Parlez-vous Francais: Celebrating France and the French. Online exhibition, University of Otago Library, Dunedin, New Zealand

'Tout homme a deux pays, le sien et puis la France' ('Every man has two countries - his own and France.') – Charlemagne, in Henri de Bornier's La Fille de Roland (1875)

The Republic of France extends from the Mediterranean (Marseilles) to the English Channel (St Brieux) and North Sea (Calais); from the Rhine (near Besançon) to the Atlantic Ocean (Bordeaux). It also takes in areas such as French Guiana and Guadeloupe. 'France' today is formed by 18 regions; some 643,801 square kilometres. The country is broken down to 102 départements (like Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Normandy, and Brittany) that are divided into communes, which in 2013, numbered 36,681 (Paris, the country's capital city, is a commune as well as a département). In 2017, the population of France and its overseas regions was almost 67 million. Diversity reigns within this wide urban and rural spread: social and religious cultures, language, historical development, politics. Indeed, General Charles de Gaulle once said: 'How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?'

'Parlez-vous français? Celebrating France & the French' reflects the country's variety: French printing; the reign of Louis XIV; works by dramatists Corneille and Dumas; an original Voltaire letter; maps of Paris; food and fashion; science; travel; novels by Rabelais, Hugo, and Camus; and poetry by Baudelaire and Apollinaire. In addition, a suite of engravings of New Zealand birds drawn by French artists. Except for a few items from private collections, all of the materials on display are from Special Collections. Profitez-en!

Exhibition

État Général des Postes du Royaume de France

The Republic of France extends from the English Channel (St. Brieux) and North Sea (Calais) to the Mediterranean (Marseilles); from the Rhine (near Besançon) to the Atlantic Ocean (Bordeaux). 'France' also includes overseas areas such as French Guiana and Guadeloupe. The country is formed by 18 regions, some 643,801 square kilometres. These regions (like Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Brittany) are broken down into 102 départements and then further to communes, which in 2013, numbered 36,681 (Paris, the country's capital city, is a commune as well as a département). In 2017, the population of France and its overseas regions was almost 67 million. This map details the 86 départements that made up France in 1816, the year after Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated at Waterloo. Each département was usually named after a physical feature such as a river or mountain. P.A.F. Tardieu, a member of a family of famous French engravers, produced the map.

___, État Général des Postes du Royaume de France. Paris: Imprimerie Royale, 1816. De Beer Fb 1816 F

Les Belles Heures de Duc de Berry

The French are very proud of their culture and cultural heritage. Indeed, since the earliest times – through their art, architecture, music, and literature – they have played a pivotal role in the development of 'western culture'. One such iconic treasure created in France is the Les Belles Heures du Duc de Berry, perhaps one of the most famous Book of Hours in the world. Dutch painters Herman, John and Paul Limbourg were commissioned by John of Berry (1340-1416), a superb patron of the arts, to create this beautiful work. It was completed by another artist and Jean Colombe in 1485. The manuscript is now in The Cloisters library in New York. Just two of the 94 full-page illuminations are on display: the 'Adoration of the Magi' and 'Flight into Egypt'.

[Jean Colombe], Les Belles Heures de Duc de Berry. London: Thames and Hudson, 1959, facsimile (original 1485). Special Collections ND3363 B5 N48 1959

Paris: Vues Artistiques et Panoramiques

Cover image.

___, Paris: Vues Artistiques et Panoramiques. Paris: Papeghin, 1950. Brasch Pamphlets B1.23

Paris: Vues Artistiques et Panoramiques

'Imagine for a moment a giddy, ridiculous tower dominating Paris like a gigantic black smokestack, crushing under its barbaric bulk Notre Dame, the Tour Saint-Jacques, the Louvre, the Dome of Les Invalides, the Arc de Triomphe, all of our humiliated monuments will disappear in this ghastly dream…'. So appeared this comment in Le Temps on 14 February 1887 on what is perhaps today the cultural icon of Paris – and France: the Eiffel Tower. Conceived by engineers Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier, and finally patented by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923), this 324-metre structure was constructed between 1887–89 as the entrance to the Exposition Universelle, a world's fair held to celebrate the centennial of the French Revolution. The Tower is one of the most visited monuments in the world; 6.91 million ascended it in 2015.

___, Paris: Vues Artistiques et Panoramiques. Paris: Papeghin, 1950. Brasch Pamphlets B1.23

Fables

'[His] Fables are like a basket of strawberries. You begin by selecting the largest and best, but, little by little, you eat first one, then another, till at last the basket is empty'. So wrote the famed memorialist Madame de Sévigné (1626–1696) on Jean de La Fontaine's Fables, produced in several volumes from 1668 to 1694. The 239 stories – many of them morality tales that highlight the foibles of human nature – derive from classical fabulists such as Aesop and Phaedrus, earlier French writers like Rabelais and Clément Marot, and from the East, like this one: 'The Bear and the Gardener' (L'ours et l'amateur des jardins), a tale warning against making foolish friendships. La Fontaine's work is a classic and requires little enhancement. However, in 1868, Gustave Doré (1832-1883), the French artist, produced his timeless illustrations for the text. This is a late 19th century English language reprint.

Jean de La Fontaine, Fables. London: Cassell, Petter, and Galpin, c. 1870. Special Collections PQ1811 E3 TG35

Book of Hours

Almost every good house in France owned a Book of Hours, a necessary devotional work. Manuscript copies were expensive, yet with the advent of the printing press, these works made the easy transition, ultimately becoming a little less expensive and available to more readers; almost 800 separate editions were printed in Europe before 1530. All the necessary accoutrements of the medieval manuscript – miniatures, capitals, and border decorations – were printed with moveable type and metal plates, and in this single sheet example – printed on vellum (calf skin). The rubrication (the red and blue ink) was added by hand. This exquisite work was executed by Germain or Gillet Hardouyn, medieval manuscript 'illuminators' as well as printers based in Paris in the early 16th century.

Hardouyn, Book of Hours. France: Hardouyn, c. 1524. De Beer Fc 1524 Ca

De Philosophia

In 1470, the Rector of the Sorbonne invited three German printers to set up a printing press at the University and produce student textbooks. This was fifteen years after Gutenberg printed his famous Bible. Following in his father's footsteps, the Parisian Robert I Estienne (1503–1559; known as Robertus Stephanus) took up printing. In 1539, he became 'typographer Royal', having produced many fine works, especially those by the Church Fathers and classical writers. In fact, the reign of François I (1515-1547) is called the 'Golden Age of French typography'. In 1550, Estienne fled to Geneva, and was the first to divide the chapters of the Bible into numbered verses. This less than elegant Cicero is one of his small format Parisian productions.

