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ON THE SALE OF NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE'S “MARRIAGE CONTRACT”
The question of archives at auction and state intervention
On Sunday night, Napoleon and Josephine were once again headline news. Social media was buzzing with reports, repeated on a loop by the online press, that their marriage contract was being sold for the stupendous sum of 437,500 Euros. Last November, Napoleon's will was sold for 357,000 Euros. For the casual reader, this was troublesome news. Was an object of national importance to be sold and leave France? Fortunately not! Because the piece on sale is not the actual contract. That original document is – and has long been – conserved in the Archives Nationales. We can even give you its shelfmark: Archives Nationales, Minutier central, Et/LXVIII/673 (85/801). And this, the only contract to have been signed by the future husband and wife, has been there for two hundred years.
What, then, was sold on Sunday? The bidding war in fact concerned a simple period copy of the original deed, made out by the unknown paper-pushers in the office of Josephine's notary, Master Raguideau. The document was clearly created for legal purposes. In spite of the expert opinions of the auctioneers, it is difficult to date this “certified copy”, since dates were never specified on this kind of deed. The “will” sold in November 2013 was likewise another contemporary copy, produced by the Comte de Montholon, who was also the Emperor's executor. As with the “marriage contract”, this “will” cannot be accurately dated.
We can better understand, therefore, why the state did not oppose the sale of these “precious” documents. On the other hand, the Minister of Defence was well within his rights at Sunday's auction to uphold the French State's right for preferential acquisition of a collection of seventy-five letters from the archives of Maréchal Bessières, all of which were original and of the utmost importance for historic research. This action, which we can only applaud, has been harshly criticized: some indignant voices claimed, “It's daylight robbery!” But let them splutter! The overheated excitement that accompanies these sales will doubtless maintain (and increase...) this speculative bubble. Like all bubbles, it will burst. Of greater importance is the real risk that important and authentic historical documents will disappear for long periods into private hands.
Luckily for us, Napoleon and Josephine's genuine marriage contract was exhibited a few months ago in Paris at the Hôtel de Soubise, as part of the beautiful exhibition “122 Minutes of History”. Quite unsuprisingly, no journalist noted its presence.
So. A conclusion? I'd say this: keep copies of all your official documents. You never know! In two hundred years, they might be the subject of fierce bidding at auction. and your heirs will be delighted…
Pierre Branda
Fondation Napoléon Heritage Manager
BIBLIOTHEQUE MARTIAL-LAPEYRE > EXCEPTIONAL CLOSURE
The Fondation's library, the Bibliothèque Martial-Lapeyre, will be closed on Thursday 2 October.
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OBJECT OF THE MONTH > WAISTCOAT AND TROUSERS WORN BY NAPOLEON ON SAINT HELENA
Napoleon was, by all accounts, very particular about his wardrobe. These trousers, called a culotte de casimir in French, are made of casimire, a thin cotton or linen twill, and are absolutely typical of the outfits Napoleon wore at Longwood. Read more about this deliberately modest outfit in our collection here.
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EXHIBITION > NAPOLEON IN EXILE AT RUEIL-MALMAISON
The Centre Culturel de l'Ermitage in Rueil-Malmaison presents the exhibition, "Napoléon en exil, les voyages de Napoléon", letting visitors discover the Emperor's life through a selection of the Emperor's own objects on loan from the Fondation Napoléon. And don't forget, if you're visiting Elba, there are a few more days to catch Napoleon's bivouac on display.
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BOOK CORNER > A NEW BIBLIOGRAPHY AND OTHER RECENT PUBLICATIONS
> Napoleon the Great
Andrew Roberts' new biography, Napoleon the Great, is being touted as major new work in Napoleonic literature – not least because it is the first biography “to make full use of the treasure trove of Napoleon's 33,000-odd letters”, published by your very own Fondation Napoléon! You can read more here, or a review in The Economist.
> Diplomaties au temps de Napoléon
Until 9 October, enjoy a special price for Diplomaties au temps de Napoléon, edited by Yves Bruley and Fondation Napoléon director Thierry Lentz. More information available here.
> Atlas de Paris au temps de Napoléon
Our book of the month, Irène Delage and Chantal Prévot's Atlas de Paris au temps de Napoléon is now available in shops! It's a magnificent publication, beautifully illustrated and packed with primary sources – an absolute must-read this autumn.
> Wellington: The Path to Victory 1769-1814
And don't forget Rory Muir's major biography of Wellington – a very appropriate read in the run up to 2015…
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WELL READ AHEAD > OUR WATERLOO READING LIST
As June 2015 approaches, we wanted to get ahead of the game and make sure we have all our Waterloo reading up to date. This Waterloo Reading List is a compilation of all the Waterloo literature that has crossed our paths over recent months. We'll keep adding to it, but there's plenty to be getting on with!
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DIGITAL LIBRARY > NEW BIBLIOGRAPHY: NAPOLEON IN PRINTS
We've a brand new bibliography from our Digital Library for you this week, Napoleon in Prints: From Toulon to St Helena. These 100 engravings paint a vivid picture of Napoleon's life as it was seen and recorded by his contemporaries. You can find our other bibliographies here.
