Description
LOTI (Pierre).
Diary. 1878–1881. [1882–1885.]
Paris: Calmann-Lévy, 1925–1929. — 2 volumes, in-8, 205 × 205 and 190 × 203: (2 ff.), 282 pp., (1 blank folio), printed cover; 197 pp., (1 blank folio), printed cover. Paperback.
First commercial edition, published by Samuel Viaud, the author’s son.
Pierre Loti maintained close ties with Africa, chiefly through his travels as a naval officer and his literary works inspired by these journeys. In his *Journal intime*, he reflects on Africa through two formative experiences. Firstly, he reflects on his stay in Senegal (1873–1874), where his journeys back and forth between Saint-Louis and Dakar aboard the Pétrel left a deep impression on his imagination, later inspiring his novel *Le Roman d’un spahi* (1881). His notebooks are full of descriptions of colonial landscapes, encounters with local people, and reflections on the atmosphere of West Africa. Secondly, his stopovers in Algeria (1880–1881) feature prominently in the second volume. On board the *Friedland*, he spent time in Algiers and Bône, recording in his journal his impressions as a traveller, the customs of North African ports, and his emotions at encountering these exotic lands.
One of 75 numbered copies printed on Japanese imperial paper (no. 11).
Spine slightly faded. Minor, insignificant tears to the covers. The spine of the second volume’s cover has come away from the body of the book.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale
Claude Mozis Library – Black Africa and the African diaspora
Auction location
Auction time
10/21/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like