Marcus Tullius Cicero, De Philosophia. [Paris]: Ex officina Roberti Stephani typographi regij, 1543. De Beer Fb 1543 C

Les Oeuvres

In March 1476, Guillaume LeRoy finished the printing of Jean de Vigne's La légende dorée, a French translation of Jacobus de Voragine's Legenda aurea sanctorum. This was the first book printed in the French language. Importantly, it was executed in Lyon, the one city that rivalled Paris in the burgeoning print industry in France. The town boasted such masters as Johann Treschel; Johann Klein; Sebastian Greyff, and type designers like Robert Granjon. One 16th century printer was Benoist Rigaud, famed for printing Les Propheties by Nostradamus in 1568. Here is a less controversial publication, the works of Philippe Desportes (1546-1606), a courtier poet famed for sonnets and elegies; many in an imitative Italian style.

Philippe Desportes, Les Oeuvres. Lyon: Benoist Rigaud, 1593. Shoults Fb 1593 D

The Complete French Master. For Ladies and Gentlemen

In 1539, the Edict of Villers-Cotterêts established that French was the official language for legal documents in France. In the 17th century, it became the language of diplomacy and international relations. Surpassed by English in the 19th century, it remains – at least to romantics – the language of love. There is now a 'standard French', which in many cases replaces the regional dialects such as langue d'oc (in the south), langue d'oïl (north), and Gallo (the Celtic Breton area). In his dedication to this eight edition of The Complete French Master, Abel Boyer (c.1667-1729), an Anglo-French lexicographer, writes that French was 'reckoned part of a genteel education'. Many of the 80-90 million native speakers of French today would heartily agree.

Abel Boyer, The Complete French Master. For Ladies and Gentlemen. Edinburgh: Printed for J. Bell, [and 3 others], 1776. De Beer Sb 1776 B

Histoire de France, depuis Faramond jusqu'au Regne de Louis le Juste….Vol. I

Clovis I (466-511) became the first King of the Frankish Empire aged 15. He and his army would go on to unite the whole of Gaul under Merovingian rule, and with the help of his sons, he expanded the Empire into Germany and Northern Italy. Clovis converted to Christianity in 496 after his saintly wife, Clothilde (475-545), introduced him to Catholicism. This would prove to be the beginning of a long relationship between the French monarchy and the Catholic Church. Just before his death in 511, he made Paris his capital. Today, Clovis is thought by the French to be the original founder of France.

François de Mézeray, Histoire de France, depuis Faramond jusqu'au Regne de Louis le Juste….Vol. I. Paris: Denys Thierry, Jean Guignard, Claude Barbin, 1685. De Beer Fc 1685 M

The Sun King and his Loves

Louis XIV (1638-1715), the Sun King, ascended the throne aged four after the death of his father, Louis XIII. He married his Spanish cousin, Marie Thérèse (d. 1683), in 1660, and despite his usual strict adherence to Church rules, he kept three long-term mistresses in his lifetime, by whom he fathered around 18 children - few survived childhood. Purportedly, Louis had a 'vigorous physique' and he was 'hands on' in the development of the gardens at Versailles, the palace that is his most visible legacy. A man of opposites, Louis loved hunting and was an excellent horseman; but he also danced in ballets and was prone to weeping at the 'drop of the hat'. Louis XIV's reign lasted 72 years – one of the longest in European history.

Lucy Norton, The Sun King and his Loves. London: The Folio Society, 1982. Every effort has been made to trace copyright ownership and to obtain permission for reproduction. If you believe you are the copyright owner of an item on this site, and we have not requested your permission, please contact us at special.collections@otago.ac.nz. Special Collections DC126 NV92

Le Cid, Tragedie

One of the greatest 17th century French dramatists was Pierre Corneille (1606–1684). His first play was a comedy called Mélite, which gave him some success when it was performed in Paris in 1630. His El Cid, produced in 1636 and considered his masterpiece, broke theatrical conventions of unity of time, place, and action. This 'tragicomedy' was judged dramatically implausible and morally defective by Cardinal Richelieu and his 'cultural watchdog', the Académie française. Public performances of El Cid were suppressed. Later editions, like this 1692 publication, were termed 'tragedy' and printed as such.

Pierre Corneille, Le Cid, Tragedie. Paris: Suivant la copie imprimée, 1664. De Beer Fb 1692 C

Médée Tragedie

Here is the engraved frontispiece for Médée, Pierre Corneille's first true tragedy, produced in 1635.

Pierre Corneille, Médée Tragedie. Paris: Suivant la copie imprimée, 1664. De Beer Fb 1664 C

Le Virgile Travesty en Vers Burlesques

In 1652, the poet and dramatist Paul Scarron (c.1610-1660) married Françoise d'Aubigné, who later, as Madame de Maintenon, secretly married Louis XIV. Although crippled and confined to bed, Scarron's reputation was boosted by his famous salon gatherings, and his literary outputs, mainly comedies and burlesques such as Jodelet, ou le Maître Valet (Jodelet, or the Valet as Master, 1645) and Roman Comique (1651-1657), which is regarded as his best work. In his own day, his Virgile Travesti (1648-1653), a parody of the Aeneid, was highly regarded. This elegant production of 1655, with its engraved frontispiece, reflects something of its past standing. Today this satiric 'travesty' is little read.

Paul Scarron, Le Virgile Travesty en Vers Burlesques. Paris: Guillaume de Luyne, 1655. De Beer Fb 1655 S

The Works…French and English

Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (1622-1673) adopted the name 'de Molière' in 1643, after dropping law studies for the theatre. He was a hard-working actor-manager, who produced masterpieces such as L'École des Femmes (1662); Tartuffe (1664); Le Misanthrope (1666); and Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (1670). His L'Amour Médecin (Love Is the Doctor) was 'a sketch, a little impromptu' that was presented by order of Louis XIV at Versailles on 22 September 1655. He was famous for attacking hypocrisy; the medical fraternity are the target in this play. He has one medico (Filerin) state the position: 'Thanks to Heaven people are infatuated with us, so let us not disabuse them, let us profit from their stupidity'. Molière, whom Voltaire called the 'painter of France', was a true master of comedy. This bi-lingual edition is a later printing of 1755.

Molière, The Works…French and English. London: Printed for D. Browne …and A. Millar, 1755. De Beer Eb 1755 M

La Gallerie des Femmes

Joan of Arc (1412-1431), seen here under the title La Pucelle d'Orléans ('The Virgin of Orléans'), experienced visions of saints from a young age. These compelled her to fervently support Charles VII's bid for the crown during the Hundred Years' War against England. Be it through military prowess or divine right, Joan claimed victory for the French at the siege of Orléans. Two years later, aged 19, she was captured by the English and burnt at the stake under the contrived conviction of 'cross-dressing'. In the posthumous retrial of 1456, she was declared innocent. Joan was canonised as a patron saint of France in 1920.

