#Impératrice Eugénie

[chic-a-gigot]

L'Art et la mode, no. 2729, vol. 70, 25 décembre 1948, Paris. Dynasty de l'élégance. Worth: Robe garnie de pierreries et créée pour l'Impératrice Eugénie. Bibliothèque nationale de France

[philoursmars]

Ca y est ! Je reviens de mon périple dans l'Ouest pour retrouver des ami(e)s lointain(e)s ! Première étape, Isabelle en Gironde, vers Libourne...

Ici Libourne.

Dans la chapelle du Carmel, une mini-expo...

Charles-Emile François d'après François-Xavier Winterhalter : Portraits de l'Empereur Napoléon III et de l'Impératrice Eugénie

Dove Allouche : "Pétrographie 9"

Bastien Cosson : "Seules les anguilles savent se peindre"

[lonesomemao]

DANS LA MAISON D'AMOUR

Véronique Jannot

La Dame de Haute-Savoie

La Montagne en libérale

Elle a

Maison de Savoie

Impératrice Eugénie

L'empire par l'expérience

De sa Poésie

Mardi 15 octobre 2024

[histoireettralala]

Opéra Garnier- Style: Napoléon III

On January 5, 1875, the French president, Marshal MacMahon, formally inaugurated Charles Garnier's new opera house, which opened with a grand gala that included excerpts from several operas and a popular scene from the ballet Le Corsaire. But few were interested in the event's artistic offering. Instead, audience members eagerly anticipated the visual splendors that awaited them in the sumptuous building that would become known as the Opéra Garnier.

Early on the morning of the opera's opening night, hundreds of people gathered outside the doors, and by evening at least seven or eight thousand spectators were eagerly jammed together in the Place de l'Opéra, awaiting the glittering crowd that was about to arrive. It had been touch and go until the very last minute as to whether the building would be finished in time, and the magnificent red curtain with its gold fringe was fully installed only an hour before it was scheduled to rise. The guest list included luminaries from throughout France as well as Europe, including the Lord Mayor of London, who arrived in his gilt coach complete with sword bearer and footmen.

Without question, Paris was looking back at the Second Empire with this new opera house, but no one seemed to care. Napoleon III was long gone, and Paris was ready to be dazzled by Garnier's creation. How could it not be dazzled ? Garnier used marble of every hue, as well as acres of gilt-encrusted carvings. He then covered any remaining surfaces with paintings, glittering mosaics, and mirrors, lighting the whole fantasy with a city's worth of flickering chandeliers.

Vast and richly decorated foyers allowed audience members to stroll and mingle, but it was the Grand Staircase that was- and remains- the Opéra Garnier's special glory. Its opulent branching stairway led upward and outward to the golden foyers and the velvet-lined auditorium, but its very design was intended to serve as a stage in its own right, where lavishly dressed patrons could sweep up the broad stairs or lean on the balconies, posing to their hearts' content. Henry James was suitably impressed, even though he thought the staircase "a trifle vulgar." "If the world were ever reduced to the dominion of a single potentate," he added, "the foyer would do for his throne room."

Few on opening night probably remembered that without Baron Haussmann, there would have been no Avenue de l'Opéra, slicing its way through the business district to the opera's very door. And fewer yet probably remembered, or even cared, that the Avenue de l'Opéra was originally intended as a fast and direct route from the emperor's residence in the Tuileries Palace to the new Opéra- as a security measure following Napoleon III's narrow escape from assassination while en route to the old opera house on Rue Le Peletier.

Garnier had even designed his opera house with a private entrance built specifically for the emperor, to allow him to enter directly, without fear of dangerous encounters. But although Napoleon III never set foot here, Garnier's opera house would forever be linked with Napoleon III's golden and decadent empire. After all, when the Empress Eugénie complained to Garnier that his proposed edifice was "neither Greek nor Louis XIV nor even Louis XVI", Garnier is supposed to have replied: "Those styles have had their day. This is in the style of Napoleon III, Madame!"

The story may be apocryphal, but Garnier's answer, even if he never said it, was certainly the truth.

Mary McAuliffe - Dawn of the Belle Epoque- The Paris of Monet, Zola, Bernhardt, Eiffel, Debussy, Clemenceau and their friends.

[yohanan64]

[heyhicarolina]

Un petit article sur Charles Frederick Worth! :) Le papa de la haute couture moderne!

[emeraldmybeautifulemerald]

L’impératrice Eugénie à la Marie-Antoinette par Franz Xaver Winterhalter, 1854

[heaveninawildflower]

Passiflora Impératrice Eugénie (1868) by Abraham Jacobus Wendel (1826–1915).

Chromolithograph taken from ‘Flora: afbeeldingen en beschrijvingen van boomen, heesters, éénjarige planten, enz. voorkomende in de Nederlandsche tuinen’  by H. Witte and A. J. Wendel, Groningen: Wolters, [1868].

Hortus botanicus Leiden.

Wikimedia.

[focusmonumentum]

Musée Rodin de Paris

L'Hôtel de Biron et ses jardins servent d'écrin à la plupart des œuvres d'Auguste Rodin, sculpteur de génie, précurseur de l'art moderne, au renom non terni par les ans ni par l'évolution artistique contemporaine, preuve en est de ses 700000 visiteurs annuels (en moyenne, moins les années covidées), le plaçant a la septième position des musées les plus visités de France.

Ce riche hôtel particulier, l'un des premiers à être édifié au sein du faubourg Saint-Germain (zone alors déserte et marécageuse, ne serait-ce la présence de l'Hôtel des Invalides tout proche), fut conçu en 1728 par l'architecte Jean Aubert, d'après des plans dûs à Jacques V Gabriel, pour le compte du "nouveau riche" Abraham Peyrenc de Moras. La décoration intérieure fut confiée au peintre François Lemoyne, (dont des "dessus-de-portes" furent restitués au cours du XXème siècle, après dilapidation le siècle précédent...) Suite à la mort du marquis propriétaire, survenue ici-même en 1731, l'hôtel échoit à sa veuve, qui le loue dès 1736 à la Duchesse du Maine, Louise-Bénédicte de Bourbon. Celle-ci y décède à son tour en 1753. Le futur acquéreur, Louis-Antoine de Gontau, duc de Biron, laissera son nom à l'hôtel. Il fit aménager les jardins dans le style anglo-chinois en 1781, via les cisailles du paysagiste Dominique-Madeleine Moisy. Après le décès du maréchal Biron en 1788, l'hôtel revient à son neveu, le duc de Charost, décédant lui-même en 1800. Sa veuve, après avoir loué l'hôtel au nonce du pape Pie VII puis à l'ambassade de Russie, le lègue finalement en 1820 à une congrégation religieuse, la Société du Sacré-Coeur de Jésus, vouée à l'éducation des jeunes filles issues de la haute bourgeoisie et de l'aristocratie. Un pensionnat (l'actuel Lycée Victor Duruy) est alors construit au sud des jardins, réaménagés à la française, ainsi qu'une chapelle (nous y reviendrons). Eugénie de Montijo, future impératrice par son union avec Napoléon III, y fera son éducation dans les années 1830, précédant Misia Sert, future modèle et muse de nombreux artistes de l'École de Paris, qui y sera également élève cinquante ans plus tard. Cela préfigure, par un curieux coup du hasard, de la vocation à venir de l'Hôtel Biron. En effet, la fameuse loi de séparation des Églises et de l'État, promulguée en 1905, chasse les religionnaires, rendant l'hôtel vacant. Devenu de fait propriété de l'État, il est divisé en plusieurs appartements, puis loué à des artistes, parmi lesquels Jean Cocteau, Henri Matisse, la chorégraphe et danseuse Isadora Duncan, le comédien Édouard de Max, l'écrivain-poète Rainer Maria Rilke... Alors secrétaire d'Auguste Rodin, celui-ci lui présente l'Hôtel Biron, dont quatre pièces demeurent disponibles en rez-de-jardin. Immédiatement conquis, le sculpteur, jouissant déjà d'une solide notoriété, y installe une partie de son atelier (son lieu de travail principal demeurant en sa Villa des Brillants, à Meudon). Il décide par la suite de faire de ses appartements un lieu d'exposition de sa collection personnelle d'antiquités et d'oeuvres d'art contemporaines, qu'il présente mêlées à ses propres productions; sculptures, certes, mais également peintures, dessins et photographies, à l'attention des journalistes, marchands d'art et collectionneurs, régulièrement invités par sa collaboratrice (et dernière maîtresse), la duchesse de Choiseul. À la fin de sa vie, Rodin, soutenu par de nombreuses personnalités telles que Raymond Poincaré, Georges Clémenceau et son ami impressionniste Claude Monet, souhaite léguer l'ensemble de ses œuvres à l'État, à la condition que celui-ci fasse de l'Hôtel Biron un musée. Après son décès, survenu en 1917, sa succession revient donc à l'état français, qui transforme bel et bien l'Hôtel Biron et son jardin en musée dédié à sa mémoire, ouvert dès 1919, au sortir de la Première Guerre Mondiale.

Le Musée Rodin a un statut particulier. Il est en effet le seul musée public à devoir s'autofinancer (via dotations et mécénat), afin de poursuivre sa mission de diffusion de l'oeuvre d'Auguste Rodin.

Après une longue campagne de travaux (de 2012 à 2015), partiellement financée par de généreux donateurs (dont le riche couple de mécènes américains Iris et B. Gérald Cantor), le Musée Rodin rouvre au public, entièrement rénové et mis aux normes de l'accueil des publics PMR et handicapés visuels, à la muséographie complètement repensée par l'architecte des monuments historiques Richard Duplat, aux murs des salles d'exposition repeints en une teinte spécialement créée pour mettre en valeur les marbres, le "Biron Gray"...

Présentant un parcours chronologique et thématique sur deux étages, il dédie une salle complète a l'œuvre de la géniale Camille Claudel, élève et muse (et maîtresse) de Rodin; une passion tumultueuse devenue légendaire, moulée dans les bronzes de L'Âge Mûr, La Vague et surtout La Valse... Outre Le Baiser, La Cathédrale et la Tempête, aux exécutions diversement opérées, de plâtre, de marbre ou de pierre, sont présentées dans le musée nombre de réductions et d'agrandissements, de fusions et imbrications, comme autant d'études et d'étapes ayant prefiguré les oeuvres finalisées du maître en sculpture, considérant l'inachevé comme achèvement.

