ANNA TIMORA
Anna Timora / The documented archive

Marcel Proust

Novelist

Portrait of Marcel Proust, 1895, by Otto Wegener
Marcel Proust, photographed by Otto Wegener, 1895, Wikimedia Commons; historical photograph · Image record ↗

Marcel Proust belongs to the literary world around Natalie, though a shared milieu is not proof of a particular encounter. His presence here requires attention to the actual evidence for each connection.

FROM THE ARCHIVE / RESEARCH & SOURCES

Beyond the introduction

The connection in correspondence

Marcel Proust (1871–1922) belongs to the literary history of Natalie Clifford Barney, but he must not be reduced to a salon guest in a list of famous names. The Bibliothèque littéraire Jacques Doucet catalogs Proust letters to Barney and a draft response among her papers. Studying the dates and texts can clarify the nature of their contact rather than assuming intimacy from association.

The manuscripts

The Barney finding aid describes seven signed letters and related material, with a draft reply by Barney. The collection is subject to access and reproduction restrictions, so this profile links to the archival record rather than displaying undocumented reproductions.

Sources

Research library and collection guide ↗

Novelist / 1871–1922

+ Add a connection or correction ↗

Connections in the archive

  • Natalie Clifford Barney — literary. An archival inventory indexes correspondence between Natalie Clifford Barney and Marcel Proust; the manuscripts must be read before stronger claims about personal intimacy or discussions can be made. Evidence: Research lead / not yet verified Source 1 ↗ Source 2 ↗ 6 archival assertions consolidated for display
  • Winnaretta Singer, Princess de Polignac — social. Friendship or salon association [Before 1939; date pending] Evidence: Research lead / not yet verified Source 1 ↗ 4 archival assertions consolidated for display

SOURCE TRAILS

For Further Research

Institutional collections and reference records connected to this life. Collection descriptions are not substitutes for reading the individual documents.

Library of Congress · EN · Institutional research guide

Natalie Clifford Barney — Library of Congress guide

Biography, Sappho, salon and intellectual circles; a guide to related sources.

Explore this collection
Bibliothèque littéraire Jacques Doucet · FR · Collection finding aid

Natalie Clifford Barney Papers — French archival inventory

Manuscript and correspondence inventory; individual documents are not transcribed in this catalog.

NCB manuscript and correspondence series

Explore this collection
Bibliothèque littéraire Jacques Doucet · FR · Archival finding aid

Proust and Barney — correspondence inventory

Natalie Barney archival inventory reportedly indexes Proust correspondence. Verify specific shelfmarks before quotation.

NCB C 1581–1588: cross-check catalog

Explore this collection

Open the institutional or reference source ↗

Explore the sources above to distinguish historical records from the novelist’s fictional interpretation.

Explore the constellation ↗ · The Natalie novels ↗