Pierre Le Moyne, La Gallerie des Femmes. Paris: Compagnie des Marchands Libraires du Palais, 1665. De Beer Fb 1665 L

Marie Antoinette. The Journey

Although born into the Austrian royal family, Marie Antoinette's (1755-1793) infamous position as the 'Last Queen of France' immortalised her as an icon of French history. Marked by opulence and profligacy, her reign over France eventuated through her marriage to King Louis XVI (1754–1793). Dubbed Madame Déficit because of her infamous spending habits, she was one of the catalysts of the French Revolution, which ultimately led to the bloody downfall of the French dynastic line.

Antonia Fraser, Marie Antoinette. The Journey. New York: Nan A. Talese; Doubleday , 2001. Every effort has been made to trace copyright ownership and to obtain permission for reproduction. If you believe you are the copyright owner of an item on this site, and we have not requested your permission, please contact us at special.collections@otago.ac.nz. Central DC 137.1 FU25

Bibliothèque de campagne, ou, Amusemens de l'esprit et du coeur. Vol. V

La Princesse de Clèves (above) is credited as France's first historical-psychological novel, marking a significant departure from the flimsy romances of old. Although first published anonymously in 1678, the work was later attributed to Madame de La Fayette (1634-1693), a prolific French novelist. While her years in the Austrian royal court formed her literary education, it was La Fayette's time at the French court, and her fascination with the past king, Henry II, that became the basis for La Princesse de Clèves. The novel, a tale of adultery, was noted for its historical accuracy and scandalous intrigue.

___, Bibliothèque de campagne, ou, Amusemens de l'esprit et du coeur. Vol. V. [Brussels]: Benoit Le Francq, 1785. Shoults Lb 1785 B

The Modern Housewife, or Ménagère

Flamboyant French chef Alexis Soyer (1810-58) found fame in Victorian England. Apprenticed to a Paris restaurant aged 11, he moved to England in 1830. He became famous for catering lavish banquets, and in 1837, he designed the iconic kitchen at the newly established Reform Club in London. Soyer published numerous cookbooks, invented kitchen equipment, and produced branded merchandise. An altruistic man, he worked with the British government to feed the starving Irish during the Great Famine (1847). He also contributed to the war effort in the Crimea, alongside Florence Nightingale. Soyer's cookbook, Modern Housewife, takes the form of an epistolary recipe exchange between two fictitious housewives, Eloise and Hortense.

Alexis Soyer, The Modern Housewife, or Ménagère. London: Simpkin Marshall & Co., 1853. Special Collections TX717 SQ33

The Modern Housewife, or Ménagère

Engraving of Alexis Soyer, famous French chef.

Alexis Soyer, The Modern Housewife, or Ménagère. London: Simpkin Marshall & Co., 1853. Special Collections TX717 SQ33

The Costume History: From Ancient Times to the 19th Century

Fashion, as a modern concept, had its beginnings in 18th century Enlightenment Europe, particularly at the French Court. Marie Antoinette (1755-93), the extravagant wife of Louis XVI, set the standard for what was considered fashionable; these fashions then radiated out across the rest of Europe. Auguste Racinet's Costume History contains examples of the 'over-the-top' styles popularised by Marie Antoinette – impractical wigs and headwear (les poufs) worn with elaborate dresses. Today, Paris is still at the very centre of all things fashionable.

Auguste Racinet, The Costume History: From Ancient Times to the 19th Century. [Germany]: Taschen With kind permission © 2015 TASCHEN GmbH, Hohenzollernring 53, D-50672 Köln, www.taschen.com, 2015. Special Collections GT510 R27413 2015

Rose Bertin: The Creator of Fashion at the Court of Marie-Antoinette

Before Chanel, Dior, or Lacroix, there was Rose Bertin (1747-1813). Bertin trained as a milliner. Through her contacts at the Royal Court, she supplied 'dresses and finery' to Marie Antoinette after her arrival in France to marry the Dauphin in 1770. Bertin was responsible for many of the iconic fashions of the times, made famous by the Queen. One design in particular was a pouf that depicted the bizarre, contemporary scene of Louis XVI's inoculation against smallpox. In Langlade's biography of the celebrated Bertin, he describes Marie Antoinette's reign as 'one of futility and chiffon'. Unfortunately, the Queen's love of extravagance fanned the flames of the Revolution that would be her downfall.

Émile Langlade, Rose Bertin: The Creator of Fashion at the Court of Marie-Antoinette. London: John Long, 1913. Central DC137.5 L865

Itinerarium Galliae…

German-born traveller, Justus Zinzerling (c.1580-1632), wrote and published a detailed itinerary of his travels in France and Europe in the early 17th century. In it, he describes leaving Strasbourg in 1612 on the first leg of his four-year journey. Zinzerling advises leaving in the spring of the first year and returning in the autumn of the fourth year; he also informs the reader of the best places to overwinter. In conversational Latin, he outlines each region's weather, food, drink, people, language, transport, and accommodation options. On his travels, Zinzerling visited Nancy, a town on the banks of the Meurthe River, in northeast France.

Jodocus Sincerus [Justus Zinzerling], Itinerarium Galliae… . [Amsterdam: Jodocus Jansonius], 1655. De Beer Lb 1655 Z

Letters Written During a Tour through Normandy, Britanny, and Other Parts of France, in 1818…

In 1818, novelist Anna Bray (née Kempe, 1790-1883) married her painting tutor, Charles Stothard, and the pair honeymooned in France. Charles's artistic pursuits took them off the beaten track and Anna wrote letters home to her mother of her travels. While in Rennes, the capital city of Brittany, she complains of the terrible road conditions but describes the town as 'clean' and 'modern'. Charles provided the engravings for her book; this one depicts some 'natives' of Brittany in traditional dress; note the clogs which were usually worn without socks or stockings, but stuffed with straw to prevent chafing. Anna uncharitably describes the 'common people' of Brittany as 'rude', 'uncivilised' and living in 'filth and misery'.