Et pourtant, s'il est une œuvre de Rodin considérée comme aboutie, il s'agit bien de La Porte de l'Enfer, monumentale sculpture (au moulage original en plâtre exposé au Musée d'Orsay), fondue en bronze en 1937. Initialement commande publique en 1882, pour la porte d'entrée du Musée des Arts Décoratifs, abandonnée en 1889 faute de financements, inlassablement retravaillée jusqu'à la mort de l'artiste en 1917, elle inclue de nombreux éléments interdépendants de l'oeuvre du sculpteur, du Baiser à Ugolin dévorant ses enfants, de La Chute à la Danaïde... Couronnée par Les Trois Ombres, présentant la fameuse phrase ouvrant La Divine Comédie de Dante ("Toi qui entre ici, abandonne tout espoir"), s'en détache une figure méditative, au faîte du linteau, représentant le poète Dante Alighieri, méditant sur son œuvre. En sera issu Le Penseur, universellement reconnu comme la pièce maîtresse de Rodin, à l'agrandissement, également fondu en bronze, présenté dessous (ainsi qu'en la roseraie proche de l'entrée du musée), offert par souscription publique à la ville de Paris en 1906, d'abord installé place du Panthéon, avant d'être déplacé ici en 1922. En 2011, il fut commenté par Carla Bruni, travestie en guide-conférencière dans le film de Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris.

Le jardin du musée, d'une superficie de 3 hectares (équivalente à celle du jardin de l'Hôtel Matignon, réputé pour être le plus grand jardin privé de Paris) présente d'autres sculptures d'exception fondues en bronze, comme le Monument à Victor Hugo (finalement refusé par l'état), la statue à Balzac, ainsi que Les Bourgeois de Calais (commémorant un célèbre épisode d'amende honorable du début de la Guerre de Cent Ans), présentés près du mur d'enceinte du musée sur rue, ajourée par des panneaux de verre, permettant ainsi aux passants de la rue de Varenne de contempler ce groupe sculpté, ayant l'Hôtel Biron pour toile de fond.

Vestige restructuré de la résidence de la Société du Sacré-Coeur de Jésus en ce lieu, la chapelle néo-gothique, exécutée en 1876 par l'architecte Juste Lisch, à l'angle du Boulevard des Invalides et de la rue de Varenne, totalement réaménagée en 2005, accueille non seulement l'administration du musée, mais aussi la billetterie et la boutique, un auditorium en sous-sol, ainsi qu'une vaste salle consacrée aux expositions temporaires, comme celle de l'année passée, venant de s'achever, maintes fois reportée pour cause de financement puis de covid (...), croisant l'oeuvre de Rodin avec celle de Picasso, en collaboration avec le Musée Picasso de Paris (que nous visiterons un jour à venir...) 

Crédits : ALM’s

[mariaslozak]

The salon in Empress Eugénie’s apartments in the Tuileries (the traditional Paris residence of French monarchs), captured in an 1868 oil painting by Giuseppe Castiglione. The Empress can be spotted reading behind a screen.

When the Empress made herself at home at the Tuileries in the 1850s she originally selected pieces from the palace’s rich store of period furniture and art. But as she grew more confident in her role she hired an architect to redesign her apartments and to furnish them in a manner that allowed freer expression of her personal taste. This revivalist style is known today as Louis XVI-Impératrice.

[escapades-planetaires]

Grands appartements, galeries et chapelle du Château de Fontainebleau

                    Tribune royale et voûte de la Chapelle de la Trinité

La visite des différentes parties du Château de Fontainebleau est tributaire des aléas liés aux diverses expositions et restaurations réalisées dans les bâtiments.

Petit florilège du parcours des Grands Appartements des souverains.

Photos Nathalie (5,9) et Bertrand (1-4,6-8,10-13) Donadille, 29 décembre 2018

La Chapelle de la Trinité est l’ancienne église du Couvent des Trinitaires fondé en 1259 par Saint-Louis. 

Située au nord de l’escalier en Fer-à-Cheval (aile Est de la Cour du Cheval-Blanc), elle a été démolie vers 1540, puis reconstruite et rattachée au château sous François Ier. La voûte actuelle date de Henri IV.

On accède à la tribune royale (placée au-dessus de l’entrée) à l’extrémité de la Galerie François Ier.

Après 1528, quand le roi François Ier a décidé d'agrandir et d’embellir le château de Fontainebleau, il a conservé le donjon médiéval où se trouvait sa chambre.

Il a fait réaliser, au premier étage, cette galerie longue de 60 mètres pour rattacher ce donjon à la chapelle, et par là même, relier la Cour Ovale à ce qui deviendra plus tard la Cour du Cheval-Blanc.

La décoration (1533-1539) de style Renaissance est composée de fresques (ici, “Les Jumeaux de Catane”) encadrées de stucs surmontant des lambris de boiseries sculptées en chêne et noyer, sur lesquels apparaissent le chiffre* et la couronne de François Ier, ainsi que son emblématique salamandre.

* Initiale du prénom

Au milieu de la galerie, on peut voir dans un passage “La machine à monter Madame Adélaïde” conçu en 1841 à la demande du roi Louis-Philippe pour permettre à sa soeur cadette, malade, de se déplacer d’un étage à l’autre.. 

Après la Salle des Gardes, on traverse la rotonde dont on peut admirer le beau plafond. 

Puis on passe devant l’Escalier du Roi pour arriver à la Salle de Bal, appelée également “galerie Henri II”, du nom du fils de François Ier qui a transformé cette ancienne loggia en salle d’apparat et de réception. 

Elle possède une belle cheminée monumentale encadrée par deux satyres. Ceux-ci sont des copies réalisées en 1966 car les originaux ont été fondus à la Révolution.

