Germaine Pellerin Collection

Extent: 23 boxes of various size and shape, some books shelved separately.

Other Storage Formats: Some publications in the collection are shelved separately (SS), and smaller publications are shelved in periodical boxes (PB).

Linear feet: 24.3 linear feet

Language: French and English. 

Provenance/Source of Acquisition: The collection was created by Germaine Pellerin and Marcelle Y. Chenard (1934-1998). Chenard was a sociologist with an interest in Franco-American organists, specifically Germaine Pellerin. She collected items related to Pellerin, researched her life, and gave a speech about her. Later in Chenard’s life (or perhaps immediately after her passing), the Germaine Pellerin Collection was given to Claire Quintal, who in turn donated it to the French Institute.

Ownership and Literary Rights: The Germaine Pellerin Collection is the physical property of the French Institute, Assumption University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns.

Cite As: Germaine Pellerin Collection, French Institute, Assumption University

Restrictions on Access: 

The collection is available to researchers and other interested parties. Permission for use or reproduction can be obtained from the director of the French Institute, and is subject to the Institute’s user policies.

Select items in this collection have preservation issues, and at time of processing are unavailable to researchers. Those four items are noted as such in this finding aid and appendix.

Scope & Content: 

This collection documents Germaine Pellerin’s personal and professional life, with the bulk of it being her collection of sheet music, books about music, and songbooks. The music varies from sacred music, to show and film music, general popular music c. 1890s-1930s, and Franco-American music. This last grouping includes music published or written by Franco-Americans, namely in Manchester, NH, Lowell, MA, and Woonsocket, RI. Included are a few manuscripts, most notably by Pellerin, Alfred Plante, and J. Ernest Philie. Several of the musical compositions exist in multiple copies, some with names (presumably of students learning the piece) written along the top. Much of the sheet music is inscribed with Pellerin’s name, and if not hers, then the names of her brothers. Additional pieces were covered in brown paper by Pellerin. These show signs of frequent use, as well as proof that others were used early on as training tools at Saint George’s School. A complete item-level list of this series is available in the Appendix (available upon request), which includes such details as: title, creator(s), publisher name, location, and date, as well as any associated notes and category type.

Regarding the more personal side of this collection, series one includes photographs, concert programs, records of her travels, and notebooks and achievements from her school days. Most notably there are two scrapbooks documenting her professional career, c. 1925-1963. A notebook documenting her performances and piano classes from the 1930s is particularly interesting, as is her personal recipe book.

Biographical Note: See Finding Aid

Series Outline: 

Series 1: Pellerin's Personal History

Series 2: Pellerin's Music Collection

Full FInding Aid: