Ladies and gentlemen, we present the first known footage of the French author Marcel Proust.
Announced by Professor Jean-Pierre Sirois-Trahan in the latest edition of the French journal, Revue d’études proustiennes, the footage was recorded on November 14, 1904 (nine years before Proust published the first volume in his classic work, À la recherche du temps perdu/Remembrance of Things Past). And it shows Proust descending a stairway at the wedding of his close friend, Armand de Guiche. Look for him at the 37 second mark. He’s dressed less formally (in grey, not black) than the aristocrats joining him at the celebration. I’ve added a close up picture below.
If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newsletter, please find it here.
If you would like to support the mission of Open Culture, consider making a donation to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your contributions will help us continue providing the best free cultural and educational materials to learners everywhere. You can contribute through PayPal, Patreon, and Venmo (@openculture). Thanks!
Related Content:
When James Joyce & Marcel Proust Met in 1922, and Totally Bored Each Other
16-Year-Old Marcel Proust Tells His Grandfather About His Misguided Adventures at the Local Brothel
Marcel Proust Fills Out a Questionnaire in 1890: The Manuscript of the ‘Proust Questionnaire’
You say, “the video was recorded on November 14, 1904…” But of course it wasn’t, being in reality a filmed sequence.
What was the piano composition that played in the film?
much ado about absolutely nothing, bah! everything is news nowadays. can you tell us something really important about monsieur Proust that we really (really!!!!!) didn’t know? image? who cares?
I’ll tell you something: Proust always carried a large magnet, on account of his belief that certain birds, due to the laws of chance, must have ingested some quantity of magnetite, and by bringing the magnet close to each bird he encountered, would find one sufficiently magnetic to be attracted and caught by the magnet. Nevertheless, he was shy about this contention, believing (and rightly so, as it turned out) that his neighbours might regard his interest in birds as unsettling, if not dangerous.
Those corsets!! How did they breath?!
Congratulations sir. Grinch of the Day. :-/