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EDITORIAL > THE PAST TODAY
Well, what a week's it's been! Heady stuff indeed, to see Napoleon (or at least a re-enactor) returning in triumph (external link) (credit photo: J.S./ECPAD) to ride through the Tuileries Carrousel Arch, and to watch Napoleon (or at any rate his hat) returning to the scene of his downfall on the outskirts of Brussels. There to meet his nemesis (again in hat and coat form), Wellington, at the opening the exhibition Napoléon/Wellington: Destins Croisés (“Shared Destinies”) in the Musée Wellington at Waterloo. And to complete the picture, the current Duke of Wellington shook hands with count Jerome Walewski (direct descendant of the Emperor).
And what site could really be more fitting for a historical reconsideration of the unfinished business that is Napoleon/the French Revolution/the Congress of Vienna, than Belgium, the epi-centre of the unfinished business that is Europe?
The exhibition, which opened on 21 March, presents the history of the two great politician generals at international, national and personal level. To judge by the almost 1,000 visitors during the opening weekend alone, it's a story that has not lost its fascination.
Belgium... the nodal point, the crystallisation of the eternal Franco/British, Austro/Spanish, German/Dutch, Italian (to say nothing of Swiss, Portuguese, Scandinavian), issues that ran throughout the history of modern and pre-modern Europe and which are still on the agenda today.
Who says history's a thing of the past?
Peter Hicks
Historian and Head of International Relations, Fondation Napoléon
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OBJECT OF THE MONTH > NAPOLEON'S HAT
If ever there was a more symbolic object, Napoleon's famous bicorne hat is enough to conjure up the French Emperor, wherever you are in the world. This example from the Musée de la Malmaison actually went with the exiled Emperor to St Helena. The hat that Napoleon wore at the Battle of Waterloo, on the other hand, is on loan from the Museum of Sens for the exhibition Napoleon - Wellington: Destins Croisés, which was inaugurated on 20 March at the Musée Wellington in Waterloo.
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WELLINGTON IN FOCUS
In this Waterloo Bicentenary year, not surprisingly Wellington is in the limelight for many of the events especially in Great Britain (see for example, our online Waterloo seen on the web page). So this week we decided to make of him a bit of a "theme" in our letter. The National Portrait Gallery in London has an exhibition dedicated to the man, his Triumphs, Politics and Passions, and will be displaying (for one day only, Thursday June 18 2015, 10-11am) the largest portrait ever displayed at the gallery: the entire panoramic view of the funeral procession of Arthur, Duke of Wellington, (the length of two London buses or 67 Wellington boots laid end to end!). You might also be interested in this interview with his descendant, the current Duke of Wellington (speaking about his late father, Waterloo, Apsley house, Europe…), and as a bonus here are 11 things you didn't know about the Duke of Wellington (external links). And look out for the second volume of Rory Muir's "exhaustive" biography, Wellington, Waterloo and the Fortunes of Peace 1814–1852, coming out soon.
EXHIBITION AT WATERLOO > NAPOLÉON/WELLINGTON: DESTINS CROISÉS
The exhibition which has been co-curated by the Fondation Napoleon, (which has lent over 80 artefacts) has been warmly and widely talked about in the Francophone media, both press and television. For a glimpse of the opening, have a look at our Facebook photo album.
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WATERLOO > WALKS IN WELLINGTON'S LONDON
As another way to discover or rediscover the British capital, for the next few months you can take a walk in "Wellington's London" accompanied by a professional guide. Starting at Trafalgar Square and finishing at Wellington's former home, Apsley House at Hyde Park Corner, the walk will cover both the political and personal life of the Duke, as well as significant areas of London from the Napoleonic period. Starting 21 March at 11am each Saturday morning running through to the 20th June, there will be two additional walks on the 16 and 18 June in the afternoon , starting at 2.30pm.
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ONLINE COURSE > WELLINGTON AND THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO
Strong in its collection of Wellington's papers (over 100,000 items from the Duke's military and political career), the University of Southampton (UK) has created a free three-week (four hours a week) online course (external link) starting on 8 June covering Napoleon, the Vienna Congress, the Hundred Days and Waterloo. Looks great! And since history is all about weighing up different accounts of the events, you could always round out the online material there by browsing both the French and English sides of napoleon.org.
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WAS YOUR ANCESTER AT THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO?
As well as the Duke himself, other lesser-known soldiers who fought at Waterloo are being remembered or rediscovered and not least by their own descendants. In January this year practically every local newspaper in Britain ran a story on the search for descendants of Waterloo soldiers (see our online Waterloo seen on the web page). All sorts of letters and other relics are surfacing in the lead-up to the Waterloo Bicentenary. One letter sent home by private George Hemingway of the thirty-third regiment of foot, carefully preserved for 200 years by a descendant, has been given to the British Library and can be read here. A retired teacher from York discovered a publication of the diary of a relative who was at Waterloo. A bugle rescued from the battlefield will be played for the first time in 200 years at a commemoration at Horseguards parade in June. And websites have been set up to help people identify whether their ancestors fought at the famous battle such as UK, Waterloo Medal Roll search 1815
(external links).
