Fonds
Léontine Poutré (1884-1957) grew up in Chambly, where her parents ran a small hotel, and was educated by the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre-Dame. Joseph Hercule Martin (1892-1982), from Montreal, worked as a typesetter for the newspaper La Presse.
After spending an hour with her at the home of friends in Chambly in the fall of 1924, Hercule Martin asked Léontine Poutré if she would agree to correspond with him. She hastened to answer in the affirmative: "My dear sir, I shall read and reread your letters with pleasure." This relationship was initiated when Hercule was 32 years old and Léontine, the older of two, had recently turned 40. Their correspondence, which began with weekly letters and evolved into nearly daily missives, lasted for over a year and ended with their wedding. They had one daughter, Françoise Martin (1927-1999), who did not have any children.
Scope and Content
This fonds documents the correspondence between Léontine Poutré (age 40) and Hercule Martin (age 32), between 1924 and 1926. This extensive collection is an important historic record of the everyday lives and customs of Quebecers living in the 1920s. These love letters reveal the social climate of the time through courtship conventions, how routines in the city and differed from those in the country, the lives of single people, their daily activities, hopes and fears. Keenly interested in reading, the theatre and hockey, Hercule Martin sprinkles his letters with details about Montreal culture and sports. The correspondence also illustrates how love grew between the two writers, albeit subtly and reservedly, in accordance with the values of Quebec's conservative religious society.
The couple writes beautifully and Léontine's stationery is adorned with various motifs. The particular value of this fonds is that the correspondence is complete, from the couple's first meeting to their wedding. There are also rough drafts of Léontine's letters, where she lets herself indulge in more daydreaming and romance.
Furthermore, there are collections of notes on reading and poetry written by the two sweethearts long before they met, which helps us get to know them better. There are various legal documents, like baptismal, marriage and death certificates for the Martin family (Joseph Hercule, Léontine and their daughter Françoise), as well as several other genealogical documents.
Photographs of Léontine Poutré and Hercule Martin complete the fonds. They depict the two of them during the time of their correspondence as well as much later in life. For example, there is a memorial card for Léontine and a portrait of widower Hercule in a bateau-mouche on the Seine.
The fonds is divided into the following series and files:
P748/A
Correspondence;
P748/B Collections of Notes and Poetry;
P748/C Legal Documents;
P748/D Genealogical Notes;
P748/E Photographs.
Classification Scheme
P748
Léontine Poutré and Hercule Martin
P748/A Correspondence
P748/A,1 Correspondence - November 1924
P748/A,2 Correspondence - December 1924
P748/A,3 Correspondence - January 1925
P748/A,4 Correspondence - February 1925
P748/A,5 Correspondence - March 1925
P748/A,6 Correspondence - April 1925
P748/A,7 Correspondence - May 1925
P748/A,8 Correspondence - June 1925
P748/A,9 Correspondence - July 1925
P748/A,10 Correspondence - August 1925
P748/A,11 Correspondence - September 1925
P748/A,12 Correspondence - October 1925
P748/A,13 Correspondence - November 1925
P748/A,14 Correspondence - December 1925
P748/A,15 Correspondence - January 1926
P748/A,16 Correspondence - August 1926
P748/A,17 Correspondence - May 1927
P748/A,18 Correspondence - July 1948
P748/B Collections of Notes and Poetry
P748/C Legal Documents
P748/D Genealogical Notes
P748/E Photographs
Source of title proper: Based on the creators of the fonds.
Physical description: The iconographic documents are made up of 1 mourning card and 11 photographs.
Physical condition: The binding on one of the collections of notes and poetry has disintegrated.
Language: The documents are in French and English, but primarily in French.
General note: Columnist Pierre Foglia heard about this collection from Marthe Gagnon and Patrick McDonald and wrote an article published in La Presse on December 17, 2005, entitled: "Demain, je vais tout quitter pour vous" (Tomorrow, I will leave everything for you).
Last update: August 30, 2017
Information about the objects in our collection is updated to reflect new research findings. If you have any information to share regarding this object, please email reference.mccord@mccord-stewart.ca.Information about rights and reproductions is available here.
This project is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Azrieli Foundation and Canadian Heritage.