OUR HISTORY
The history of the Société de Lecture is closely linked to that of the individuals who shaped its destiny, the books in its collection, and the historic Geneva townhouse it calls home.
This handsome ‘hôtel particulier’ in the style of Louis XV had a long and turbulent history at the time that the Société de Lecture took possession, in 1818. The building that preceded it had been the site of a fierce rivalry over a chapel, in which the Sun-King had played a central role. More than a century later, Napoleon III briefly graced the Société with his presence. If these walls could talk, the stories they would tell…
1818
The Society de Lecture is founded by three close friends: Augustin-Pyramus de Candolle, Marc-Auguste Pictet and Henri Boissier. ‘Several friends...
The Society de Lecture is founded by three close friends: Augustin-Pyramus de Candolle, Marc-Auguste Pictet and Henri Boissier.
‘Several friends of learning joined us,’ Candolle wrote in his Memoirs, ‘and eventually twelve people came forward to found the institution.’ These scholars and intellectuals are: Pierre Prévost, Gaspard De la Rive, Nicolas-Théodore de Saussure, Jean-Gabriel Eynard, Etienne Dumont, Jean-Marc-Jules Pictet-Diodati, Jacob Duval, François Duval, Guillaume Fatio, Guillaume Favre and William Saladin de Crans.
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‘Several friends of learning joined us,’ Candolle wrote in his Memoirs, ‘and eventually twelve people came forward to found the institution.’ These scholars and intellectuals are: Pierre Prévost, Gaspard De la Rive, Nicolas-Théodore de Saussure, Jean-Gabriel Eynard, Etienne Dumont, Jean-Marc-Jules Pictet-Diodati, Jacob Duval, François Duval, Guillaume Fatio, Guillaume Favre and William Saladin de Crans.
1820
The kernel of the library is formed from books donated by members. By 1820, the Société boasts a collection of...
The kernel of the library is formed from books donated by members. By 1820, the Société boasts a collection of 5,800 volumes. Just four years later, the collection has doubled in size.
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1822
Colonel Dufour, the future general and hero of the War of the Sonderbund, deplores the theft of a favourite blue...
Colonel Dufour, the future general and hero of the War of the Sonderbund, deplores the theft of a favourite blue coat from the Grand’Rue. This incident reveals an unfortunate state of affairs: the Société and its members are plagued by incidents of petty larceny, defaced books, and antisocial actions.
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1835
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, later Napoleon III, meets Count Camille de Cavour, the future architect of Italian unity, at the Grand’Rue. Membership...
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, later Napoleon III, meets Count Camille de Cavour, the future architect of Italian unity, at the Grand’Rue. Membership grows to more than 400 between 1830 and 1833, an increase both unprecedented and unparalled for the next 40 years.
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1841
After withdrawing from the Société for several years, James Fazy asks to be readmitted. This sparks a furious debate, with...
After withdrawing from the Société for several years, James Fazy asks to be readmitted. This sparks a furious debate, with three old members threatening to resign if he is readmitted and three others threatening the same if he is not! Three years later, James Fazy requests a reader’s card for a friend. He is is refused. Why? Because Fazy, through a Geneva state councillor, has not paid his dues and is therefore considered to have resigned.
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1845
Novels make their first appearance in the collection. They do so in foreign guise, however – in the form of...
Novels make their first appearance in the collection. They do so in foreign guise, however – in the form of historical novels, mostly translated from the English. Readers are so enamoured with the works of Walter Scott that the library must purchase duplicate copies. In 1850, a novel by Dickens is allowed in, and in 1871, when a broad-minded member proposes to donate the works of Balzac, his offer is not refused.
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1851
A new generation takes over leadership of the Société. Their interests gravitate towards history and literature, and the exact sciences...
A new generation takes over leadership of the Société. Their interests gravitate towards history and literature, and the exact sciences lose ground to the humanities in the collection.
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1862
Henry Dunant donates a copy of his Souvenir de Solférino. The Société makes its premises available to the delegates attending...
Henry Dunant donates a copy of his Souvenir de Solférino. The Société makes its premises available to the delegates attending the international conference of 1863 that leads to the founding of the Red Cross, and again the following year, during the Geneva Convention.
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1888
A minor revolution takes place when the Société admits its first female members. However, only widows, spinster sisters and unmarried...
A minor revolution takes place when the Société admits its first female members. However, only widows, spinster sisters and unmarried adult daughters of deceased members may initially enjoy this privilege. Moreover, they are not full members but rather ‘lady subscribers’
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1904
On December 12th, Lenin applies to become a member, sponsored by Paul Birukoff, a fellow Russian émigré, and Armand Dussaux,...
On December 12th, Lenin applies to become a member, sponsored by Paul Birukoff, a fellow Russian émigré, and Armand Dussaux, an engineer. According to his wife, Nadezhda Krupskaya, ‘Vladimir Ilyich joined the Société de Lecture; it is a comfortable place to work, with quantities of books, magazines and newspapers in French, German and English at one’s disposal. The Société de Lecture was generally empty, frequented only by a few elderly professors, and Vladimir Ilyich was often alone in one of the rooms.’
