The Mickiewicz family memorabilia collection is a precious section within the repertory of the Polish Historical and Literary Society / the Polish Library in Paris. Some of the objects—Adam Mickiewicz’s quill pen, his wife Celina’s pince-nez, or the couple’s wedding rings—are available for viewing at the Adam Mickiewicz Museum which is housed at the Library in Paris. The Museum was established in 1903 by the poet’s son, Władysław, back then the Library’s director. The Mickiewicz family collection contains over one hundred artefacts related to the daily life and work of Adam Mickiewicz, his relatives and friends. It also documents the history of the poet’s romantic affairs—both major and fleeting ones. In this gallery, we present forty of the most fascinating objects from the collection, the majority of which are usually not available for viewing. Our guests may admire, among others, precious jewellery, a lock of Napoleon’s hair or the razor Adam Mickiewicz used for shaving. The layout of the memorabilia displayed in the gallery corresponds to the rhythm of the poet’s pilgrim-like existence—from his childhood in Lithuania and the years spent at the University in Vilna, through his stay in Moscow and trip to Weimar and Italy, to his move to Paris, his creative activity on the River Seine and, ultimately, the poet’s last expedition—his diplomatic mission in Istanbul.
