Hauteville House and the Hugo family/Hauteville House et les Hugo

The Priaulx Library's summer exhibition 2018 is an eclectic mix of images and material giving a glimpse of life at Hauteville House, Victor Hugo's residence in exile from 1856 to 1870 and to which he returned several times in the following ten years. In collaboration with Maisons de Victor Hugo Paris/Guernesey, who have kindly supplied some of the images, the exhibition will feature information about the House itself, life with Hugo, Hugo's children and grandchildren and their relationship with Guernsey. On display in the garden will be large-format images of Hugo's wife, his two sons and his daughter, Juliette Drouet and her own wonderful house in Hauteville, stills from the filming of Truffaut's Adèle H, vintage photographs of the interior and outside of the house, paintings, and views of Guernsey from Hugo's time. Images are from the Library's own collection and from Maisons de Victor Hugo Paris/Guernesey. The captions are for the first time at the Library in English and French (translations into French provided by the team at Hauteville House). The garden display is free to access and is open during the opening hours of Candie Gardens.

Inside the Library, to which entrance is also free, our beautiful permanent book collection is joined by more images and displays of material about Hugo and Hauteville House, including books from Hugo's own library, a letter from Adèle Hugo (a recent donation to the Library), Jeanne Hugo, Georges Victor-Hugo, the explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot, Tapner and John Brown, ephemera from the inauguration of the famous statue in Candie Gardens, and books illustrated by Hugo's great-grandson Jean, a very talented artist who moved in the highest artistic circles and who attended Elizabeth College in Guernsey. There will be some text in French. The interior Exhibition will be on view from 9.30 till 5.00 Monday-Saturday (except Fridays when the Library opens at 10.00 am.)

The Priaulx Library would like to extend its warmest thanks to Ravenscroft for sponsoring this exhibition and for their continued unfailing support for the Library and its local studies and rare books collections.