Cette pièce, une des plus grande du château (30 mètres sur 10 mètres), donne, au nord, sur la Cour Ovale,  et au sud, sur le Grand Parterre. 

Elle est surmontée d’un plafond en bois à caissons d’inspiration italienne, et à l’une de ses extrémités s’élève une tribune qui accueillait les musiciens.

En revenant sur nos pas, on entre dans les appartements royaux édifiés sous François Ier.

L’ancien donjon a été remanié plusieurs fois au cour de l’histoire. A l’origine, il était composé, au premier étage, de l’antichambre et de la chambre des souverains, de Saint-Louis à Henri IV. 

Louis XIII a déplacé cette chambre royale plus loin, et sous le règne de Louis XV, les deux pièces, dites ��salles Saint-Louis”, ont été réunies par une large ouverture.

Remonté sur la cheminée de la deuxième salle Saint-Louis ou Salon du Donjon (l’ancienne chambre) en 1836, ce portrait équestre en marbre, “Henri IV à cheval” (1600), de Mathieu Jacquet, provient de la cheminée (démembrée en 1725, sous Louis XV) de la salle de la Belle-Cheminée. 

Cette dernière fait partie de l’aile dite de la Belle-Cheminée du Primatice (édifiée vers 1565-1570 sur ordre de Catherine de Médicis) qui borde l’Est de la Cour de la Fontaine.

En longeant les appartements royaux situés dans l’aile nord de la Cour Ovale, on arrive à la Galerie de Diane qui est la plus longue pièce du château (80 m de long et 10 m de large).

Construite sous Henri IV, au-dessus de la Galerie des Cerfs, dans l’aile qui domine le Jardin de Diane à l’Est, elle s’appelait autrefois Galerie de la reine.

Son décor d’origine n’existe plus. Elle a servi de prison pendant la Révolution et a été restauré sous Napoléon Ier, puis sous la Restauration pour la voûte. Sous Louis-Philippe, c’était une salle de banquet. Enfin, au Second Empire, elle a été transformée en bibliothèque (1858).

Le globe terrestre a été installé là à la même époque. Il avait été réalisé en 1810 pour Napoléon Ier et était, au départ, destiné aux Tuileries.

En retournant vers la Galerie François Ier, on traverse les appartements royaux orientés du côté du Jardin de Diane et qui datent de Catherine de Médicis.

La Chambre de l’Impératrice (ou Chambre de la Reine et de l’Impératrice) a, en fait, servi de chambre pour toutes les souveraines depuis le début du XVIIe siècle, au moins depuis la reine Marie de Médicis, épouse de Henri IV, jusqu’à l’Impératrice Eugénie, épouse de Napoléon III.

Les décors remontent à plusieurs époques (du XVIIe au XIXe siècle). Le mobilier est celui qu’a connu l’impératrice Joséphine de Beauharnais, la première épouse de Napoléon Ier.

Le lit avait été fabriqué pour Marie-Antoinette, mais elle ne l’a jamais utilisé.

Un peu plus loin, la Salle du Trône (la seule en France qui est restée dans son état historique) occupe l’ancienne chambre du roi.

Napoléon Ier a décidé de l'installer ici en 1805. Le trône, qui date de 1804, a pris la place du lit royal dans l’alcôve de la chambre en 1808.

L’Appartement intérieur, quant à lui, se trouve dans l’aile qui double la Galerie François Ier et donne sur le Jardin de Diane. Construit à l’origine pour Louis XVI entre 1785 et 1786, et réaménagé par Napoléon à partir de 1804, il servait à l’empereur lorsqu’il revenait au château entre deux campagnes.

La Chambre de l’Empereur était l’ancien “cabinet à la poudre” de Louis XVI qui servait à la toilette du roi. Elle a servi par la suite de chambre à coucher à tous les souverains jusqu’en 1870.

Dans le même appartement, le salon particulier de l’empereur, richement décoré de soie et d’or, est appelé Salon de l’Abdication.

C’est en effet sur le guéridon de cette pièce que Napoléon Ier aurait signé son acte d’abdication le 6 avril 1814.

Une des dernières pages importantes de l’histoire du Château de Fontainebleau venait de s’y dérouler !

Précédemment :  Le Musée Napoléon Ier du Château de Fontainebleau

[philoursmars]

J’ai passé quelques jours chez Christine à Pau.  

L’ancienne station thermale des Eaux-Bonnes. L’ancien “Hôtel des Princes”, désormais à l’abandon, un kiosque, un Thuya géant, un Séquoia de 45 mètres (apparemment, un des plus grands...de France). D’après le net, ce serait l’impératrice Eugénie qui aurait lancé cette idée de planter des séquoias dans la région...