Mrs Charles Stothard (Anna Eliza Bray), Letters Written During a Tour through Normandy, Britanny, and Other Parts of France, in 1818… . London: Longman, et al.,, 1820. Special Collections DC27 B78 1820

Guide Pittoresque, Portatif et Complet du Voyageur en France

Published by the famed Didot firm, this portable guide to travelling France's postal routes gives detailed descriptions of 'des villes, des bourgs, des villages, et généralement de tous les lieux remarquables de la France' – 'cities, market towns, villages, and generally all of the remarkable places in France'. This engraving shows the spring in Fontaine de Vaucluse, a small town 25 kilometres from Avignon in the southeast of France. Vaucluse literally means 'closed valley', and it is at the end of the valley that the famous spring – 'fontaine' – is located, the biggest in France. Every year 630 million cubic metres of water flows from the spring, the bottom of which has never been ascertained. The little town is still a popular tourist destination today.

[Pierre Girault], Guide Pittoresque, Portatif et Complet du Voyageur en France. Paris: Didot, 1840. De Beer Fb 1840 G

The Heroic Deeds of Gargantua and Pantagruel

An English language version of Rabelais's, Gargantua and Pantagruel.

François Rabelais, The Heroic Deeds of Gargantua and Pantagruel. London: Angus and Robertson Every effort has been made to trace copyright ownership and to obtain permission for reproduction. If you believe you are the copyright owner of an item on this site, and we have not requested your permission, please contact us at special.collections@otago.ac.nz , 1951. Special Collections

Oeuvres de Maitre François Rabelais. Vol. II

'The Two-horse Tumbrel of Salvation'; 'The Codpiece of the Law'; 'The Slippers or Pantofles of the Decretals'; 'The Pomegranate of Vice' are just a few of the titles Pantagruel finds in the library of St Victor in Paris. Others follow in Book II, Chapter VII, of François Rabelais's (c.1490-1553) bawdy, grotesque, inventive, and 'gigantic' Gargantua and Pantagruel, which spewed forth from the pen of this doctor-monk between 1532 and 1564. The work was condemned by the Church and the faculty at the Sorbonne in Paris. Rabelais's unique literary legacy is without peer.

François Rabelais, Oeuvres de Maitre François Rabelais. Vol. II. Amsterdam: Henri Bordesius, 1725. De Beer Lb 1725 R

Essayes…done into English…by John Florio

The Bordeaux-based Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1533–1592) invented the essay format. His Essais (Essays), digressive self-reflective musings covering everything from 'Smels and odours', 'Friendship', and 'Of Exercise or Practise', to (as here) 'Of Idleness' and 'Of Lyars', were first published in French between 1580 and 1588. In 1603, John Florio (1553-1625), language tutor at the Court of James I, translated them into English. This is the second English edition of 1613. In the past, those influenced by Montaigne's Essays have included fellow Frenchmen Descartes, Pascal, and Rousseau.

Michel de Montaigne, Essayes…done into English…by John Florio. London: Printed by Melch. Bradwood for Edward Blount and William Barret, 1613. De Beer Ec 1613 M

Histoire Naturelle. Vol. I

Georges-Louis Leclerc, the Comte de Buffon (1707-1788), was a French mathematician, naturalist, and cosmologist. His influence on revolutionary scientific thought at the time of the French Enlightenment was invaluable. His Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière was a 36-volume treatise on the intricacies of countless branches of scientific endeavour. The work presented ground-breaking ideas on evolution and climate change, and frequently placed Buffon at odds with theological societies. In this particular volume, Buffon outlines his theory on the origin of the Earth, concluding it to be 70,000 years older than the date officially sanctioned by the Church.

Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, Histoire Naturelle. Vol. I. Paris: De l'Imprimerie Royale, 1769. De Beer Fb 1769 B

Nouveaux Élémens des Mathématiques, ou Principes Généraux de Toutes les Sciences, Qui ont les grandeurs pour objet. Vol. I

Jean Prestet's (1648-1690) textbook Elémens des Mathématiques is a pivotal work that encapsulates the progress of knowledge, and immortalises France's contribution to the mathematical world. Prestet's decisive rejection of geometry in favour of modern algebra was indicative of a societal move towards the knowledge of modernity. Elémens crucially includes a proof of Descartes' rule of signs, with this revised and expanded edition providing early modern work on the fundamental theorem of arithmetic, as first indicated by Euclid in c. 300 BC.

Jean Prestet, Nouveaux Élémens des Mathématiques, ou Principes Généraux de Toutes les Sciences, Qui ont les grandeurs pour objet. Vol. I. Paris: André Pralard, 1689. De Beer Fb 1689 P

The Naturalist's Library: Entomology, Vol. 5, Foreign Butterflies

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) lived a life defined by a scrupulous dedication to science. Studying botany, he eventually came under the patronage of the Comte de Buffon and was initiated as a Royal Botanist. After the Revolution, he was made Professor of Invertebrates (a term he coined). As a professor, Lamarck developed his evolutionary theory of characteristic inheritance. While his theory (Lamarckism) has been disproved, it was a crucial moment of enlightened scientific defiance. Although he would die impoverished, Lamarck is known today as a revolutionary biologist and taxonomist.

James Duncan, The Naturalist's Library: Entomology, Vol. 5, Foreign Butterflies. Edinburgh: W. H. Lizars, 1837. De Beer Sb 1833 N E5

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Vol. I

Jules Gabriel Verne (1828-1905) was born into an affluent family in Nantes in western France; his father was a lawyer. Verne studied law but never really practiced, preferring to pursue a career as a writer. His passion for science, technology, and geography led his research at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris; what he discovered on new developments in these fields informed his fiction writing. Often called the 'Father of Science Fiction', Verne wrote 'future possibilities' into his works; many of which came true, like videoconferencing and tasers. This English translation of his seminal work, 'Vingt mille lieues sous les mers', was originally published in serial form from March 1869 to June 1870.

Jules Verne, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Vol. I. London: George Routledge & Sons, 1876. Special Collections PQ2469 V4 A24 1876

New Zealand 1826-1827 from the French of Dumont D'Urville

Jules Dumont d'Urville (1790-1842) was educated at home by his uncle and was a prodigious scholar with a phenomenal memory – Plutarch, Virgil, and Racine counted amongst his favourite authors. In a time of 'long distance voyages of discovery', d'Urville joined the Navy in 1807, and set off aboard Coquille on his first circumnavigation of the globe in 1822. Apart from his cartographic skills, he was a knowledgeable naturalist and gifted linguist, which stood him in good stead to lead his own global expedition aboard Astrolabe from 1826 to 1829. He and his crew spent a great deal of time in the South Pacific, especially New Zealand. Some of the specimens collected on this voyage are still in the Natural History Museum in Paris.

