Contexte...
The Balzac Museum's ancient collection includes three copies of Le Lys dans la vallée: an original corrected proof of the first chapter, an original edition in two volumes published by Werdet and a copy of an ordinary posthumous edition by Calmann-Lévy.
In 2002, the Conseil général purchased the Samuelli's collection, an exceptional collection made of six hundred bound volumes that includes a few copies of Le Lys dans la vallée. In June 2006, the Conseil general d'Indre-et-Loire purchased the superb set of corrected proofs of the entire text of Le Lys dans la vallée.
These recent purchases were the driving force behind the creation at Saché of a documentation centre dedicated to Balzac, providing the Balzac museum with a new stimulus. The digitalised works can now be consulted and studied by researchers, students and Balzac specialists.

The library /reading room
The reorganisation of the library will allow a reading room to be created specifically for the Samuelli collection and these new purchases. The prints and corrected proofs already held by the museum will also be brought together in this reading room, thus providing researchers with access at Saché to a good part of the documents needed to study the novel in depth.

 

The library already has the original edition which includes the historical record of the proceedings (classification marks FB/83/1 and FB/83/2) and the 1835 and 1836 editions of La Revue de Paris (classification marks FB/286/2 and FB/286/2). The 1836 edition of La Revue de Paris contains the 'End of a story that should not end, letter to a woman who is under thirty years old' – a malicious but witty summary of the end of the novel, signed by 'Pickersghill junior'. Emphasis will be particularly put on preventive measures for the preservation of the proofs through air conditioning, strict control of the hygrometry, adapted light and so on.

An exhibition room
will house temporary exhibitions.
There will also be a hospitality room for visitors.