of
this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge.
Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials
protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires
the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be
commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any
use rests exclusively with the user.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchase, 09/22/2017.
For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style
manual, or see the
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guide.
Special Collections and Archives Staff, 2017
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Ephemera
Documents