Jules-Sébastien-César Dumont d'Urville, New Zealand 1826-1827 from the French of Dumont D'Urville. [Wellington]: Printed by the Wingfield Press for Olive Wright, 1950. Brasch DU419 DW27

The Voyage of the 'Why Not?' in the Antarctic. The Journal of the Second French South Polar Expedition, 1908-1910

Doctor and explorer, Jean Charcot (1867-1936), first sailed into the Antarctic in 1903 aboard Français. After consulting with other polar explorers like Bruce and Shackleton, Charcot set off on his second voyage into the Antarctic on the Pourquoi-pas? in 1908. Aboard ship were 30 men, 250 tons of coal, various pieces of scientific apparatus, provisions for three years, a dozen sledges, and several pairs of skis. Boat and crew wintered over on the SE coast of Petermann Island on the Antarctic Peninsula. Despite 'violent and continual attacks of Antarctic tempests' they carried out scientific observations and collected data. Despite experiencing some sickness, all survived and returned to France in June 1910.

Jean Charcot, The Voyage of the 'Why Not?' in the Antarctic. The Journal of the Second French South Polar Expedition, 1908-1910. London: Hodder and Stoughton, [1911]. Special Collections G850 1908 F8 CF29

Lettres nouvelles ou nouvellement recouvrées de la Marquise de Sévigné, et de la Marquise de Simiane, sa petit-fille

Loneliness was the cause for Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné (1626–1696) to begin her correspondence with her daughter, Mme de Grignan. And the world is much richer because of it. Madame de Sévigné's letters provide a very rich source on 17th century French life, including juicy social commentary, who was in or out of favour at the Court, local (Paris) and national events, her household management activities, and even her taste in reading. Starting on the 8th January 1681, this French aristocrat wrote in total some 1700 letters. This Dutch printing has a delightful engraving of 'Madame', who was surely a forerunner to England's famous gossip, Horace Walpole.

Marie de Rabutin-Chantal Sévigné, Lettres nouvelles ou nouvellement recouvrées de la Marquise de Sévigné, et de la Marquise de Simiane, sa petit-fille. [Maastricht]: Jean-Edme Dufour, 1774. De Beer Lb 1774 S

Letter to George Conrad Walther, 8 July 1752 in Collection Complète des Oeuvres Mr. de Voltaire. Vol. I

In 1718, after his imprisonment in the Bastille, François-Marie Arouet (1694-1778) adopted the pen-name Voltaire. He continued to be a thorn in the side of government, the Catholic Church, and other French institutions, satirising them in many of his plays, poems, and political essays. He was also a prolific letter writer, and this original manuscript letter (8 July 1752), tipped inside volume 1 of his Collected Works, is one of some 20,000 written over a long literary career. The letter is to Dresden printer Georg Conrad Walther concerning his own Le Siècle de Louis XIV (The Age of Louis XIV), of 1751. It was first published in the journal AUMLA (November 1965) by R. G. Stone, a former Professor of French at the University of Otago.

Voltaire, Letter to George Conrad Walther, 8 July 1752 in Collection Complète des Oeuvres Mr. de Voltaire. Vol. I. [Geneva: Cramer], 1768. De Beer Swc 1768 V

Letter to George Conrad Walther, 8 July 1752 in Collection Complète des Oeuvres Mr. de Voltaire. Vol. I

The back page of a letter from Voltaire to George Conrad Walter.

Voltaire, Letter to George Conrad Walther, 8 July 1752 in Collection Complète des Oeuvres Mr. de Voltaire. Vol. I. , 1768. De Beer Swc 1768 V

Candide, Or, Optimism

This delightful illustration by the French artist Sylvain Sauvage (actually Félix Roy, 1888-1948, one time director of École Estienne), greatly enhances the text of Voltaire's most famous novel, Candide. Published almost simultaneously in five countries in early 1759, the satire was promptly banned. The book is famous for its ultimate theme: 'we must cultivate our garden'; in contrast to the Leibnizian optimism, taught to the protagonist, Candide as a young man, that 'all is for the best'. Voltaire died on the 30th May 1778. In 1791, he was enshrined in the Panthéon in Paris that is now a resting place for the remains of many distinguished French citizens.

Voltaire, Candide, Or, Optimism. London: Nonesuch Press, 1939. Special Collections PQ2082 C3 E5 1939

The Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle. Vol. XXX

___, The Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle. Vol. XXX. London: Printed for D. Henry, and R. Cave, at St John's Gate, 1760. De Beer Eb 1731 G

A Trip to Paris, in July and August, 1792

Sick of heavy taxation, bad harvests, and the excessive luxury enjoyed by the aristocracy and clergy, the people of France rose up in rebellion. One of the most important events in world history – the French Revolution (1789-99) began after the storming of the Bastille on the 14th July 1789. An iconic symbol of the aftermath of the Revolution is the guillotine, the 'people's avenger' – both Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette lost their heads by its sharp blade. The machine was praised as a 'humane form of execution' and for its 'celerity' in dispatching the condemned. This engraving was drawn by British travel writer Richard Twiss (1747-1821), despite the fact he did not actually witness the August 4th execution of two criminals: a Marquis and a priest.

[Richard Twiss], A Trip to Paris, in July and August, 1792. London: Printed at the Minerva Press, 1793. Shoults Eb 1793 T

With Napoleon in Russia, 1812. The Diary of Lt H.A. Vossler, a soldier of the Grand Army, 1812-1813

Napoleon (1769-1821) and his allies fought the Napoleonic Wars (1803-15) against 'Coalitions', usually led by Great Britain. In the summer of 1812, Napoleon invaded Russia. It was a disaster, and the beginning of the end for the Emperor and his Empire. On the march towards Russia, the French allied forces endured the stifling heat of summer with limited supplies of food and water. Despite victories in Smolensk (August) and Moscow (September), the troops suffered further in the oncoming Russian winter. This image, by Faber du Faur (1780-1857), a painter and French allied soldier from the German state of Württemberg, shows du Faur's fellow troops, 'famished and half frozen' near Smolensk in November, 1812.

H. A. Vossler, With Napoleon in Russia, 1812. The Diary of Lt H.A. Vossler, a soldier of the Grand Army, 1812-1813. London: Folio Society, 1969. Special Collections DC235 VY86

The Compleat Gard'ner

Lawyer-turned-gardener, Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinie (1626-88), transformed the 'Stinking Pond' near the Palace of Versailles into a vegetable garden – 'un potager' – for Louis XIV in 1678. On nine hectares, La Quintinie made use of raised beds, glass cloches, and walled gardens to provide the King's kitchen with a year round supply of produce. Using newly developed growing techniques, he was able to produce most fruit and vegetables out of season. Described as 'something between an outdoor laboratory and an early example of agribusiness' (Thompson, 2006), La Quintinie oversaw 30 gardeners, who helped him grow, amongst other things, the King's favourite – peas. This translated edition shows the layout of the potager with central water reservoir.

