Scope and Contents
The Bettina Bergery Papers consist of 122 volumes of diaries, 1940-1980; a small amount of other autobiographical writings and writings about fashion design; correspondence with family and friends; scrapbooks, clippings, and other printed material relating to her interests in fashion, art, and politics; photographs and photograph albums relating to the Shaw Jones family, Bergery's friendships, and diplomatic travels with Gaston Bergery; biographical material, legal documents, and other personal papers; and a small amount of drawings, other visual materials, and objects. Most materials date from circa 1920s-1990s and concern Bergery's life in Paris, fashion design, and her social circle. Some materials relating to her childhood and family in the United States are also present. Research strengths include 20th-century French fashion design; 20th century European art, literature, and politics; and Gaston Bergery's diplomatic career in Vichy France.
Dates
- circa 1900-circa 1990
- Majority of material found within 1940 - 1980
Creator
Language of Materials
In French and English.
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
70-71 (Record album storage): Restricted fragile material. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
70-71 (Record album storage): Restricted fragile material. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Conditions Governing Use
The Bettina Bergery Papers is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Mary M. Thacher, 2002-2011.
Arrangement
Organized into four groupings: August 2002 Acquisition, August 2002 Acquisition Addition, March 2011 Acquisition, and Other Acquisitions.
Extent
25.43 Linear Feet ( (66 boxes) + 3 art, 2 record album storage)
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Overview
The Bettina Bergery Papers consist of 122 volumes of diaries, 1940-1980; a small amount of other autobiographical writings and writings about fashion design; correspondence with family and friends; scrapbooks, clippings, and other printed material relating to her interests in fashion, art, and politics; photographs and photograph albums relating to the Shaw Jones family, Bergery's friendships, travel in French Equatorial Africa, and diplomatic travels with Gaston Bergery; biographical material, legal documents, and other personal papers; and a small amount of drawings, other visual materials, and objects. Most materials date from circa 1920s-1990s and concern Bergery's life in Paris, fashion design, and her social circle. Some materials relating to her childhood and family in the United States are also present. Research strengths include 20th-century French fashion design; 20th-century European art, literature, and politics; and Gaston Bergery's diplomatic career in Vichy France.
Bettina Bergery (1902-1993)
Bettina Bergery was born Elisabeth Shaw Jones on July 20, 1902, in New York City. In 1927 she settled in Paris, where she worked for fashion designers Elsa Schiaparelli, Jeanne Lanvin, and Alix Grès. In 1934 she married Gaston Bergery (1892-1974), French lawyer and member of the Chambre des députés for Seine-et-Oise, Parti républicain radical et radical-socialiste, 1928-1934, and Parti frontiste, 1936-1942. During World War II, Bettina accompanied Gaston on his appointments as ambassador of Vichy France to the Soviet Union (1941) and Turkey (1941-1945). At the end of the war, they returned to France, where Gaston was tried and acquitted by the Haute Cour de justice. Bettina Bergery continued her involvement with fashion design. Her social circle included friendships with aristocrats, fashion designers, artists, and literary figures such as Natalie Barney, Mona von Bismarck, Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dali, Daisy Fellowes, Pope John XXIII, Alain de La Falaise, Marie Laure, Martha Gellhorn, and members of the Mdivani and von Papen families. Bettina Bergery died in Paris on August 14, 1993.
Processing Information
This collection consists of materials formerly classed as Uncat Mss 380, Uncat Mss 1061, Uncat Mss 1264, and Uncat Mss File. In 2012, the collection received a baseline level of processing, including partial rehousing and minimal organization. The collection was reclassed under one call number, materials were organized by acquisition, and containers were renumbered in a single sequence. Most folder titles were based on information provided by the donors, while some were assigned by Library staff. Most folder titles in the Correspondence and Photographs series were updated to conform with Library of Congress name authorities. Materials laid in diaries were removed and foldered separately as accompanying material for each diary, with page numbers of original locations noted within these folders. Folder titles in series other than Diaries were not verified against contents.
In 2013, letters from Bettina Bergery and Gaston Bergery to Violet Keppel Trefusis, formerly listed in Other Acquisitions, were moved to the John Nova Phillips Papers Relating to Violet Keppel Trefusis (Gen Mss 691).
In 2013, letters from Bettina Bergery and Gaston Bergery to Violet Keppel Trefusis, formerly listed in Other Acquisitions, were moved to the John Nova Phillips Papers Relating to Violet Keppel Trefusis (Gen Mss 691).
- Africa, French-speaking Equatorial
- Africa, French-speaking Equatorial -- Pictorial works
- Americans -- France -- Paris
- Art, French -- 20th Century
- Audiovisual materials -- France -- 20th Century
- Bergery, Bettina, 1902-1993
- Bergery, Gaston, 1892-1974
- Busts (figures) -- France -- 20th Century
- Cocteau, Jean, 1889-1963
- De Lamar, Alice
- Diaries -- France -- 20th Century
- Drawings (visual works) -- France -- 20th Century
- Fashion design -- France
- Fashion designers -- France
- Fashion designers -- France -- 20th Century
- France -- History -- German occupation, 1940-1945
- France -- Politics and government -- 1940-1945
- France -- Politics and government -- 1945-1958
- Front populaire
- Gellhorn, Martha, 1908-1998
- Grès, Alix, 1903-1993
- John, Pope, XXIII, 1881-1963
- La Falaise family
- La Falaise, Alain de
- La Falaise, Loulou de, 1948-2011
- Laure, Marie, 1902-1970
- Medals -- Italy -- 20th Century
- Oil paintings (visual works) -- France -- 20th Century
- Papen, Franz von, 1879-1969
- Paris (France) -- Intellectual life -- 20th Century
- Paris (France) -- Social life and customs -- 20th Century
- Parti républicain radical et radical-socialiste (France)
- Phonograph records -- France -- 20th Century
- Photograph albums -- France -- 20th Century
- Photographs -- France -- 20th Century
- Schiaparelli, Elsa, 1890-1973
- Scrapbooks -- France -- 20th Century
- Soviet Union -- Pictorial works
- Turkey -- Pictorial works
- Vichy (France) -- Politics and government
- World War, 1939-1945 -- France
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Soviet Union
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Turkey
- Title
- Guide to the Bettina Bergery Papers
- Status
- Under Revision
- Author
- by Karen Spicher
- Date
- July2012
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.