[lonesomemao]

DANS LA MAISON D'AMOUR

Espace virtuel Roubaisien

Noir Décathlon

Guelfe noir

Le progressisme remplace

Gérard Mulliez

Ordre de Malte

Maison de Savoie

Et Napoléon III

Brasserie Impératrice Eugénie

Princesse Caroline Démone

Est à Roubaix

Dimanche 13 octobre 2024

[vincentdelaplage]

Le thème du romantisme #culturejaiflash #peinturefigurative ELISABETH D'AUTRICHE Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1805-1873), est un peintre romantique allemand, "Clara . Schumann: 3 Romances for Violin and Piano, Op. 22 - Janine Jansen /Denis Kozhukhin" https://youtu.be/G2yVMWbslCM Élisabeth Amélie Eugénie de Wittelsbach — plus connue sous le surnom de « Sissi » — duchesse en Bavière puis, par son mariage, impératrice d'Autriche et reine de Hongrie, de Bohême et de Lombardie-Vénétie, est née le 24 décembre 1837 à Munich, dans le royaume de Bavière, et morte assassinée le 10 septembre 1898 à Genève. https://www.facebook.com/groups/2633342570072743/?ref=share_group_link https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg6N_EsMXsr/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[scarlettrhettelizabethrichard]

Chapter 8. New Encounters, my GWTW fanfiction

Read all the chapters edited of The Robillard Boutique, my fanfiction of Gone With the Wind, what happened next ? , on my blog : https://alarecherchedutempsperdu.over-blog.com/tag/the%20robillard%20boutique/

********************** New York, March 21, 1875

The three French girls were enjoying the crisp ocean air on the promenade deck. In a few minutes, they would set foot on the New World. And that would be the beginning of the adventure. The trip had lasted eight days. It was Roger Dax who, at the request of his partner, had gone to the offices of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, the French Line, at 6 rue Auber in Paris, to reserve tickets for Blanche Augustine Bonsart Ratier and her daughters Marguerite and Georgette Ratier. The transatlantic crossing was made on the ship SS Amérique*, which had left the port of Le Havre on March 13, 1875. During the journey, the young woman had met an American passenger, a shipowner by profession, who explained the history of this ship, the first French transatlantic. When it was built in 1864, it was named "Impératrice Eugénie", after the wife of Emperor Napoleon III. At that time, it served Central America, from Saint-Nazaire to Vera Cruz. "Do you realize, my young lady? On this bridge traveled, before you, the Empress of Mexico, Charlotte of Belgium. » "In 1870, after the fall of the Empire, the ship was renamed "Atlantique". For the past thirty years, the number of emigrants like you has been increasing. And the shipping companies have "sniffed" the good business. So, all the ships were progressively transformed to increase their capacity in passengers and in speed. Our boat here was completely remodeled in 1873 to be lengthened to 396 feet. The paddle wheel was removed and replaced by a propeller, and a mast was added. It's true that it looks good! The name was changed again to "America". Even if I am a regular on transatlantic journeyses, I am still amazed by the speed records, eight days instead of three weeks twenty years ago! ». Flattered by the interest that the pretty young lady seemed to have in his story, Mr. Watts continued to tell the story of their ship. "She returned to service in January 1874, heading from Le Havre to New York. But it was a close call, because three months later, on the return trip to Le Havre, the ship had to face a great storm. Imagine the fear of the 83 passengers and 152 crew members*! Fortunately, everyone was transferred to small ships that came to help. But the "America" was abandoned. An English ship came to tow it from Plymouth and then it had to return, as best it could, to the port of Le Havre to be repaired. » Blanche breathed a great sigh of relief at the retrospective apprehension of having been confronted with such a catastrophe. The American gentleman added, very happy with this conclusion: "And we have the pleasure to be part of this first Le Havre - New York* crossing since its modernization! This christening deserves to be celebrated. What do you think? "Smiling, he got up to get hot drinks for the young mother and her two little girls. Blanche Augustine Bonsart was once again delighted that the owner of "La Mode Duncan" had bought them a first class ticket in "cabin passage" instead of "steerage class". What a luxury to have a personal cabin! Her mother Augustine had replied that it was quite normal. The rich American was going to deprive her of her only daughter, not to mention little Germain, who would remain under her grandmother's protection. So, at least she was reassured that the trip would go well. The cabins were located in the middle of the boat so that one was not disturbed by the vibrations of the engines. The small room was luxurious, equipped with sheets, water basin, storage space, etc... Blanche was aware that she was one of the privileged few. Everything had been thought of so that the rich passengers would be comfortable. Even the door, with its slatted shutters, allowed for ventilation. The first class had one main living room where one could eat and chat with the other passengers. The room where these wealthy people gathered had two bays separated by a balustrade, furnished with long tables, chairs and upholstered armchairs. There were even bells to call the steward*. "When I think that I ate last night with the captain of the ship! How I wish Germain had been there too. My little boy would have been wide-eyed at the Captain's presence. And Papa would have been proud as a peacock to receive such a character in our estaminet in Lille!" The pretty girl Blanche attracted the eyes of the gentlemen gathered there. But she did not belong to their world. She was in solidarity with the emigrants of the steerage. These were middle-class or working-class people who had to make do with a place in the steerage. The common dormitories were overcrowded, with bunk beds. There was often a struggle to cook in the small stove the food that had been distributed by the shipping company in small portions before departure: oatmeal, cookies, flour, rice, sugar, molasses and a little tea. The single women with children could not defend themselves sufficiently and could only manage to prepare a hot meal from time to time. Everyone ate, slept and talked in the same room. Blanche was pleased that the weather had not been too bad during the crossing, allowing the occupants of the steerage (or "tween deck"), installed above the hold, to get some fresh air on the deck. Continuing his conversation with the Frenchwoman, the friendly shipowner recalled his experience as a passenger on the British ship "Oceanic" leaving from Liverpool. In 1870, this ship had at least 143 crew members, 166 privileged passengers in first class and, above all, a thousand people crammed into the "steerage". Fortunately, the legislation concerning the transatlantic crossing of emigrants had improved since the laws of 1840 and 1850. Before these more protective rules, the consequences of the crossing for the poor migrants could be dramatic, as the hygiene conditions were deplorable and epidemics were frequent. But they all left the Old Continent with hope in their hearts. They had fled famine, misery, religious discrimination and revolutions. So what did this painful journey matter? At the arrival, the hope of a new life in this mythical America was waiting for them. A small, frail hand tugged at the sleeve of her cape. "Maman, when are we arriving?" Blanche looked lovingly at Marguerite, "Soon, my dear. "Reassured, the child hugged her, and her twin sister followed suit. They were dressed warmly: their grandmother Augustine had knitted them large vests and bonnets of the same color. With the money from Roger Dax, her boss, Blanche had bought warm, durable coats for herself and her two daughters from the tailor on Boulevard de la Liberté in Lille. Since the day she received Duncan Vayton's telegram, the young woman had felt as if she were being swept away in a whirlwind. The faces of those she was leaving behind in France appeared to her as a regret: her parents, her brother Georges and especially her eldest child, Germain. Victor Ratier, her husband, had been dead for nearly five years. As for her own heart, it had been buried for a long time in a small village in the North of France, in Erny Saint-Julien. Like hundreds of passengers on deck, Blanche could see the American coastline getting closer and closer. In a few minutes, she would disembark, like all emigrants, at the Emigration Center in Castle Garden**, Manhattan. Her suitcase was ready. Mr. Vayton had insisted that she only pack a few clothes. It was complicated enough to travel with two little girls as young as five. When they arrived in Charleston, she could buy what she and her twins needed, at her boss's expense. Finally, it was time to disembark! With Marguerite and Georgette pressed up against her, Blanche followed the crowd of emigrants, sharing the feeling of being thrown into the unknown. "Maman! Is this America? " Georgette pouted in disappointment as she looked at the austere-looking, circular-shaped fort, which looked menacing. "Don't worry, my little ones. Soon we'll arrive at a nice house. But we have to be good in the meantime. » First, it was necessary to pass the customs formalities. The Captain of the "America" had previously established the list of passengers destined for American customs**. Here again, Blanche Bonsart had an exceptional privilege: in order to prevent her employee from being drowned among the hundreds of asylum seekers gathered in the large amphitheater, the powerful Charleston industrialist had asked his agent to come and greet her upon arrival, carrying a sign so that she would recognize him. As expected, he was there! Blanche breathed a sigh of relief. Duncan Vayton's man of trust guided her into a private office of U.S. Customs. All the documents were ready, including the employment contract with Vayton & Son Limited, her place of residence and, of course, the name of her contact in Charleston. Soon, the little Bonsart Ratier family was officially declared an emigrant of the United States of America. Duncan's employee made sure they had something to eat. He was now in charge of accompanying them to Charleston by train. A little more patience and Blanche Augustine Bonsart would arrive in Charleston! *****************