Jean de La Quintinie, The Compleat Gard'ner. London: [Printed for Matthew Gillyflower and James Partridge], 1693. De Beer Ec 1693 L

French Gardening

La culture maraîchère (market gardening), in and around the city of Paris in the 19th century, carried on the intensive and innovative gardening techniques of La Quintinie from the 17th century. French market gardens were typically only two acres of land at most, but they could produce up to ten crops per year with the use of walled gardens, cloches, growing frames, and large quantities of manure. The author of this book, former Manchester printer Thomas Smith, was involved in an early 20th century gardening scheme in England. A French maraîcher was brought to a farm in Essex to teach the inventive French techniques used to produce as much as possible from a small piece of land. Here is Smith's plan for his 'French Garden', consisting of 20 beds in total.

Thomas Smith, French Gardening. London: Joseph Fels, 1909. Truby King SB323 F72 SM94

Tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae), 'La Cravate frisée', plate 92 from Histoire naturelle des oiseaux d'Afrique. Vol. 2.

This wonderful engraving of a tui was published in a book on African birds by François Levaillant (sometimes Le Vaillant, 1753–1824), a French explorer and noted ornithologist. The bird, from which this image was painted, had been transported from London, and was said to be the first tui specimen to be included in a French zoological collection. Levaillant used arsenic soap to preserve his specimens, and he endeavoured to present them in life-like positions for the illustrators. He also dismissed Linnaeus' binomial nomenclature, preferring to use descriptive French names. The bird's distinctive neck feathers drove Levaillant to call the tui, Cravate frisée, the 'Curly Cravat'.

François Levaillant, Tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae), 'La Cravate frisée', plate 92 from Histoire naturelle des oiseaux d'Afrique. Vol. 2. . Paris: J. J. Fuchs, 1799. Private Collection

South Island Kōkako (Callaeas cinerea), 'Glaucope Cendré', from Compléments de Buffon, Races humaines et mammifères. Volume 2, Deuxième Edition

French surgeon and naturalist René Primevère Lesson (1794–1849) collected natural history specimens while serving on Duperrey's around-the-world voyage of La Coquille (1822–25). He collected and drew hundreds of mammals, birds, fish, and invertebrate specimens from island groups scattered through the South Pacific and Australia. This engraving of a South Island Kōkako (top) appeared in his 1838 edition of Compléments de Buffon, Races humaines et mammifères. Although a New Zealand species, the bird's habitat is listed as 'Cochin-China in south-east Asia' in the book (p.448).

René Primevère Lesson, South Island Kōkako (Callaeas cinerea), 'Glaucope Cendré', from Compléments de Buffon, Races humaines et mammifères. Volume 2, Deuxième Edition. Paris: Pourrat Frères, 1838 and 1840. Private Collection

Kākā (Nestor meridionalis), 'Perroquet Nestor de la Nouvelle Zélande', from Compléments de Buffon, Races humaines et mammifères. Vol. 2, Deuxième Edition

Lesson also had specimens on hand of the kākā (Nestor meridionalis), a large species of parrot of the family Strigopidae. In his book, the correct habitat of New Zealand is given (p. 627).

René Primevère Lesson, Kākā (Nestor meridionalis), 'Perroquet Nestor de la Nouvelle Zélande', from Compléments de Buffon, Races humaines et mammifères. Vol. 2, Deuxième Edition. Paris: Pourrat Frères, 1838 and 1840. Private Collection

Shining Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx lucidus), 'Coucou éclatant', from Compléments de Buffon, Races humaines et mammifères. Volume 2, Deuxième Edition

The lower of these two birds is the Shining cuckoo, which Lesson calls Coucou éclatant. Lesson may have known the bird's Māori name – Pīpīwharauroa – but he left it off the engraving.

René Primevère Lesson, Shining Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx lucidus), 'Coucou éclatant', from Compléments de Buffon, Races humaines et mammifères. Volume 2, Deuxième Edition. Paris: Pourrat Frères, 1838 and 1840. Private Collection

Jean Fouquet and his Time

The artist, Jean Fouquet (c. 1420-80) was extant at a time of great upheaval in France. The One Hundred Years' War with England was coming to an end and 'the people of France were ready for a fresh start, for new ideas and a new outlook' – in artistic terms this meant stronger colours and more clearcut lines. Fouquet studied in Italy and upon his return to France, he became the court painter. Renowned for his skill as an illuminator of manuscripts and a portrait painter, Fouquet's most famous painting is on two panels – the Melun Diptych (1452), one half of which adorns the cover of this book. It depicts King Charles VII's treasurer, Etienne Chevalier, kneeling in prayer beside his patron saint, Stephen.

Paul Wescher, Jean Fouquet and his Time. [Basle, Switzerland]: Pleiades Books, , 1947. Brasch ND553 F6 WG47

Paul Gauguin (1848-1903)

Painter, engraver, and sculptor Eugène Henry Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) left a successful career as a broker in 1883 to pursue art full time. During his frequent visits to galleries and exhibitions in Paris, he became acquainted with the artists Camille Pissarro, Dégas, and van Gogh – he was living and working with the Dutchman when he famously sliced off his left ear. Gauguin is most well-known for his colourful paintings of the bare-breasted women of the Pacific Islands, mostly in Tahiti where he lived from 1890. However, it was only after his death that he became famous as an artist. The original of this painting (above), entitled 'Tahitian Women with Mango Blossoms' (1899), is housed in the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

John Rewald, Paul Gauguin (1848-1903). New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1954. Special Collections ND553 G27 R482 1954

Camille Claudel: A Life

Camille Claudel (1864-1943) exhibited signs of her genius for sculpture in her early teens. Forbidden entry to Paris' famed École des Beaux Arts on account of her gender, Claudel attended the Académie Colarossi in Paris, in the 1880s. She then set up her own atelier, with fellow female artists to share costs. Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), came into her life as a teacher in 1882, and after he recognised her abilities, Claudel became one of his assistants. She also became Rodin's muse and eventually his lover, but their relationship was troubled; Rodin refused to leave his de facto partner, Rose Beuret. In 1913, after showing signs of paranoia and delusional behaviour for several years, Claudel's family committed her to an asylum. She was still incarcerated when she died 30 years later.

