| |
| |
A LITTLE OVER...
... three months in for Operation St Helena, our fund-raising project to save Napoleon Bonaparte's residence on the island, and the response has been extremely positive. But although we are well on our way to raising our half of the total required to complete the restoration works, the campaign is far from over. This week's letter offers a resumé of the progress thus far. Next up comes our painting of the month: Marie Louise by Antonio Pasini. The product of another of the foundation's partnerships, this painting resides in the Museo Napoleonico, in Rome, and comes with an accompanying commentary from Marco Pupillo. Further down you will find a new fashion file, which takes a look at the development of the bustle, plus details of a new exhibition on soldiers' relationships with their wives and partners. We also bring you news of an upcoming Napoleonic lecture on the siege of Gaeta, which takes place rather further afield than normal, at COB Basra, in Iraq, and a heads up for the next Fondation Napoléon study day. We round things off with our 200 and 150 years ago texts, which take in preparations for the imperial birth, and the empire-straddling Paterson affair.
|
|
|
| |
OPERATION ST HELENA
Getting there, together
Launched just last November, our fund-raising campaign to save Napoleon's residence on St Helena has raced out of the blocks. Many of you have answered the call and for that we offer our grateful thanks. Every morning, the postman arrives at our door with envelopes containing donations of all sizes - large, medium and small - each and every one of them sent in good, Napoleonic faith. In the last month, following agreements reached between the Fondation Napoléon and institutions based abroad, the operation has also been active on the international front, the first results of which look promising. So let's talk numbers: on 5 February, 2011, the figure stood at 255,000 €, a total which includes a not inconsequential amount pledged by a major French company. Add to that contributions made by the Fondation Napoléon and the Souvenir Napoléonien out of their own funds, and we find ourselves at the mid-point in our journey.
It's not over yet though. There are still nine months left, nine months during which we encourage you to keep this operation in the hearts and minds of those around you. And for those of you with tax returns coming up, be assured that the Fondation Napoléon has put in place every mechanism to ensure that our donors can take advantage of the relevant tax conditions, all the while contributing to the conservation of Napoleon Bonaparte's residence on St Helena.
Once again, our sincere thanks to you all.
|
|
|
| |
PAINTING OF THE MONTH
Marie Louise, by Antonio Pasini
After the definitive defeat of Napoleon, the Congress of Vienna made Marie Louise (1791-1847) life duchess of Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla. The new sovereign, who Italianised her name to Maria Luigia, gave sensitive support to the arts during her 30-year reign, just as she had done as empress of France. This painting probably dates from the beginning of Marie Louise's Parmesan period (which began in April 1816), as can be inferred from the youthful aspect of the sitter and the fact that she is set against a neutral backdrop with none of the insignia of her rank. The painter, Antonio Pasini, had been appointed professor of miniatures at the Parma Arts Academy in 1805 and was to be appointed by Marie Louise court portraitist in the same year.
|
|
|
| |
FASHION
The "bustle"
The Second Empire was to be the setting for both the glory days and the decline for the crinoline fashion. By the end of Napoleon III's reign, the voluminous crinoline styles of the 1850s, made famous by the work of celebrated British designer, Charles Worth, had begun to fall out of fashion. It was in 1867 that the designer began to turn away from crinoline, creating instead a dress known as the "bustle". Initially used as an underskirt, it was worn behind the hips and came in different forms, ranging from a small cushion to a series of small metal hoops. Tied in place, the bustle was worn over a starched petticoat and accentuated the small of the back. The full, humped volume at the back of the outfit was in stark contrast to the flattened front, and was less restrictive to wear for a woman going about her daily life.
|
|
|
| |
WHAT'S ON
"Wives and Sweethearts", London, UK
"Wives and Sweethearts" explores soldiers' relationships from the 18th century to the present day through a deeply-moving selection of letters and photographs. Displayed alongside are sweetheart brooches, jewellery and other touching love-tokens. Highlights from the exhibition, revealing individual relationships and stories in poignant detail, include a gold ring in a crystal casket sent by Quartermaster Sergeant Porter to his wife after the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815, to let her know that he had survived.
"The Napoleonic siege of Gaeta, Italy, May 1815 - August 1815", Basra, Iraq
There will be a Napoleonic lecture on 16 February, 2011, from 7pm to 8pm, on the siege of Gaeta during the Neapolitan war. The lecture is being held at the United Services Organization theater at COB Basra, Iraq, and will be delivered by Robert Fletcher FINS, a former Gaeta resident, and author of several Napoleonic articles and a First Empire article on the same subject. The lecture is free.
|
|
|
| |
Ateliers de la Fondation Napoléon: "Napoleon and the Family"
We finish with a quick heads up regarding the upcoming study day entitled "Napoleon and the Family". The third in the series of "Ateliers de la Fondation Napoléon" study days, this one is organised in partnership with the Université de Paris-Est Créteil Faculty of Law and is set to take place on 31 March, 2011, in Créteil, just outside Paris. More details will follow next week.
