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OBITUARY
The Napoleonic world is in mourning: Professor Fernand Beaucour died on Saturday 7 May, 2005, at the age of 83.
Having received his diploma from the Ecole centrale des arts et manufactures (1946), Fernand Beaucour began a career as an engineer at Schneider, the Ministère du Travail, Pétrofrance and finally at Sovenor.
After a receiving a doctorate in law and history, Fernand Beaucour directed his own Centre for Napoleonic Studies in Levallois-Perret, whilst acting as Professor of History at the Russian State University in Kaliningrad (ex Koenigsberg) and the University of Bielorussia in Minsk. He was also president-founder of the Société de sauvegarde du château de Pont-de-Brique (Association for the repari and preservation of the château de Pont-de-Brique), ane member of the directing boards of several historical associations both in and outside France (the Institut Napoléon, the Société des Amis du musée de l'Armée, the Société des Amis de Malmaison and the Western Society for French History).
He was the author of many articles and also editions of primary source material: Lettres, décisions et actes de Napoléon au camp de Boulogne (Letters, decisions and acts of Napoleon at the Boulogne Camp) (3 tomes, 1979-2004), La Campagne d'Egypte (The Egyptian Campaign) (1983), Mémoires de campagne de Louis Frèche (1803-1809) (Campaign Memoirs of Louis Frèche, (1803-1809)) (1994). He also participated in various other collective works, namely the Dictionnaire du Second Empire (1995), and the Dictionnaire Napoléon (1999).
A blessing will take place on 13 May, 10-45am, at the church of Saint-Justin in Levallois-Perret. A religious ceremony will take place on the same day at 3-30pm at the church of Saint-Pierre de Cayeux-sur-Mer (Somme).
The Fondation Napoléon addresses its condolences to the family and friends.
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THIS MONTH'S PAINTING
Napoleon I, King of Italy, by Andrea Appiani
Just as French artists were commissioned to immortalise the figure of the emperor after the coronation, so too Italian painters leapt into action after the proclamation in Paris of Napoleon as King of Italy on 17 March, 1805 and the coronation in Milan on 26 May. And for the official portrait, Napoleon turned to the most famous of Milanese painters, Andrea Appiani. The result was a traditional expression of the allpowerfulness of a monarch bearing the attributes of power.
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NEW STUDY ON THE CAUSE OF NAPOLEON'S DEATH
A recent study by the Professor Alessandro Lugli (University Hospital Basel) and doctors Andrea Kopp Lugli (Institute of Medical History, University of Zürich) and Milo Horcic (University Hospital Basel) published in the journal, Human Pathology, attempts to show by the study of Napoleon's weight (as shown by the size of the waistband of his trousers) that Napoleon did in fact die of cancer. Since it is widely noted in the Saint Helena memoir literature that Napoleon had gained significantly in weight on St Helena, those supporting the poisoning theory have always dimissed the cancer theory since cancer victims are not fat when they die. However, this study of Napoleon's trousers reveals a loss of 10 kilos in Napoleon's last year of life - a loss paralled in studies of modern-day cancer victims.
"Napoleon's autopsy: New perspectives", Human Pathology, Volume 36, Issue 4, April 2005, Pages 320-324, abstract, A. Lugli, A. Kopp Lugli and M. Horcic.
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DID YOU KNOW?
When Napoleon made it known that he wished to return to France after his coronation in Milan via the Simplon Pass, road engineers and navvies worked as fast as they could! The difficulty however was not technical as physical: not enough navvies could be found in Italy. So a search for reinforcements was begun in the neighbouring Swiss republic of the Valais. In June, despite more than 3,000 labourers on the job, work was not sufficiently complete as to allow a crossing of the pass. In the end, the official opening of the Simplon Route took place on 17 Vendémiaire, An XIV (9 October, 1805), almost two months before the completion date finally requested by Napoleon, namely 1 Frimaire (22 November)... © Fondation Napoléon
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200 YEARS AGO
In the context of the Franco-British struggle, French caricaturists set about mocking the British fleet. In Paris, "caricatures of admiral Coq-Crâne (i.e., Cock-Crane or Cochrane) can be had on the banks of the Seine: red hair, red in the face, nose in the air, like a crane, runnning after our fleet." Sir Alexander Forrester Inglis, Scottish Rear-Admiral (commander of Northumberland in 1803!) here caricatured, after failing to catch up with the French squadron became comander of the Leeward Islands station from 1805 to 1814, becoming in 1810 (after several naval successes) governor and commander-in-chief of Guadaloupe and its dependencies.
Bulletin of 24 Floréal, An XIII (14 May, 1805) from the Ministère de la police générale (Ministry of general police)
The coronation in Milan
After arriving in Milan on 18 Floréal, An XIII (8 May, 1805), Napoleon received the members of the Italian Legislative Body, ambassadors and foriegn ministers on 24 Floréal (14 May). On 27 Floréal (17 May), he visited the Brera library, the Accademia di lettere and several other educational establishments. In the evening, he presided over a meeting of the Consulta
Next week we will be bringing you a our special dossier "Napoleon, King of Italy": an article, images, a timeline, a bibliography...
150 YEARS AGO
On 15 May, 1855, Napoleon III and the Empress Eugénie inaugurated the first Exposition universelle (Universal Exhibition) in France.
Wishing you an excellent, Napoleonic, week!
Peter Hicks
Historian and Web editor
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.
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THIS WEEK
STOP PRESS
Lodi bridge is to named "Napoleon Bonaparte" bridge on 28 May during an official ceremony, on the 209th anniversary of the Battle of Lodi Bridge. Further information can be had from the Italian delegation of the Souvenir Napoléonien.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
- Mass on the anniversary of the death of the Empress Josephine, 30 May, 2005 at 7pm, in the church of St-Pierre-St-Paul in Rueil-Malmaison.
PRESS REVIEW
- Napoleon Special in The Armchair General for July
WHAT'S ON
- Commemoration: Annual ceremony of commemoration of the death of the Prince Imperial, South Africa
- Conference: Europe at War: the Trafalgar campaign in context, Senate House, London University, UK
- Conference: The Battle of Trafalgar Conference, at Action Stations, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, UK
- Conference: Joint Napoleonic Alliance/Napoleonic Society of America Conference, 2005
- Concert: Beethoven, Napoleon and Wellington in Finland
- For Napoleonic and Nelsonian 2005 bicentenaries, watch our 2005 bicentenaries page
THE MONTHLY TITLES
- This month's book: Mrs (Betsy) ABELL, To Befriend an Emperor: Betsy Balcombe's Memoirs of Napoleon on St Helena
- This month's painting: Napoleon I, King of Italy, by Andrea Appiani
- This month's article: The empire. Dictatorship? Monarchy?, by Jean Tulard
- In the Collectors Corner, Blue damask with a shield motif decoration
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