Charleston, March 21, 1875

The clock was ticking now. Duncan had set his priorities for the day: select the building that would be the headquarters and workshop for "La Mode Duncan," arrange for accommodations for his French employee and her children who would be arriving, and then entertain himself with Rebecca. In reviewing the Vayton & Son Ltd. property list, Duncan noted that there were three buildings in Charleston that had been renovated by his company that would fit his needs. The first house was quickly eliminated. It was a classic Charlestonian single house, but the showrooms would have been too small. The second visit was also disappointing: the colonial-style house was suited to the prestige of "La Mode Duncan" with its high ceilings and large windows. On the other hand, the state rooms would be too close to the sewing room, so the noise of the sewing machines would be disturbing. Tomorrow, his notary will put these buildings up for sale. His last possibility was on the south side of the Battery, near the Magniolas' Mansion! "What a beauty! "Duncan exclaimed as he admired the white building. This venerable antebellum palace was Italianate. It was primarily its asymmetrical "L" shape that set it apart from the others, with its front gable and a two-story, molded-vaulted loggia occupying three-quarters of the facade at the broken-angle end. Instantly, the designer of "La Mode Duncan" had the vision of his models walking around the piazza that encircled three quarters of the building, under the gaze of the invited clients admiring the show from both sides through the French doors in the impressive showroom. What a great show this will be! Because Duncan had already made up his mind, even before he entered the house: Duncan's Fashion USA had its permanent home at 26 South Battery. He passed through the door with sanded windows. An impressive spiral staircase faced him. The vast showrooms, with arches around the windows and room entrances, the waxed parquet floor bringing an authentic warmth to the place, the ceiling moldings reminiscent of Italian architectural motifs, all this ensemble would perfectly embody the luxury and elegance of the "La Mode Duncan" label. An octagonal skylight decorated with stained glass overhung the top of the stairs. Upstairs, smaller, well-lit rooms would be perfect for use as fitting rooms. Other narrower rooms would be used to store accessories and the most beautiful models visible to the privileged clients. His office was already chosen next door. The key architectural element in Duncan's choice of building was the famous "L" shape, which had a building alongside it that would allow the sewing room to operate in large spaces without the noise of the machines interfering with visitors to the showroom. An outbuilding had been added as a continuation. Duncan was pleased to see that these rooms had clearly been converted into separate living quarters. A kitchen, a bathroom, a dining room, and three bedrooms upstairs were perfect. Duncan would ask one of his Magniolas' Mansion housekeepers to freshen up the place. The butler would go in today to stock the little house with food, cleaning supplies and linens. When Blanche and the twins arrive, their beds will be ready!

