Photo of Paul Chenavard

Series I contains approximately a thousand letters, primarily personal correspondence among members of Louisa Siefert's family. The majority of the letters are between Siefert and her sister, Clemy (Siefert) Bost, and between Siefert and her mother, Adele-Adrienne (Belz) Siefert. These letters mainly document social and personal activities, such as news of Clemy's husband and children and the health of their mother. Many of Louisa Siefert's letters to her sister describe her own ailing health and advancing tuberculosis, and her doctors' advice. Letters to Siefert's mother also describe the dinners Siefert attends; visits with acquaintances, including Victor Hugo, Charles Blanc, and Paul Chenevard; and operas she sees. Other correspondents in the collection include Siefert's friends such as Charles Asselineau, Chenevard, and Emmanuel des Essarts; admirers of her poetry; the Journal de Lyon concerning her publications; and family members to each other after her death. Also in the collection are Siefert's wedding announcement and death notice; several accounts and receipts; and a manuscript, with numerous corrections, of Adele-Adrienne Siefert's memoirs of her daughter.

Series II contains eight volumes of poetry, primarily in Siefert's hand. Two volumes contain collections of other poets' works, one of which includes, dos-a-dos, a juvenile play by Siefert titled En Automne. Other volumes include a set of notes taken during a course on French poetry taught by Charles Asselineau, and four collections of original poetry dated between 1865 and 1872, which include many sentimental or dedicatory poems to friends and family members. The original poems are annotated with the dates of their composition, and occasionally with publication information; and laid in a volume titled Poems d'amour are two pages of comments on the poems in Asselineau's hand. Also included in the collection is a volume of reviews of Siefert's works, copied in her hand.