Odile Ayral-Clause, Camille Claudel: A Life. New York: Harry N. Abrams , 2002. Every effort has been made to trace copyright ownership and to obtain permission for reproduction. If you believe you are the copyright owner of an item on this site, and we have not requested your permission, please contact us at special.collections@otago.ac.nz. Central NB553 C44 AZ44

Catalogue du Musée Rodin

François Auguste René Rodin (1840-1917), began drawing at an early age. After three failed attempts to gain entry to École des Beaux Arts in Paris, he worked as an architectural ornament sculptor but continued to produce his own artworks. Rodin's style eschewed the more idealised, neo-classical portrayal of the human form for a more naturalistic approach, something that did not initially endear him or his artwork to the 'establishment'. Despite this, and accusations of surmoulage – a form of plagiarism – Rodin cemented his reputation as an artist of renown by 1900. He worked in plaster, bronze, clay, marble, and on paper; his most famous works are 'The Kiss – Le Baiser' (marble; 1889) and 'The Thinker – Le Penseur' (bronze; 1904) both housed in the Musée Rodin which is still open in Paris today.

Georges Grappe, Catalogue du Musée Rodin. Paris: Musée Rodin, 1927. Brasch NB553 R6 A4 1927

Astérix aux Jeux Olympiques

Perhaps one of the most famous French literary and artistic exports of the modern era is Astérix. Written by René Goscinny (1926-77) and illustrated by Albert Uderzo (b. 1927), Astérix was first published in the new comic, Pilote, in October 1959. It was so popular that the first of many stand-alone albums, Astérix Le Gaulois, was published in 1961; by 1977, 55 million albums had been sold. Somewhat bereft after Goscinny's death in 1977, Uderzo was unsure whether to continue with the little Gaul and his fellow villagers, but he did and only retired from drawing and writing Astérix in 2011. To date, 36 Astérix books have been published and translated into more than 100 languages.

R. Goscinny, Astérix aux Jeux Olympiques. Paris: Hachette, 2010. Every effort has been made to trace copyright ownership and to obtain permission for reproduction. If you believe you are the copyright owner of an item on this site, and we have not requested your permission, please contact us at special.collections@otago.ac.nz. Central PQ2667 O75 A8715 2010

Ten Droll Stories

Originally, the French novelist Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) talked of writing 100 Contes drolatiques that would appear in ten volumes. In reality, he finished 30 stories, publishing under the title, Les Cents Contes drolatiques, in 1832, 1833, and then 1837; the other 70 remain fragmentary pieces. Although best known for his large novel sequence La Comédie Humaine, it was to his Droll Tales that he looked for literary immortality: 'The Droll Tales will constitute my principal title to fame in days to come' (letter to Madame Hanska, August 1833). They have been illustrated by many artists, including Gustave Doré and Mervyn Peake. Here Jean de Bosschère (1878–1953), the Belgian artist, offers his interpretation on Balzac's Rabelaisian tales.

Honoré de Balzac, Ten Droll Stories. London: John Lane, The Bodley Head Ltd, 1926. Special Collections PQ 2164 A45 1926

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

'It is three hundred and forty-eight years, six months and nineteen days ago today that the citizens of Paris were awakened by the pealing of all the bells in the triple precincts of the City, the University and the Town.' So begins Victor Hugo's novel of medieval Paris, Notre Dame de Paris; more commonly known as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. First published in 1831, the backdrop of the love story between Esmeralda and Quasimodo is the famous Gothic cathedral. Hugo (1802-1885) was a preservationist who was vitriolic towards 'vandals' who knocked down old buildings in the name of progress. Indeed, the language of architecture permeates the novel. The British artist Quentin Blake (b. 1932) designed this striking cover image.

Victor Hugo, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. London: Folio Society, 1998. Every effort has been made to trace copyright ownership and to obtain permission for reproduction. If you believe you are the copyright owner of an item on this site, and we have not requested your permission, please contact us at special.collections@otago.ac.nz . Special Collections

Caligula

Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) began his writing career as a dramatist, and some of his early works are listed under 'Publications du Magasin Théâtral'. Caligula, his verse play about the tyrannical Emperor (reigned 37-41 AD), was written in 1837. In a somewhat 'modern' move, he had a trained horse on stage playing the role of Incitatus, the Emperor's favourite. The 20 performances in 1837-38 did not save the drama. The play failed; the horse was hissed at. In this 1838 printing 'Stella' is played by the actress 'Mlle Ida', who was Ida Ferrer, later Dumas' wife. Dumas went on to pen classics such as Les Trois Mousquetaires (1844) and Le Comte de Monte-Cristo (1844). In 2002, Dumas was finally re-interred in the Panthéon, alongside his literary fellows Victor Hugo and Émile Zola.

Alexandre Dumas, Caligula. Paris: Marchant, 1838. Special Collections PQ2225 C15 1838

Little Poems in Prose

The prose poems that form Charles Pierre Baudelaire's Le Spleen de Paris (or Petits Poèmes en prose) were written as a 'pendant', a completion of his more famous Les Fleurs du mal (The Flowers of Evil), published in 1857. Published posthumously in 1869, they intended to capture 'the beauty of life in the modern city' with subjects urban: an old woman; a dog; windows, mistresses; poor people hanging around eateries. In his preface to this limited edition, Aleister Crowley, the translator, calls Baudelaire (1821–1867) 'the most divine, the most spiritually minded, of all French thinkers.' Baudelaire's 'modernity' influenced a whole generation of writers: Paul Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud and Stéphane Mallarmé; he remains an important French poet.

Charles Baudelaire, Little Poems in Prose. Paris: Edward W. Titus/Black Manikin Press, 1928. Special Collections PQ2191 S63 A23 1928

Selected Poems

Guillaume Apollinaire (1880–1918), the early 20th century French poet famously credited with coining the terms 'cubism' and 'surrealism', created Calligrammes (1918), a series of poems that incorporated words, letters and phrases into complex visual collages, like concrete poetry. Subtitled 'Poems of Peace and War 1913-1916', many of them – like his 'Letter to André Billy, 9th April 1915' - reflected his experiences while an infantryman during WWI. 'Harden Old Heart' was not published in his lifetime. The poet who wrote 'I love art so much, I have joined the artillery' died on 9 November 1918, the day the Armistice ending the War was announced.

Guillaume Apollinaire, Selected Poems. Brighton: Snake River Press , 1995. Every effort has been made to trace copyright ownership and to obtain permission for reproduction. If you believe you are the copyright owner of an item on this site, and we have not requested your permission, please contact us at special.collections@otago.ac.nz. Special Collections PQ 2601 P6 A24 1995

'Guillaume Apollinaire in army uniform, 1916', from portfolio 2 and 4 in Oeuvres Complètes

Guillaume Apollinaire in his WWI army uniform.

___, 'Guillaume Apollinaire in army uniform, 1916', from portfolio 2 and 4 in Oeuvres Complètes. Paris: André Balland et Jacques Lecat, 1965. Special Collections PQ2601 P6 1965

Guillermo Apollinaire

Pablo Picasso's sketch of Apollinaire. The pair first met in 1905 and had a close friendship.

