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LAST LETTER BEFORE THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS
We here at the Fondation Napoléon's Bulletin are taking a few days holiday and look forward to writing to you again on Friday 3 September, for an exceptional autumn 'rentrée':
- starting on 28 September, the key exhibition of our Napoleonic autumn will be Les Trésors de la Fondation Napoléon (The Treasures of the Fondation Napoléon), to be held at the Parisian Jacquemart-André Museum (until 3 April, 2005);
- David's extraordinary and monumental painting entitled 'Le Sacre' (but which shows Napoleon crowning Josephine...) will be celebrated with a special exhibition at the Louvre, from 19 October, 2004, to 17 January, 2005;
- the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Fondation Napoléon have come together to organise a major international conference entitled: Visions of Napoleon's European politique, 18-19 November, 2004, in Paris (to participate in the conference, see here opposite);
- Finally, there's the Paris, Salon Premier Empire, 3, 4 and 5 December, 2004, at the Palais des Congrès de Paris (Porte de Versailles), and the stand run by the Fondation Napoléon with plenty of surprises and a prize competition!
And of course all the other events which we will bring you napoleon.org.
We wish you excellent, Napoleonic, holidays!
OBJECT OF THE MONTH, JULY
In the Château de Fontainebleau there is a snuff box into which is set a single gold oak leaf. This leaf was given to the painter Isabey 'in memory of his clumsiness, for the painter knocked it off the gold oak-leaf crown made by Biennais which Napoleon was to wear at his coronation!
OBJECT OF THE MONTH, AUGUST
Amongst the 'Treasures of the Fondation Napoléon', on show at the Paris Jacquemard-André Museum in Paris from 28 September, 2004, visitors can view 19 superb plates from the "Emperor's personal service", perhaps the most prestigious service ever produced by the Imperial Manufactory at Sèvres.
REMINDER: SUMMER OPENING TIMES AT THE BIBLIOTHEQUE FONDATION NAPOLEON - M. LAPEYRE
The library will begin operating summer opening times from Wednesday 12 July until Thursday 13 August. In other words, the library will only be open two days a week, Wednesdays (1-6pm) and Thursdays (10am to 3pm). Starting from Monday 16 August, normal opening hours re-apply: Monday and Wednesday 1 to 6pm, TUesday from 4 to 9pm (last possible entrance 8pm) and Thursday from 10am to 3pm.
200 YEARS AGO
16 July, 1804, a decree is passed for the re-organisation of the École polytechnique.
From 21 July to 5 August, 1804, Napoleon reviewed the Boulogne camp and stayed at the château Pont-de-Briques.
22 July, 1804, birth in Paris of Victor Schoelcher into a family of wealthy Alsatian industrialists. Ardent defender of the rights of man, Schoelcher was the prime mover for the abolition of slavery in French colonies during the Second Republic in 1848. In his honour, the people of Case-Navire, 5km from Fort de France (Martinique), in 1888 renamed their town Schoelcher after him.
2 August, 1804, the end of the counting of the plebiscite (sort of referendum) concerning the creation of the Empire: 3,521,675 ayes, 2579 nays (totals from the Bulletin des lois).
8 August, 1804, Chaptal is replaced by Champagny as Interior Minister.
16 August, 1804, the award to the army of the first Croix de la Légion d'honneur, at the Boulogne Camp.
25 August, 1804, a decree is passed organising French national civil engineering, the famous Corps des Ponts et Chaussées.
150 YEARS AGO
On 9 August, 1854, Flaubert wrote to his friend Louis Bouilhet :
"Rouen is ringing with speeches. It's the time when they award prizes and perform academic ceremonies. So our daily papers are packed full of literature ! ! ! Pouchet distinguished himself with a "religious" speech, celebrating the magnificence of nature and proving the existence of God from the varied canvas of creation. Our zoologist is becoming a mystic.
Yesterday, there was the public meeting of the Académie: the reception of M. Jolibois, avocat général, who had taken as his text: "On the law regarding child labour in factories". Then M. Deschamps read a verse dialogue in which he praised property, the Gabrielle du gars Augier, etc.! etc. ! etc. ! and everywhere praise for the Emperor ! Ah ! Saint Polycarpe ! You see, whilst Paris may produce a lot of excrement, the provinces are not far behind."
More on Flaubert at the web of the Centre Flaubert (in French), Rouen University.
22 August, 1854, as a complement to the law of 14 June, 1854 (see our previous letter, 11-17 June, 2004), Napoleon III signed a decree concerning university faculties, notably creating a faculty of sciences at Marseilles.
Peter Hicks
Historian and Web editor
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THIS SUMMER:
SIGN UP FOR THE NOVEMBER CONFERENCE
It is now possible to sign up for the International Conference, 18-19 November, 2004: Visions of Napoleon's European politique: if you want to participate, download the application form here (pdf format - in French) and return it to the Fondation Napoléon, 148 boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris, France, marking the envelope 'Inscription Colloque de novembre 2004'.
To download a free version of Acrobat Reader click here
Web sites
- Salamanca 1812, Spanish
Go to the Napoleonic Directory and select 'History' in the website scroll bar
- The Spanish Napoleonic Society
Go to the Napoleonic Directory and select 'Associations' in the website scroll bar
What's on
- Re-enactment: The Battle of Coruña, Spain
- Conference: Napoleonic Association, Annual Conference, London, UK
- Conference: Napoleonic Society of America, Annual Conference, Washington
Conference: Napoleonic Alliance, Annual Conference, Boston
- Exhibition: Was für ein Theater, Krönungen & Spektakel in napoleonischer Zeit
(What a show! Coronations and pomp in the Napoleonic period), Château d'Arenenberg, Switzerland
- Exhibition: Giovanni Spadolini's passion for Napoleon: a tale of history, politics and culture, Elba, Italy
- Conference: England and Hanover, Cambridge (UK)
- Exhibition: Napoleon: the Emperor's coming! Veneration and myth in Coblenz (Germany)
- Exhibition: Napoleon. The Sacre, at the Musée Fesch, Ajaccio
- Exhibition: Napoleon and the sea, a dream of Empire, Paris
SUMMER SELECTION
A selection of Napoleonic reading matter for the beach!<<
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