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1913
Of its own initiative, the Committee proposes converting the chess room into a smoking room, believing that ‘sooner or later,...
Of its own initiative, the Committee proposes converting the chess room into a smoking room, believing that ‘sooner or later, cigarettes will have right of abode among us.’
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1916
Twelve women, including seven ‘lady subscribers’, address a petition to the president of the Société asking for it to ‘admit...
Twelve women, including seven ‘lady subscribers’, address a petition to the president of the Société asking for it to ‘admit female members... on the same footing and with the same dues as male members’. The instigator of the petition is Emilie Gourd, a prominent Geneva suffragette and feminist. Their request is rejected by 100 votes to 19.
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1918
A general strike brings Switzerland to a halt. The Société is compelled to emerge from the shadows and take a...
A general strike brings Switzerland to a halt. The Société is compelled to emerge from the shadows and take a stand, joining ‘the seventy societies that, at the time of the general strike, banded together to form the Committee of National Defence’ – one of several patriotic movements formed to preempt the ‘Bolshevisation’ of the country, which the middle classes at the time viewed as a serious threat.
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1919
The Société celebrates its centenary in January with an elegant reception for 400 guests of both sexes, held in the...
The Société celebrates its centenary in January with an elegant reception for 400 guests of both sexes, held in the former French resident’s townhouse. The party goes off without a hitch: breaking with tradition, cake and tea are served in the Salle de la Sphère, while the faithful Monsieur Blanchut passes among the guests offering cigars and cigarettes. Only ten ladies sign up to attend.
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1931
The Société's annual report laconically notes that mystery novels are especially popular with members: ‘A survey shows that the books...
The Société's annual report laconically notes that mystery novels are especially popular with members: ‘A survey shows that the books most checked out are the incredible adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Arsène Lupine and their successors.’
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1940
Timeo hominem unius libri: ‘I fear the man of a single book’. As deadly dictatorships are on the rise, this...
Timeo hominem unius libri: ‘I fear the man of a single book’. As deadly dictatorships are on the rise, this new Latin motto is inscribed on the walls of the grand staircase, alongside the Société’s existing maxim, Litteris fovendis. These words of Thomas Aquinas are particularly resonant at a time when one man and his book are planning horrific massacres in Eastern Europe.
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1953
After several attempts, women are finally admitted as full members, regardless of their marital status.
After several attempts, women are finally admitted as full members, regardless of their marital status.
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1970
‘For things to stay as they are, things will have to change,’ says Tancredi in The Leopard. The Committee understands...
‘For things to stay as they are, things will have to change,’ says Tancredi in The Leopard. The Committee understands that this is the rule it must follow to ensure the institution's survival. Circulation has fallen, but new books are in high demand. This change coincides with the widespread availability of paperbacks and television.
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1975
The Société publishes its first monthly newsletter informing members of recent acquisitions. From now on, Plume au Vent offers members...
The Société publishes its first monthly newsletter informing members of recent acquisitions. From now on, Plume au Vent offers members a monthly selection of the best new books, reviewed by the Société.
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1976
The Société organises its first ‘lunchtime discussions’ on the model of the popular French TV show ‘Apostrophes’, hosted by Bernard...
The Société organises its first ‘lunchtime discussions’ on the model of the popular French TV show ‘Apostrophes’, hosted by Bernard Pivot. The inaugural speaker is the famous Nouveau Roman author Michel Butor.
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1977
Pierre Chevrot, a committee member and high school principal, brings groups of students to visit the former French resident’s townhouse...
Pierre Chevrot, a committee member and high school principal, brings groups of students to visit the former French resident’s townhouse and explore its hidden treasures. Several of these young visitors later become active members of the Société. Meanwhile, a photocopier is installed on the second floor to meet the students’ needs and entice them to linger in the library.
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1980
As real-estate prices soar in Geneva, the Société is forced to face reality: the beautiful 18th-century townhouse it calls home...
As real-estate prices soar in Geneva, the Société is forced to face reality: the beautiful 18th-century townhouse it calls home is falling into disrepair. Ensuring the survival of the Société and its premises will require an ambitious programme of renovations over the final two decades of the century.
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1998
The company that owns the Grand’Rue townhouse is liquidated, and the newly formed Société de Lecture Foundation becomes its official...
The company that owns the Grand’Rue townhouse is liquidated, and the newly formed Société de Lecture Foundation becomes its official proprietor. Thanks to the valiant efforts of several successive Boards, the Société de Lecture is able to remain in its historical home.
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2001
Delphine de Candolle joins the Société as director, guiding it safely into the 21st century.
Delphine de Candolle joins the Société as director, guiding it safely into the 21st century.
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2018
The 1,500 members of the Société de Lecture celebrate its bicentenary.
The 1,500 members of the Société de Lecture celebrate its bicentenary.
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2020
2021
2021
2023
