Artefacts from Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda presented to the Nobel Prize Museum

“I am convinced that the artefacts we have just received will awaken the curiosity of our visitors about the writings and the life of Gabriela Mistral. We are very pleased about these gifts, which are a fine addition to our growing collection,” says Museum Director Erika Lanner.

Gabriela Mistral received the 1945 Nobel Prize in Literature. The artefacts that have now been presented to the Museum were chosen in consultation with Mistral’s relatives and in collaboration with the Biblioteca Nacional, Chile’s national library.

“One of the photographs shows Gabriela Mistral looking at books in her library. The others portray two people she liked very much, Doris Dana and Juan Miguel Godoy,” explains Pedro Pablo Zegers, director of the Archivo del Escritor (Writers Archive) at the Biblioteca Nacional, who presented the artefacts. He took part in the ceremony together with Hernan Bascuñan, Ambassador of Chile.

Doris Dana was Gabriela Mistral’s friend and assistant. In her will, Mistral left her estate to Doris Dana and appointed her as literary executor. Juan Miguel Godoy was Mistral’s nephew, who committed suicide in 1943, an event that affected Mistral’s life. The book Giotto by Carlos Carrà is from Mistral’s personal library. She was especially fond of biographies and books about zoology, geography and religion. Among the artefacts is also a correspondence card.

This spring the Nobel Prize Museum also received a pipe that belonged to Pablo Neruda, who was awarded the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. He used the pipe during his period in Paris, where he was entrusted by Chilean President Pedro Aguirre Cerda with helping Spanish immigrants who had fled the Civil War in Spain and were living in exile to relocate to Chile. This artefact can also be viewed at the Nobel Prize Museum.

Visitors at the Nobel Prize Museum learn about the lives, discoveries and achievements of the Laureates. This is done through exhibition activities, lectures and school programmes. Another way to learn more about the lives of the Laureates is through artefacts from the Laureates that have been donated to the Museum over the years.

Read more about Gabriela Mistral.

Read more about Pablo Neruda.

Nobel Prize Museum

The Nobel Prize shows that ideas can change the world. The courage, creativity and perseverance of the Nobel Laureates inspire us and give us hope for the future. Videos, in-depth guided tours and artefacts tell about the Laureates and their contributions for the greatest benefit to humankind. Based on the Nobel Prize’s unique combination of fields – natural sciences, literature and peace – we examine the great issues of our time and show how we can respond to them with science, humanism and cooperation. Through our exhibitions, schools programmes, lectures and dialogues, the Nobel Prize Museum would like to stimulate engagement for a better world. Today we are located on Stortorget, the main square in Stockholm’s Old Town. In the future we will be creating a new home for the Nobel Prize in the heart of the Swedish capital.

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