De la lettre à l’objet : une conscience diasporique

Abstract

In the 18th century, Republicans of Letters, naturalist scholars and consuls shared the practice of epistolary writing to communicate, transmit information and convey data. These long-distance correspondence and exchange networks display an awareness of the fragility of the links they made, reducing the distance and transmitting the data collected safely, often via seaports. They manifest a genuine diasporic consciousness.

Keywords

• Artefacts of the encounter
• Botanists
• Consuls
• Correspondence
• Republic of Letters