From 1926 onwards, Henry-Louis Mermod (1891-1962) was Ramuz’s publisher in Switzerland. A lawyer, wealthy industrialist, art lover and collector, Mermod founded his company out of admiration for the writer, and in order to offer him financial security. His support for Ramuz resulted in luxury editions and print runs on quality paper, aimed at the cultivated French-speaking public. This provided the writer with a substantial income, including royalties and fees for the acquisition of manuscripts. La Beauté sur la terre, for example, which was published in 1927, brought Ramuz CHF 4,500, which represents over CHF 30,000 in 2024.
Mermod’s patronage did not stop at books: gifts, birthday parties and receptions were all part of his generosity towards Ramuz. In 1930, he was one of the two main donors for the Prix Romand. His unwavering commitment did much to ensure the material conditions that enabled the writer to work.
This was the beginning of a collaboration that never stopped for a moment, that never slowed down, but only grew stronger with each year, over two decades. Twenty years of working together; twenty years of friendship.
Letter to Henry-Louis Mermod, October 25, 1945
Caption
Henry-Louis Mermod and C. F. Ramuz, Lavaux, photographed by Gustave Roud, 1932
Fonds Gustave Roud, Centre des Littératures en Suisse Romande
© Association des Amis de Gustave Roud