Anne-Marie Springer, Collector of Love Letters

“Everywhere and all the time, it all comes down to the same story: loving and being loved,” says Anne-Marie Springer. Yet there is nothing saccharine about the collector, whom her close friends call “kooky” and describe as “delightful”. During the interview, she admitted to being “straightforward” and having her “feet on the ground”. Her personality turns out to be a kaleidoscope of colors with sober romantic tones, which came out in 1994 when her daughter Zoé was born. Ms. Springer gave the baby an unusual welcome gift: a love letter from actress Juliette Drouet to Victor Hugo. This was the genesis of a unique collection of over 2,000 intimate letters written by nearly 260 famous figures. The inquisitive-minded Ms. Springer shares this legacy of love, literally and figuratively, with the public through her books,…