JOLIOT-CURIE IRENE: (1897-1956)

JOLIOT-CURIE IRENE: (1897-1956)

‘The only thing missing to our happiness is that when we ask for coffee
we get a tiny little cup with a microscopic piece of sugar’

JOLIOT-CURIE IRENE: (1897-1956) French chemist and physicist, the elder daughter of Pierre and Marie Curie. Joliot-Curie was jointly awarded, with her husband, Frederic Joliot-Curie, the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1935. A rare A.L.S., Irene Joliot Curie, two pages, 8vo, n.p., 26^th January 1946, to a lady, in French. Joliot-Curie expresses her pleasure that Anne had found a belt pretty and asks her correspondent to thank her for the little photographs that she had sent, continuing to add that they are enjoying their stay in Arosa ('C'est un endroit merveilleux pour le ski') (Translation: 'It is a wonderful place for skiing'), commenting that there are more hotels and people in the town than she would like, although remarking that the Bellevue hotel is very comfortable and the food very good, as well as the excellent milk she drinks which must be beneficial to her health. Joliot-Curie further writes of her son, 'Je pense que nous allons mons decider a mettre Pierre a Gstaad, car tout nous sera tres facilite par les amis de Mr. Victor Henri qui ont un chalet la-bas. Je m'excuse de vous avoir donne aussi du tracas pour prendre des informations pour cet encombrant personnage nomme Pierre. Envoyez moi tout de meme les informations, car si jamais il y avait quelque chose qui n'allait pas les amis de M. Victor Henri pourraient surement arranger un changement.....' (Translation: 'I think that we are going to decide to put Pierre in Gstaad, because everything will be very well facilitated by the friends of Mr. Victor Henri who has a chalet there. I apologise for having also given you the hassle of getting information for this cumbersome character named Pierre. Send me the information all the same, because if ever there was something wrong the friends of Mr, Victor Henri could surely arrange a change…..'). In a lengthy postscript Joliot-Curie makes a further observation and request, 'La seule chose qui manque a notre bonheur, c'est que quand on demande du cafe on a minuscule petite tasse avec un microscopique morceau de sucre. Si vous pouviez, sans que cela vous d'erange trop, nous envoyer des tickets permettant d'acheter une boite de nesscafe nous le chaufferions chez nous sur un rechand metal et ce serait bien agreable. Je suis honteuse de tendre encore a vous exploiter, mais j'espere que vous ne m'enverrez cela que si cela ne vous est pas difficile' (Translation: 'The only thing missing to our happiness is that when we ask for coffee we get a tiny little cup with a microscopic piece of sugar. If you could, without it bothering you too much, send us coupons allowing you to buy a box of Nescafe, we would heat it at home on hot metal and that would be very pleasant. I am ashamed to still tend to exploit you, but I hope you will only send this to me if it is not difficult for you'). Two vertical creases to the centre, only very slightly affecting the text and signature, otherwise VG

Pierre Adrien Joliot-Curie (1932-     ) French biologist and scientific researcher, son of Frederic and Irene Joliot-Curie.