Exploring French Archives at Joyner Library

Published Oct 21, 2025 by

Foreign Languages & Literatures

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Dept News
French

Students in Dr. Altergott’s advanced French course, Archives of the French Empire, recently immersed themselves in a hands-on exploration of rare French-language primary sources housed in Joyner Library’s archives.

Student holding a small nurse’s journal titled Imperial Notes in a library or reading room.

Student examining documents laid out on a large wooden table in a reading room.

Vintage French propaganda poster with the message about wartime silence and vigilance.

Student standing beside a large open atlas on foam supports in a library with display cases.

Open photo album on a table showing black-and-white photographs of landmarks and scenes likely from the WW2 era.

Shelves filled with labeled archival boxes organized by category and date

Students walking through narrow aisles lined with archival boxes in a storage or archive room at Joyner Library.

Photos contributed by Dr. Renée Altergott.

From vintage propaganda posters and mid-century photo albums to historical texts and cultural artifacts, students engaged directly with materials that showed the complexities of french history. Guided by John Dunning from East Carolina University’s Joyner Library, the class toured archival storage spaces, examined curated documents, and participated in an interactive presentation that brought the past to life.