200 YEARS AGO
Imperial swaddling
With the due date for the imperial pregnancy fast approaching, preparations were in full swing and the young(ish) couple was out buying baby linen. Or rather, a delegation, dispatched by Napoleon and led by the serious-sounding Inspecteur de la Comptabilité du mobilier et des bâtiments de la Couronne, was out buying supplies for the Roi de Rome. On 14 February, 1811, upon arrival at the boutique of the high priestess of Paris fashion, Mademoiselle Minette, at 30, rue de Miromesnil (today in Paris' 8th arrondissement, round the corner from the Fondation Napoléon offices), the gentlemen charged with matters of such gravity proceeded to place an order for forty-two dozen swaddling strips, twenty dozen baby bodices, twenty-six dozen shirts, fifty dozen diapers, twelve dozen night shawls and handkerchiefs, and twelve dozen night caps. Some of the items were embroidered with a bee image and the royal crown, whilst, naturally, all of them bore the Roi de Rome's star insignia. The total came to 40,402 Francs, a sum considered most reasonable by the delegation (as recorded in the official report for the Conseil d'Etat). The average daily wage for a pit worker in France in 1806 was 1.80 Fr.
150 YEARS AGO
Jerome Bonaparte's American marriage disavowed a second time…
On 15 February, 1861, France's Court of First Instance non-suited the 1803 marriage of Jerome Bonaparte to his first wife Elizabeth "Betsy" Paterson, after an action brought by Elizabeth and her son by Jerome, Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte (known as "Bo").
On 23 December, 1803, Jerome, then aged nineteen and on a visit to the United States, had married Elizabeth Paterson, the daughter of one of the wealthiest merchants in Baltimore. Their attempted return to France, in 1805, saw the newly-crowned French emperor refuse to acknowledge the marriage - which had nevertheless been performed by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Baltimore in the presence of witnesses - and ban Betsy from entering France (she instead proceeded to London, where Bo was born). Although Elizabeth Paterson obtained a divorce from the Assembly of Maryland, the relationship between Jerome's first son and Louis-Napoleon (soon to become Napoleon III) remained friendly. On the proclamation of the Second Empire however, these friendly relations were to be strained by family tensions. Elizabeth was to return to France to claim her son's birthright as Jerome's firstborn, thus destabilising the position of Napoleon III's cousins Mathilde and Napoleon Joseph Charles Paul (known as "Plon-Plon"), Jerome's children with his second wife, Catharina of Württemberg. An initial claim for legitimacy for Bo went to the highest court in the land, the Conseil de famille, which declared that whilst Bo could continue to bear the Bonaparte name, he and his family would have no rights of succession. Naturally, the case turned on the legitimacy of Jerome's 1803 marriage with Elizabeth; if this were upheld, Bo would become his father's successor. Worse still, the subsequent marriage to Catharina would be illegitimate, thus rendering Plon-Plon and Mathilde bastards. With the political stakes so high, a decision in favour of Paterson always seemed unlikely. And so it proved. And although the decision was appealed on 26 March, the initial decision was confirmed on 1 July, 1861.
Listen to us in conversation on the Bonaparte Patterson marriage on Youtube here.
Wishing you an excellent "Napoleonic" week,
Peter Hicks & Hamish Davey Wright
Historians and web-editors
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, N° 571, 11 - 17 February, 2011
Interested in the work of the Fondation Napoléon? Why not participate, either generally or in a specific project, by making a donation?
© This Napoleon.org weekly bulletin is published by the Fondation Napoléon. Reproduction or all or part of this bulletin is forbidden, without prior agreement of the Fondation Napoléon.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FONDATION NAPOLEON ON THE WEB
Each week we offer you a "mystery" link to somewhere on napoleon.org. Click on the link to discover a part of the website you might not have visited before...
STATISTIC OF THE WEEK
The Fondation Napoléon's Digital Library now contains more than 5,000 fully consultable sources.
MAGAZINE
Press review
- The Guardian: "Wives and Sweethearts"
EVENTS
On now and coming up
A selection of events taking place now or in the coming weeks, taken from our What's on listings.
Exhibitions
- "Wives and Sweethearts", London, UK [09/02/2011 - 30/07/2011]
Full details
Talks
- "The Napoleonic siege of Gaeta, Italy, May 1815 - August 1815", Basra, Iraq [16/02/2011 - 16/02/2011]
Full details
And ending soon...
- "High Society: Mind-Altering Drugs in History and Culture", London, UK [11/11/2010 - 27/02/2011]
Full details
- "L'heure, le feu, la lumière (1800-1870)", Paris, France [21/09/2010 - 27/02/2011]
Full details
NAPOLEON.ORG
The best of the month:
- Book of the month
- Painting of the month
- Objet d'Art of the month
- Article of the month
NAPOLEONICA.LA REVUE
Available free on Cairn.info
NAPOLEONICA ARCHIVES ONLINE
THE BIBLIOTHÈQUE MARTIAL-LAPEYRE FONDATION NAPOLEON LIBRARY
Winter opening hours
Situated at 148 boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris, the library is open on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, from 1pm – 6pm, and Thursday 10am - 3pm.
Online catalogue
Digital Library
Contact
ACCOUNT DETAILS
To change your email address, unsubscribe, and sign up for the French information bulletin.
|
|