Satisfied, Duncan headed back to the Magniolas' Mansion. He still had to select from a catalog the latest model of Wheeler and Wilson Sewing Machine Company, which would be shipped from Bridgeport, Connecticut. As for raw materials, and before the Duncan & Harvey mill was operational, the best fabrics from a northern mill would do. He would make the trip this week. He had already placed an order with his partner in France to send him the finest lace, embroidery, silk and organdy. ******************

The young man sighed with satisfaction. Everything was going as he had imagined. Tonight he could finally relax. He walked to a residential street near the Battery. The Widow Mansfield's house was well kept. No sooner had he signaled his presence with the door knocker than a smiling young woman greeted him. Rebecca, her brother John and Duncan had been childhood friends. They spent all their free time at each other's family homes. They were from the same social background, and the plantations of both families were close. As they grew up, the clan was still very close. It was a race to see who could do the most mischief between the two boys of the same age. Rebecca, two years younger than they were, followed them faithfully and shared their games. Later, John and Duncan went to school together. Then time separated them. A fortnight ago, Duncan stumbled across John Paxton on the street. The two old friends hugged loudly, happy to be reunited after all this time. Over a drink, sitting in a tavern, the two men recalled the years they had spent without seeing each other. John had become a shipowner, owning cargo vessels docked at the Battery's port. "Always wanting to be on the high seas! "Duncan commented, tapping his friend on the back of his shoulder. "I could say the same about you, the Parisian! ». John laughed. He was always cheerful. That was one of the qualities Duncan loved about him, a great optimist. Naturally, Duncan asked about his former childhood friend, Rebecca. "My dear sister is well. Should I even confess? She's fine! She is a widow, mind you! » Duncan looked surprised and was about to offer his condolences. But John Paxton stopped him with a wave of his hand. "Frankly, there's nothing to be sorry about. I'm not sad that he died of a heart attack. It was probably a fit of nastiness that took him! "John added wryly. Noting Duncan's raised eyebrows, the young man said, "He put my sister through hell. Jealousy, greed, and violence. In short, he had all the faults. It made my heart ache to see how unhappy Rebecca was under him. When he died four years ago, no one mourned him. Especially not his wife! » So Rebecca was free now... Duncan stared at his friend, smiling. They knew each other so well. I'd love to see her again. Did she go back to live with your parents? » "No, she kept her late husband's house. Let it at least serve her for something. » Duncan laughed under his breath. Good John, generous to everyone, had made an exception for his brother-in-law. "I was just about to go see her. Do you want to go with me? » And that's how he had found Rebecca. With the same pleasure as when they were teenagers. In fact, more pleasure because Rebecca was even more attractive than he remembered. The clan of the three had reformed. Then Duncan twice invited Rebecca to the restaurant and the theater. Their exchanges were full of gaiety and connivance. On the evening of March 21, 1875, his childhood friend invited him home for dinner. The young woman jumped on Duncan's neck in a natural way, recapturing the closeness of their teenage years. After a light meal, they enjoyed coffee in the living room. Duncan simply poured himself a glass of whiskey. "How good we are together! Don't you think so? " Rebecca relaxed in a shepherdess, and looked at her childhood friend with laughing eyes. "Sure, you know you're even prettier than you were at fifteen? "Duncan's blue eyes played with his young friend's gray ones. She made a small modest moue. The widow knew she was pretty and had never lacked for admirers. She had only made one mistake in her life, marrying Henry Mansfield. He was rich, of course, and she had inherited a substantial sum from him. Since his death, she felt like she could breathe again. She was enjoying life. And the admiring glances of the men in her world. After having been so constrained by a tyrannical husband, and recluse without being able to visit her friends, Rebecca had decided to enjoy her widow status as a free woman. Oh, very elegantly and discreetly, of course! Her birth and education as a lady of Charleston's good society did not allow her to display too much misbehavior. But one also knew how to be discreet in her world. She had had two affairs in the last four years. "In fact, nothing very captivating! " thought internally the young woman. "A stunt to pass the time. » But it would be different with Duncan Vayton if.... "Duncan, you know, I've never forgotten the afternoons we spent by the lake. How carefree the three of us were. Do you remember that? "She looked wistfully at her guest. Duncan felt like he was floating. The whiskey, of course, was working. But not only that. With Rebecca, golden years flashed before his eyes. And early teenage emotions... "Becca, I haven't forgotten anything. "He used the nickname from their childhood. "Especially not a certain stormy day when you and I had to take shelter in the lean-to by the riverbank. "Duncan's voice became more and more caressing. The blond curls of Rebecca had released from its bun. One of her had rested on her breast. With amusement, he compared it with the small breasts which he had caressed that day, under the rain. They had exchanged a real kiss for the first time. There had been many others before, behind a bush, in a corridor, but all that remained quite childish, like a slightly more demonstrative embrace. But, the fury of the storm had brutally stimulated their nascent envy. The caresses had become lascivious. Who knows what would have happened if John had not come to join them at that moment? Rebecca's cheeks reddened at this mention. Not because of embarrassment, but because she remembered her emotion, as if it was yesterday. An emotion which has just reappeared, even more violent. "How handsome he is! " thought she. Even as a child, she admired him. She adored him. Duncan, with his blonde hair, was her sunshine. As she grew up, she didn't even mind the other male friends who wanted to play with her. There was only Duncan. Then there was that first unsettling kiss in the lean-to. And then there were many more which followed. John was not fooled and had well understood the maneuver of his two companions. My goodness! He could see himself becoming Duncan Vayton's brother-in-law. And then the visits between the two teenagers became more and more frequent, as they were received by one family or another. So much so that the Vaytons and Paxtons began to dream.... It would be a beautiful alliance, that was certain. When Duncan and John went off to boarding school to study, it was a heartbreaker for Rebecca. As soon as the vacations rolled around, the sun came back out with Duncan's blond hair. The caresses between the two youngs became more precise and insistent. With a glass in his hand, sitting in the widow Mansfield's living room, Duncan mused as he moistened his lips, "I'd like to compare your little breasts from before with those of today..." It was at that precise moment that their eyes met. Duncan stood up, and without a word, walked up to his hostess, brushing against her. Rebecca shivered. "How is it possible to feel the same attraction as sixteen years ago? As if we had left each other yesterday? "She hadn't realized she'd spoken aloud. Duncan's azure eyes grew deeper. "Becca, you're more gorgeousl as ever. When I thought of Charleston, back in Paris, I saw your beautiful gray eyes again. "With one hand, he wrapped his arms around her shoulder. With the other, he lifted her chin and kissed her gently. With ardor, Rebecca answered his kiss. She had the impression to live a dream. After some languid embracing, Duncan stopped and bowed his head. "What is it? "the young woman asked. Her lifelong friend looked her squarely in the eye: "I have never lied to you, you know that. When we were young, I felt an immense tenderness for you. But I left because I didn't want to get married. I was too young. I even confessed to you that I didn't imagine one day committing myself. » "I know, I remember," Rebecca had lowered her head before Duncan caught her expression of sadness. "Unfortunately, I haven't changed my mind on that. I can even tell you that I will never marry. I am too used to my independence. And yet, you know that, as before, I am attracted to you. But you deserve the truth. I care about you too much. » Then, Rebecca looked him in the eyes. She clasped her hands around his neck and kissed him fiercely. When they caught their breath, she confidently stated: "My darling, I too love my freedom. I have been deprived of it too much. No more marital constraints, that's fine with me. We get along so well, Duncan. And... I betrayed myself earlier by speaking out loud. So you know how I feel. Why don't we both take advantage of our physical attraction and our immense closeness to enjoy life? No one would need to know. What do you think? "Her voice had softened a bit, for fear that Duncan wouldn't believe her detachment. In response, Duncan lifted her in his arms and laid her back on the couch. The friend-lovers had just rekindled the flame of adolescence. ****************