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY ...
28 March 1803: creation of the franc germinal. Read more about the The Consulate and the Franc Germinal: the law of 7 Germinal, An XI.
2 April 1810: Napoleon maries the Archduchess Marie-Louise of Austria. Why not have a look at our close-up on the subject of Napoleon's second mariage?
The regular history paragraphs "200 YEARS AGO" and "150 YEARS AGO" have been suspended for a few weeks. But don't worry, they'll be back soon!
Wishing you an excellent Napoleonic week!
Peter Hicks and Rebecca Young (with Syamala Roberts)
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN No. 752, 27 MARCH - 2 APRIL, 2015
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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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WATERLOO BICENTENARY 1815-2015
What's on this year relating to the Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo: commemorations, books, exhibitions, news ...
WATERLOO WHAT'S ON (updated 27/3/15)
WATERLOO SEEN ON THE WEB (updated 27/3/15)
WATERLOO READING LIST (updated 27/3/15)
Follow us on Facebook and on Twitter!
napoleon.org - related content:
PRESS REVIEW
- Review of Brendan Simms's “The Longest afternoon” in the Washington Times
- Review of Went the Day Well? by David Crane
JUST PUBLISHED
- MUIR Rory, Wellington, Waterloo and the Fortunes of Peace 1814–1852 (London, June 2015)
WHAT'S ON (see our website for all events)
Talks
- "Decorative arts in the time of Napoleon and Wellington", talk by Hilary Williams, British Museum (UK) [27/03/2015]
- Battle of Waterloo Commemorative Walks in London [21/03/2015 - 20/06/2015]
- Study evening/talk: 'Waterloo 1815-1915-2015, bonds et rebonds de la mémoire' Brussels, Belgium [29/04/2015]
Conferences
- Sixth Wellington Congress 2015 - University of Southampton, UK. [10/04/2015 - 12/04/2015]
- Waterloo 200 Conference at Sandhurst, UK [16/04/2015 - 17/04/2015]
- Conference "L'année 1815", Paris [14/04/2015 - 15/04/2015]
- Oswego International War of 1812 Symposium (New York) [17/04/2015 - 19/04/2015]
Exhibitions
- Napoléon et Paris, rêves d'une capitale: Exhibition at the Musée Carnavalet, Paris [08/04/2015 - 30/08/2015]
- Napoléon-Wellington: Destins Croisés: Exhibition at the Wellington Museum, Waterloo, Belgium
[21/03/2015 - 31/07/2015]
- Switzerland reshaped. From Napoleon to the Congress of Vienna, Exhibition at Musée National Suisse, Prangins, Switzerland [13/03/2015 - 13/09/2015]
- The Brontës, War and Waterloo [16/03/2015 - 03/01/2015]
- Modern Heroism: Printmaking and the legacy of Napoleon Bonaparte The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge UK [03/02/2015 - 28/06/2015]
- National Army Museum: Waterloo Lives: exhibitions around the UK [21/02/2015 - 28/11/2015]
- Wellington: Triumphs, Politics and Passions - Exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery 12/03/2015 - 07/06/2015]
- Wordsworth, War and Waterloo, at Wordsworth Museum, Grasmere, Cumbria [16/03/2015 - 01/11/2015]
- Photo exhibition: 'Napoleon on St. Helena: Exile and sincerity' Maison Bonaparte, Ajaccio, Corsica [27/03/2015 - 28/06/2015]
Commemorations
- Living History weekend honouring General Andrew Jackson and the victors of New Orleans - Natchez, Washington, Mississippi [24/04/2015 - 26/04/2015]
- Major Percy victory route (recreated by bike): The Ride of the Lions, Waterloo 200 [17/06/2015 - 20/06/2015]
WATERLOO WHAT'S ON (updated 27/3/15)
SEEN ON THE WEB (all external links)
- Part of Hougoumont farm (Waterloo) to be offered as holiday home
- A Waterloo Bugle recovered from the battlefield will be played at re-enactment 10-11 June (video)
- Napoleon returns to Paris as France prepares to mark 200th anniversary of Waterloo (video)
- A lock of Napoleon's hair has fetched £1,220 at auction after going under the hammer in Dorchester.
"WATERLOO" SEEN ON THE WEB (link to our website, updated 27/3/15)
THE BIBLIOTHÈQUE MARTIAL-LAPEYRE FONDATION NAPOLEON LIBRARY
The library is normally 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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