200 YEARS AGO > ATTEMPT(S) ON THE EMPEROR'S LIFE?
One of Mariotti's spy agents testified on 26 September 1814 that the exiled emperor's entourage had been given “reports of a priest dressed in secular clothes, who [had] sworn on the Bible that he would travel to Elba to assassinate [the Emperor] and who was already en route.” There were many such rumours circulating on Elba during this period, and a certain paranoia reigned. Napoleon was afraid of both kidnap (see letters 726 and 727) and murder: he knew that his death would please his enemies in France and abroad, especially the victors who had defeated his French campaign. Beyond the figure of the priest seeking to avenge Pope Pius VII, another rumoured assassin caused fear during this period of exile. Rumour had it that an unknown “one-eyed Jew” from Leipzig, who was both bookseller and contract killer, sought to murder the emperor on Elba! Suspicion was at its height, so much so that the mayor of Rio-Montagne, who himself had only one eye, was terrified of coming under attack. It was his role as the emperor's chamberlain that saved him during this period of intrigue…
150 YEARS AGO > FOUNDATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WORKINGMAN'S ASSOCIATION
1848 was a year of widespread, though uncoordinated, revolutions, which started in France and spread across some 50 European and Latin-American countries. The “February Revolution”, as it was also known, brought down the Bourbon monarchy of Louis-Philippe and led to the creation of the Second Republic. This democratic republic was drowned in a tide of conservatism and capitalism that saw Louis-Napoleon establish a certain sort of caesarism, putting himself at the head of a Second Napoleonic Empire in December 1852. This conservative drift (mirrored throughout Europe) inspired liberal opposition, notably amongst “the workers”. One important manifestation of this was the foundation in Britain on 28 September 1864 of the International Workingman's Association. The IWA (often called the First International) grew out of a workingman's meeting held in St Martin's Hall, London. Though in London, the meeting was attended by a wide range of radicals from all over Europe (nationalists, communists, socialists, trade unionists) who agreed that “It was necessary that the toilers of all lands should unite for the struggle against the disastrous consequences of the capitalist regime.” The organisation was thus intended to protect workers and secure their rights at an international level: one particular concern was the prevention of the use of international workers being brought in to break strikes. A committee was formed to oversee the organization. Most of the British committee members were noted trade union leaders, such as George Odger (Secretary of the London Trades Council); the French delegates included Jules Denoual, Victor Le Lubez, and J.-B. Bosquet. “Occupying a modest position at the foot of the list” was Dr. Karl Marx, who would go on to play a crucial role in the IWA, and beyond. You can read a chapter on the foundation of The International Workingmen's Association here (external link).
Wishing you an excellent Napoleonic week,
Peter Hicks and Francesca Whitlum-Cooper
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, N° 728, 26 SEPTEMBER-2 OCTOBER, 2014
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© 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.
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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 the prolongation of its 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.
You can still donate online to the project via the Friends of the Fondation de France in the US here.
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EVENTS
A selection of events taking place now or in the coming weeks, taken from our What's on listings.
PRESS REVIEW
- “French History, Flawed Sparkler” (review of Napoleon the Great in The Economist)
- Review of Wellington: The Path to Victory, 1769-1814 by Dr Kevin Linch
JUST PUBLISHED
- MUIR, Rory, Wellington: The Path to Victory, 1769-1814 (New Haven and London, 2013)
- ROBERTS, Andrew, Napoleon the Great (London, 2014)
WHAT'S ON
- Niagara 1812 Legacy Council Programme of Commemorative Events [14/04/2014 - 19/10/2014]
- Germany: The House of Hanover on the British throne 1714-1837 [17/05/2014 - 05/10/2014]
- Napoléon Who?! Prince, Prisoner, President, Emperor. Louis Napoléon (1808-1873) [10/06/2014 - 10/10/2014]
- Carpeaux (1827-1875), a Sculptor for the Empire at the Musée d'Orsay [24/06/2014 - 28/09/2014]
- Napoleon's Bivouac: Imperial Luxury in the Countryside [28/06/2014 - 15/10/2014]
- Napoleon's Exile, Napoleon's Travels [19/09/2014 - 19/10/2014]
- An Evening with Bernard Cornwell at Apsley House [21/10/2014 - 21/10/2014]
- Ghost Tours at the Royal Arsenal [30/10/2014 - 01/11/2014]
SEEN ON THE WEB
- When the French lost their heads for Napoleon
- What did Napoleon look like?
WAR OF 1812
- Excavated in Central Park: Traces of Anti-Redcoat Fortifications, Never Needed
- Vermont and the War of 1812
- Re-enactors bring War of 1812 to life at historic Ft. Wayne
- Illustrated Lecture-The Onondaga Arsenal: Reflections on the War of 1812 in Memory and Loss
- Lewes Historical Society receives donation of rare letters from War of 1812
THE BIBLIOTHÈQUE MARTIAL-LAPEYRE FONDATION NAPOLEON LIBRARY
The library is open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 1pm to 6pm and on Thursdays and Fridays from 10am to 3pm. The library is closed on Wednesdays.
Online database catalogue
Digital Library
Contact
NAPOLEONICA LES ARCHIVES
Site of digitised Napoleonic archival material:
The working papers or 'imprimés' of the Napoleonic Conseil d'Etat, the correspondence of Vivant Denon, etc.
http://www.napoleonica.org
Contact: napoleonica@napoleon.org
NAPOLEONICA. LA REVUE
International peer-review interdisciplinary e-review on the history of the two Empires, bilingual French-English, 3 issues per year, free access.
Read the review on Cairn.info
Contact: napoleonicalarevue@napoleon.org
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