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THIS MONTH'S PAINTING
The Prince impérial on his poney, posing for a photographer
This month's painting is a photograph!
Whilst photography was initially a luxury good, reserved for only the wealthiest clientele, during the Second Empire it became accessible to a much wider public, leading to the development of the "visiting card" portrait, patented by Disdéri in 1854. Indeed, the fact that in 1860 more than 200 photographers had boutiques in Paris shows that photography had become quite popular, notably with the middle classes in search of social recognition. According to Nadar, Napoleon III himself was the origin of the phenomenon. Fully aware of the political utility of such images (small format meant that they could be produced and sent out in large quantities), the Emperor and his family posed for photographers many times and his "visiting cards" were an unprecedented commercial success.
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WINNER OF A FONDATION NAPOLEON GRAND PRIX AND NOW FRENCH PRIME MINISTER
Appointed Prime Minister this week, Dominique de Villepin won, let us not forget, the Fondation Napoléon Grand Prix for a book in French on the First Empire in 2001; it was entitled Les Cent-Jours ou l'esprit de sacrifice (The Hundred Days or the Spirit of Sacrifice). Why not take a tour round the previous winners and the new competition rules.
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200 YEARS AGO
On 4 June, a decree was passed annexing the sister Republic of Liguria to the Empire. This region was then organised into three departments: Gênes, Montenotte, and Apennins. Consult our timeline.
On 7 June, 1805, Eugène de Beauharnais was appointed Viceroy of Italy.
150 YEARS AGO
The Crimean War
During the siege of Sebastopol, begun in September 1854, the French troops led by Colonel de Brancion managed to take possession of the Mamelon-Vert on 7 June, 1855.
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
PRESS REVIEW
- 'Emile Zola's forgotten history: Les Rougon-macquart', by William Gallois, in French History, volume 19, Number 1, March 2005
WEBSITES
- Groucho Marx's famous "Napoleon scene"
Go to The Napoleonic Directory and select "Other" in the websites scroll-bar menu
- The Georgian Index, including details on the London exhibition in 1816 of Napoleon's carriage seized at Waterloo
Go to The Napoleonic Directory and select "History" in the websites scroll-bar menu
- Elba Napoleonica
Go to The Napoleonic Directory and select "Associations" in the websites scroll-bar menu
WHAT'S ON
- Exhibition: Nelson and Napoleon, National Maritime Museum, London, UK
- Exhibition: Il rifugio di Venere. La Villa Paolina Bonaparte, Viareggio, Italy
- Commemoration: 146th anniversary of the battle of Magenta, Italy
- Conference: War at Sea in the age of Nelson, The Trafalgar Bicentennial Conference, Christ Church, Oxford, UK
- 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
- For Napoleonic and Nelsonian 2005 bicentenaries, watch our 2005 bicentenaries page
THE MONTHLY TITLES
- This month's book: David Miller, The Duchess of Richmond's Ball, 15 June, 1815
- This month's painting: The Prince impérial on his poney, by Mayer and Pierson
- This month's article: The empire. Dictatorship? Monarchy?, by Jean Tulard
- In the Collectors Corner, Napoleon Ist as legislator, by Eugène Guillaume
Got a problem with a link in the letter? Try the homepage
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