THE CREATION OF THE PASTEUR INSTITUTE PASTEUR (Louis, 1822-1895, French chemist, developer of pasteurisation)

Fine Autograph Letter Signed “L. Pasteur”, in French with translation to Mister President acknowledging “receipt of the letter by which you and Mr. Vice-President of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique kindly inform me that a sum of 3.780,20 francs has been subscribed by the Company to contribute to the creation of the “Pasteur Institute”. On behalf of the Patronage Committee of this establishment and myself, I send you the expression of all our gratitude. The total subscription today amounts, in round figures, to the sum of 2.500.000 francs. Please accept, Mr. President, the assurance of my highest consideration...” with an autograph postcript that ”The Crédit Foncier de France, which concentrates all subscriptions, will send you a receipt for the sum of 3780,20 francs...”, 1 side 8vo., Paris, 23rd May

He was the director of the Pasteur Institute, established in 1887, until his death, and his body was interred in a vault beneath the institute. Although Pasteur made groundbreaking experiments, his reputation became associated with various controversies. Historical reassessment of his notebook revealed that he practiced deception to overcome his rivals. A French national hero at age 55, in 1878 Pasteur discreetly told his family to never reveal his laboratory notebooks to anyone. His family obeyed, and all his documents were held and inherited in secrecy. Finally, in 1964 Pasteur's grandson and last surviving male descendant, Pasteur Vallery-Radot, donated the papers to the French national library. Yet the papers were restricted for historical studies until the death of Vallery-Radot in 1971. In 1995, the centennial of the death of Pasteur, a historian of science Gerald L. Geison published an analysis of his private notebooks in his The Private Science of Louis Pasteur, and declared that Pasteur had given several misleading accounts and played deceptions in his most important discoveries. Max Perutz published a defense of Pasteur in The New York Review of Books. Based on further examinations of Pasteur's documents, French immunologist Patrice Debré concluded in his book Louis Pasteur (1998) that, in spite of his genius, Pasteur had some faults. A book review states that Debré "sometimes finds him unfair, combative, arrogant, unattractive in attitude, inflexible and even dogmatic".
Transcription
Paris le 23 mai 1888. Monsieur le Président,
Je m’empresse de vous accuser réception de la lettre par laquelle, vous et Monsieur le Vice-Président de la Compagnie Générale Transatlantique vous voulez bien m’informer qu’une somme de 3780,20 francs a été souscrite par les soins de la Compagnie pour contribuer à la création de l’"Institut Pasteur". Au nom du Comité de patronage de cet établissement et au mien, je vous adresse l’expression de toute notre gratitude. Le total de la souscription s’élève aujourd’hui, en chiffres ronds, à la somme de 2.500.000 francs. Veuillez agréer, Monsieur le Président, l’assurance de ma haute considération. L. Pasteur. Le Crédit Foncier de France, qui concentre toutes les souscriptions, vous fera parvenir un reçu à souche de la somme de 3780,20 fr.
Translation
Paris on May 23, 1888. Mister President,
I hasten to acknowledge receipt of the letter by which you and Mr. Vice-President of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique kindly inform me that a sum of 3.780,20 francs has been subscribed by the Company to contribute to the creation of the “Pasteur Institute”. On behalf of the Patronage Committee of this establishment and myself, I send you the expression of all our gratitude. The total subscription today amounts, in round figures, to the sum of 2.500.000 francs. Please accept, Mr. President, the assurance of my highest consideration. L. Pasteur. The Crédit Foncier de France, which concentrates all subscriptions, will send you a receipt for the sum of 3780,20 francs.

Item Date:  1888

Stock No:  42214      £1500

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