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THIS WEEK'S LETTER...
... takes a special look at technological developments in France and the empire in 1811. 200 years ago offers a snapshot of some of the patents issued and confirmed by Napoleon in the first few months of 1811 - including a board game, an early form of in-carriage air conditioning, and an alternative to bearskins - whilst our latest fashion file for napoleon.org is Durochereau's eau de cologne, complete with authentic recipe and Durochereau's own guidelines. We also have a new painting of the month, which depicts Hortense de Beauharnais in one of her more fragile moments, gazing out across the Savoyard countryside. And for those of you in or around the capitals (UK or France), we have news of three talks coming up in the first few days of May: a discussion of a pair of statuettes depicting Napoleon and Marie-Louise, and two lectures on Russia subjects. Finally, we round the letter off with a quick update on the plans afoot in Belgium to demolish the farm at Quatre Bras, and 150 years ago, which sees the American Civil War resurface in the French press as hostilities commence.
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PAINTING OF THE MONTH
Queen Hortense under a pergola, Aix-les-Bains, by Antoine Jean Duclaux
On 27 May, 1813, Hortense de Beauharnais left her children, Napoleon Louis and Louis-Napoleon, in the care of her mother, former French empress Josephine, and left to take the waters in Aix-en-Savoie (today known as Aix-les-Bains). This portrait of Hortense - by Antoine Jean Duclaux - was painted after the tragic death of her travelling companion, Adèle de Broc, who drowned during a visit to the Grésy waterfall. This painting is currently on display as part of the "French Romantic gardens (1770-1840)" exhibition, which is on at Paris' Musée de la Vie romantique. The exhibition runs until 17 July.
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FASHION FILES
Smells of the First Empire: M. Suireau Durochereau's eau de Cologne
Another recipient featured in the May 1811's patent review (see 200 years ago this week) was a certain Suireau Durochereau, resident of Paris, whose decidedly citrusy eau de Cologne was awarded a patent of five years by Napoleon. The perfume's recipe, which includes neroli oil, bergamot and rose water, turned up in the new edition of Pradal and Malepeyre's Manuel Complet du Parfumeur, published in 1895. The latest addition to napoleon.org's fashion section, we bring you this fragrance, translated into English, for a truly authentic scent of the First Empire.
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WHAT'S ON
"The Emperor Napoleon I and the Empress Marie-Louise, Paris, 1812", London, UK
The Wallace Collection's "Treasure of the Month" for May is a pair of exquisite statuettes representing Napoleon and his second Empress as protectors of the Sciences and the Arts. They were commissioned by Napoleon's Minister of Fine Arts, Baron Vivant Denon and based on antique Roman bronze statuettes in his collection. However, they incurred the anger of the Emperor who, thinking it 'ridiculous and bizarre' for him to be portrayed in anything other than contemporary dress, ordered them to be destroyed. These statuettes will be presented in two talks by Jeremy Warren, Collections and Academic Director, on 13 and 23 May at 1pm.
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"Representations of 1812 and 1855 in Russia", Paris, France
As part of the Alliance programme between Paris I, Science Po and Columbia University, and the Masters 2 cycle "Russia in a European context, from the 18th century to February 1917", Richard Wortman, James Bryce Professor Emeritus of History at Columbia University, will be giving a talk entitled "Representations of 1812 and 1855 in Russia" on 3 May, 2011. The seminar will be moderated by Marie-Pierre Rey (Université Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne) and Francine-Dominique Liechtenhan (Centre Mousnier, Université Paris-Sorbonne) and will take place between 5pm and 7pm at the Université Paris-Sorbonne, 9 rue Michelet, Paris.
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"Napoleon's Downfall, 1813-1815: Tsar Alexander I of Russia's Major Role", London, UK
Continuing the series of lunchtime lectures offered by the National Army Museum in London, UK, on 12 May, Bob Dammett will be talking about the part played by the Russian leader in the fall of the French Emperor. The talk starts at 12.30pm.
STOP PRESS
The farm at Quatre Bras saved (for the moment)
IMMO RPM's request for a construction permit, which if granted would include the demolition of the historic farm at Quatre-Bras, has been denied by the Collège communal de Genappe (Genappe's executive council). The website Les Monuments de l'Empire features further details on the story (external link in French).
