Scope and Content Note
The papers of Louis-Pierre Mouillard (1834-1987) span the years 1833-1987, with the bulk of the collection dating from 1870 to 1916. The collection consists of certificates, correspondence, drawings, notes, photographs, printed matter, and writings. A native of France, Mouillard lived most of his life in Algeria and Egypt where he pursued interests in aviation, agriculture, and naval technology. The collection contains letters between family members, Egyptian and French officials, and an exchange between Mouillard and Octave Chanute, the American civil engineer and aviation pioneer. Mouillard’s letters also appear in Chanute’s papers at the Library of Congress. Mouillard’s correspondence, notes, and drawings also cover such subjects as the improvement of agricultural techniques in the desert, naval technology, local politics, and the observation of bird flight and bird wing structure. A record book of the packet-boat Gabari documents trade between Tunisia, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia with drafts of correspondence, manifests, and payroll information.
A substantial addition to the collection, made in 2006, complements files and topics in the original portion. It contains family birth and marriage records, further notes on subjects of interest to Mouillard, and documentation of the erection of a memorial statue in Cairo, Egypt. The collection is almost entirely in French.