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YANN DE PIERREFEU : 1923 THROUGH 1943 BRILLIANT ARCHIVE OF 18 MANUSCRIPT DIARIES HANDWRITTEN BY AN EXTRAORDINARY HARVARD DROP OUT, PHOTOGRAPHER, HISTORIAN, FUTURIST, FOLLOWER OF L. FRANK BAUM'S WIZARD OF OZ AND AN UNPARALLELED SCHEMER AND SOCIAL CLIMBER

8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. This is one of the most interesting archives of handwritten diaries and out of the ordinary authors we have encountered in quite some time if not ever. The diaries of which there are 18 cover the years 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1930, 1930, 1930 thru 1934, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1936, 1935 thru 1939, 1939, 1940 - 1941, 1940, 1941, 1942 and 1943. [We must note that this is the second group of books we have discovered - in the past we had a smaller group which was sold.] Handwritten by the fascinating, obsessive Yann De Pierrefeu from the time he was attending Harvard University and then after he dropped out of Harvard University. Yann was born in 1905 in France. His father was Count Alain De Pierrefeu who in 1915 was tragically killed working in a Red Cross ambulance in WWI France. His mother, Elsa Tudor of Boston and Hancock New Hampshire was the grand daughter of Frederic Tudor, The Ice King from Boston. He graduated from the Groton School in Groton, Massachusetts in 1926. He attended but did not graduate from Harvard University complaining of too much work and not enough time for 'human relationships'. Yann writes floridly for the most part and perfectly legibly but it is impossible to describe the temper and the volume of his output. He covers every inch of the books writing space only occasionally allowing himself a blank section to highlight his current amour's name. Besides this incredible output of writings and what makes these diaries so out of the ordinary is that Yann is one of those rare men that pours his heart, soul and mind on to the paper. Typically each book is a confessional to his affairs of the heart, a dream journal, ideas book, an analysis of current events and their roots in history, a discussion of the lands of Oz and quite frankly the inner look at the soul of a man that is intelligent if not brilliant, artistic yet flawed and disturbed especially when he claims his 'beast' is being awakened or aroused. He is also fascinated by his needs and desires to marry and even when he is married he continues to discuss the women, past and present and his feelings. Simply incredible. He is an artist and creative person at the core and his depth of emotion is evident and not always admirable. From recitations of dreams to the enormous battle he fights within himself between the Taintor sisters - Charlotte and Ellen - he desires [and then later a girl named Margaret!]. The problem is he cannot decide and one day to the next he professes his love or his distaste and then the next day he switches - but he is not a dilettante; he truly has his preferences and feelings and yet they are roller coasters. He is 22 and hates his weaknesses and tries to control himself. In the end he married Ellen Hemenway Taintor of Beacon Hill, Boston and Barberry Hill, Topsfield, Massachusetts. Ellen and Yann had one son, Alain in 1931. During the 1930s they lived on Argilla Rd. in Ipswich and during the 1940s in Rowley, Massachusetts. Yann never really worked for a living rather living off inheritances and his wife's family trust fund. He also seriously dabbled in photography and the stock market [seemingly he did quite well as the list of stocks and dividends in the 1936 book - the height of the depression - are quite impressive]. At an early age he was heavily influenced by L. Frank Baum's OZ writings and lived most of his life embracing these principals. Yann in his way was a pioneer of 'virtual reality'. He traveled quite frequently and his travel writings are also from a unique perspective. He spent his days traveling around Boston, the north shore of Boston and New England taking photos of whatever interested him. He considered himself a photographer, historian and writer but he was also a futurist describing his beliefs for the future sometimes 100 years in the future. He had a keen interest in pre WWII European events and wrote extensively about them. He ate most of his meals at Boston restaurants such as the Ritz, Locke - Ober, Cafe' Rouge and North Shore restaurants such as the Hart House in Ipswich and the White Gull in Gloucester. Yann mentions many meetings at the Algonquin and it is one of his main hangouts. His diaries reflect his many interests - it is impossible to catalogue all the threads of these writings [we estimate that 1936 must have over 100,000 words alone]. Here are some snippets from 1927: Jan. 3 "Harvard is not all that I thought it was - too much work - too little time for human relationships" Feb. 15 " I love Charlotte, I realize now what a fool I've been" March 3 "Charlotte has beautiful hands - so different from Ellen's mannish hands" April 16 "This great business of the subconscious mind is something which I can't explain" May 21 "sunlight on the trees outside of German class" Oct 14 "There is more science coming into the government of Oz" Dec. 24 " Thinking of sex and Ellen when I woke up this morning". In 1928 he writes about working for the Bangor & Aroostook Railroad in Madawaska and Mars Hill, Maine for about five months. He writes about his trips in and around New England, the Adirondacks and Arizona. His love for Ellen, Charlotte and Margaret! and much, much writing about OZ. Jan. 6 " Dreamed of Ellen last night and that sex" Feb. 8 " Dunphy coming in and giving me a bawling out for not helping him out in the freight shed" Feb. 19 "I think of Charlotte, think she likes me better than she pretends " Feb. 22 " The freight was late out today and the inspection train did not come " March 12 "Fat girl with the neat silk stockings". June 16, 1936 "Magnificent feelings all today, it is the John Bull feeling, England in 1820, country squires, hunting clubs, color and hunting costumes of the time, taverners, jolly songs, drinking, green coats, yellow vests, a feeling of prosperity and the green countryside, newly come after the Napoleonic Wars, merchants doing well in the city, gay lasses, pretty maids, fine frocks and frills, the aristocratic boys from Eton and Harrow, important parents (in modern times it would be bankers and brokers); what a wonderful effect the colonists have!" Sept 7 "Idea: It would seem that Communism is the coming idea; in 1930 people began for the first time to discuss widely the end of Capitalism and the possibilities of Communism, which they now begin to take seriously; in 1830 it would seem Capitalism replaced Democracy and yet now it is Democracy that people are trying to save; in 2030 people will probably be trying to save Capitalism and some new philosophy will have come to replace Communism which people will be trying to save in 2130; it seems to me that Democracy replaced Aristocracy in 1730 and that Aristocracy replaced Protestantism in 1630; in 1530 Protestantism replaced Catholicism; and in 1430 Catholicism replaced Mohammedism which invaded Europe in 1330.." Dec. 6 "[regarding the Hemenway family] I started as a stranger, a mere nobody, just another acquaintance and now I dominate the field; my influence is everywhere, is felt everywhere; first I won over Tonk; then I won over Mrs. T. and then my big fight come with Mr. Taintor (1929); he refused to give in, so I drove him out of the picture; finally he came back humbled…". Manuscript. Book Condition: Good+

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