200 YEARS AGO
Patents: A snapshot of technological development in France
On 2 May, 1811, a short résumé was published in the Moniteur detailing a number of patents confirmed by Napoleon. Amongst the list of different technological advances could be found Sieur Moreau Vinçard's board game, described as the "Jeu de Berger", Cavillon's bearskin substitution, and Victor Alaire's proto-air conditioning system for carriages. Vinçard's game (external link in French), a variation on the popular European game Fox and Geese, involved the defending player directing a sheepdog from the sheep pen to the woods on the other side of the board, whilst at the same time preventing the wolf from reaching the sheep pen or capturing the sheep. Further down, Victor Alaire outlined his intricate cooling/heating machine. Based around a ventilator powered by the movement of a carriage's front wheels, air would be propelled through an attached reservoir of water, thereby purifying, cleaning and cooling it before being funnelled into the carriage compartment. In the winter, the ingenious system used covered lanterns to heat the funnelled air before being pushed into the compartment. And faced with the British control of the bearskin market - which was essential in the fabrication of bearskin caps and colbacks used by Napoleon's elite troops: grenadiers, sapeurs, carabiniers, light infantry and light cavalry - Joseph-Prosper Cavillon's patent (external link in French) promised to free France from this costly trade by replacing bearskin with woven horsehair. The continental blockade effectively limited the availability of suitable bearskin, and efforts were made to replace the colback and bearskin with the shako. There is little record of any sort of success for Cavillon's horsehair alternative.
150 YEARS AGO
The Civil War breaks in the French press
On 27 April, 1861, news of the outbreak of the American Civil War hit the French press, with the Moniteur Universel reporting on the hostilities at Fort Sumter (12 to 13 April), during which the fort - held by the Unionist major Robert Anderson - near Charleston, South Carolina, "surrendered to Carolinian [forces] after [defensive action] lasting forty hours." The report continued, announcing that Major Anderson and his soldiers had been taken to Morris Island (in Charleston harbour) after surrendering. President Lincoln subsequently gave a speech calling for 75,000 volunteers to "take back the forts and other federal properties which had been seized by Southern insurgents" (Moniteur Universel, 5 May, 1861). In response to this, Jefferson Davis, confederate president, released a proclamation announcing the return of "Letters of Marque", which gave any privateer free licence to plunder Union-registered ships in the name of the confederate states, provided they applied for the distinction in writing and posted a bond in exchange for the marque. France and Britain had attempted to abolish these "Letters of Marque" during the negotiations surrounding the Treaty of Paris in 1856, signed after the Crimean War. The report added: "We fully expect Mr Lincoln to launch a new appeal for volunteers, and if nothing comes along to prevent this seemingly inevitable collision, then these people, who speak the same language, who have shared interests, who march under the same banner, will, as it stands, come to blows. We believe that the declaration of war will come from the South and that the Carolinian army will make for the north via Virginia."
The closest anyone came to such a declaration was the act of 6 May, 1861, passed by the Confederate States and entitled "An act recognizing the existence of war between the United States and the Confederate States, and concerning letters of marque, prizes and prize goods" (full act available on archive.org, external link).
Wishing you an excellent "Napoleonic" week,
Peter Hicks & Hamish Davey Wright
Historians and web-editors
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, N° 581, 29 APRIL – 5 MAY, 2011
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OPERATION ST HELENA
The Fondation Napoléon and the Souvenir Napoléonien, in association with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have announced an international fund-raising campaign to restore and save Napoleon I's residence on the island of St Helena. All the details regarding the campaign as well as donation forms and advice for donating from outside France, can be found on napoleon.org.
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...
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.
Talks
- "The Emperor Napoleon I and the Empress Marie-Louise, Paris, 1812", London, UK [13/05/2011 & 23/05/2011]
Full details
- "Representations of 1812 and 1855 in Russia", Paris, France [03/05/2011]
Full details
- "Napoleon's Downfall, 1813-1815: Tsar Alexander I of Russia's Major Role", London, UK [12/05/2011]
Full details
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