In the morning, after a cheerful breakfast, Duncan Vayton kissed Rebecca tenderly and left the Mansfield’s house. He had many things to do, including contacting his business agent in Charleston to let him know that Vayton's fashion house was hiring, and that they were looking for serious, experienced, motivated workers. It was only in the evening that James drove Duncan to the train station to greet the French woman and her two children. When he appeared on the platform, two little girls rushed towards him. "Tonton Duncan, Tonton Duncan! "(uncle), and they took turns kissing him. Blanche looked at them with a tender look. A great breath of happiness came over her. Then Duncan stood up and kissed the young woman on both cheeks. "At last, Blanche, you're here! I've been waiting for you because we have work to do! And I need my best seamstress to take over the sewing room. Welcome to America, Miss Blanche! » Duncan gave her his best smile. He was sure now that "La Mode Duncan" was well on its way, with the help of his loyal assistant.

***************** Notes on chapter 8 :

The Compagnie Générale Transatlantique was created in 1855 by the brothers Emile and Isaac Péreire. Transatlantic ship: first called Empress Eugenie PSS (1865~1871) America SS (until 1895) Built by the Chantier de l'Atlantique de Penhoët in Saint Nazaire. Inaugurated on April 23, 1864. Originally, she was 105.63 meters long, 13.41 meters wide, with a tonnage of 3,200 tons. Iron hull, two masts, with a speed of 12 knots. On February 16, 1865, it made its first crossing from Saint-Nazaire to Vera Cruz. In 1873, it was extended to 121.91 meters, with a tonnage of 4,585 tons. The first voyage from Le Havre to New York was resumed on 13 March 1875. No luck! In December 1875, she broke her propeller shaft while leaving, and had to be towed again to Ireland. In 1876, it was equipped with a lighthouse and electric light on the outside. She ran aground again on January 7, 1877 at Seabright, New Jersey, and was refloated on April 10. She resumed her transatlantic crossing on August 11, 1877. On May 1, 1886, she made her last trip from Le Havre to New York, and then moved on to the Le Havre - Panama route. In 1888, electric light was installed inside the ship. Finally, on January 28, 1895, it ran aground in Savanilla to be transformed into a wreck. Sources: Noel Reginald Pixell, wrecksite. Castle Garden, New York: the first emigration center, originally a military fort. This reception center was created in 1855 in order to prevent unscrupulous employees or swindlers from accosting emigrants upon their arrival in this unknown country in order to offer them lodging, shelter, and, ultimately, to swindle them. Custom passenger list.

Author : Arlette Dambron

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Disclaimers : I do not own the story and characters of Gone with the Wind, which belong to Margaret Mitchell. I have created the "world" of Duncan Vayton and Blanche Bonsart.

#fanfiction, #GWTW fanfiction, #GWTW fantic, #Gone with the Wind fanfiction, #end of Gone with the Wind, #migrants, #migration USA, #migration from Europe, #French roots, #french ancestors, #transatlantic trips, #transatlantic boats, #Castle Garden, #Charleston, #Battery house, #steerage class, #french boats

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Eugénie impératrice