Picasso, Guillermo Apollinaire. Paris: André Balland et Jacques Lecat, 1965. Special Collections PQ2601 P6 1965

The Outsider

This first edition English language translation of Albert Camus' L'Étranger carries one of the best opening lines in the literary world: 'Mother died today' ('Aujourd'hui, maman est morte' in the original). It was first published in a run of 4,400 copies in 1942. Translator Stuart Gilbert called the book The Outsider, rather than the more common The Stranger. The French Algerian-born Camus (1913–1960) paints a sunny pessimism of man and his lot: 'In our society any man who does not weep at his mother's funeral runs the risk of being sentenced to death… I only meant that the hero of my book is condemned because he does not play the game.' The year 2017 marks the 75th anniversary of the first printing of Camus' work.

Albert Camus, The Outsider. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1946. Special Collections PQ 2605 A3734 E8 A25 1946

Paris Illustré et Ses Fortifications

'A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of Life.' So wrote Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), who stayed in the City of Lights between 1784 and 1789. He enjoyed his Parisian experience: meeting artists like Jacques-Louis David, enjoying the architecture, the salons, attending plays by Racine and Molière, and perusing the bookstores. This map is dated 1855, the year Paris had a population of over a million people, and it experienced the great Exposition Universelle. It was also a period of reconstruction. Napoléon III (1808–1873), assisted by Georges-Eugene Haussmann, created a new Paris: wider boulevards, improved sewage and water systems, reduced slum areas, and new bridges.

Auguste Logerot, Paris Illustré et Ses Fortifications. Paris: Publié par [Auguste] Logerot, éditeur, Quai des Augustin, 55, 1855. Special Collections DC707 L65 1855

Description de la ville de Paris et de tout ce qu'elle contient de plus remarquable

Germain Brice (c.1653-1727) wrote one of the first positive guides on Paris. His New Description of Paris, first published in French in 1684 and then translated into English in 1687, offered to lead its readers 'directly to such Sights as they most Fancie'. This engraving depicts a section of the city from the Île de la Cité, one of two remaining natural islands in the Seine.

Germain Brice, Description de la ville de Paris et de tout ce qu'elle contient de plus remarquable. Paris: François Fournier, 1717. De Beer Fb 1717 B

The Cathedrals of France: 180 Photographs

Notre- Dame Cathedral – the spiritual heart of the French capital – attracts some 13 million worshippers and tourists each year; more than the iconic Eiffel Tower. The cathedral has a reliquary, containing the purported Crown of Thorns and a fragment of the True Cross.

Edme Arcambeau, The Cathedrals of France: 180 Photographs. London: Gowans & Gray, 1913. Brasch NA5541 AN27

Description de la ville de Paris et de tout ce qu'elle contient de plus remarquable

The River Seine is the life-blood of Paris. Thirty-seven bridges cross it; five are pedestrian only. Some of them include Pont Saint-Michel (between the Rive Gauche and the Île de la Cité); Pont Neuf (Paris's oldest bridge); Pont de la Concorde; Pont de l'Alma, the place where Princess Diana met her tragic death in 1997; and Pont Royal. Reconstructed in stone between 1685 and 1689 by architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart (1646–1708), the last was named by Louis XIV. During the First French Empire (1804-1814), Napoléon I renamed it Pont des Tuileries. In 1814 it reverted back to the royal name.

Germain Brice, Description de la ville de Paris et de tout ce qu'elle contient de plus remarquable. Paris: François Fournier, 1717. De Beer Fb 1717 B

Paris by Night

In 1861, the author of 'Paris au gaz' in Paris Impérial wrote: 'Now that gas has reached the little streets of the big city, night truly is no more, because darkness has been banished.' One who haunted the nocturnal delights of Paris was photographer Brassaï, real name Gyula Halász (1899–1984), who produced his Paris de Nuit (Paris by Night) in 1933. This work featured sixty images that depicted the darkest corners of Paris. As he stated: 'My constant aim was to make people see an aspect of daily life as if they had discovered it for the first time.' Here is his Notre-Dame from the windows on the Île Saint Louis, and a glimpse of the Boulevards at the Palace de l'Opéra.

Brassaï, Paris by Night. Boston, MA: Bulfinch Press; Little Brown and Co., 2001. Every effort has been made to trace copyright ownership and to obtain permission for reproduction. If you believe you are the copyright owner of an item on this site, and we have not requested your permission, please contact us at special.collections@otago.ac.nz. Central DC707 BT536 2001

George Sand: A Brave Man, The Most Womanly Woman

Despite a 'blotchy formal education', Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin (1804-76) became one of France's most famous authors, writing under the pseudonym, George Sand. During her lifetime she authored over 100 works, was an active Socialist, and gave away over a million pounds to charity. Sand has been compared to Byron, and some think she was a better writer than Dickens and Victor Hugo. However, it seems she is more often remembered for her love affairs with the likes of composer Chopin, and poet Alfred Musset; her penchant for smoking cigars and wearing men's clothing; and her rumoured lesbian liaisons. An immense talent, Sand influenced such greats as Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Balzac.

Donna Dickenson, George Sand: A Brave Man, The Most Womanly Woman. Oxford: Berg, 1988. Every effort has been made to trace copyright ownership and to obtain permission for reproduction. If you believe you are the copyright owner of an item on this site, and we have not requested your permission, please contact us at special.collections@otago.ac.nz. Central PQ2412 DH91

Paris Métro

The Paris Métropolitain, the Métro, opened in July 1900 during the Paris World Fair. The idea of an underground rail was first mooted in the 1840s, but financial squabbles and red tape held it back until construction started in 1898. Chief engineer, Fulgence Bienvenüe (1852-1936) spent thirty years, from 1896, designing and constructing what would become one of the busiest metros in Europe. The Art Noveau style of the Métro entranceways was the brainchild of architect, Hector Guimard (1867-1942). Today, there is 214 kilometres of track, 303 stations, and 16 lines upon which 1.5 billion people travel every year.

Ministère de Travaux Publics, Paris Métro. Paris: Ministère de Travaux Publics des Transports et du Tourisme, [19-?]. Brasch Collection Pamphlets Box B1 no. 24

Histoire Critique de l'Établissement de la Monarchie Françoise dans les Gaules. Vol. I

From the first century BC, after Julius Caesar's successful military campaign (Gallic Wars, 58-50 BC), Gaul became a province of the Roman Empire. This map shows Gaul, with its Roman provinces like Lugdunensis, Aquitania, Narbonensis, and Belgica, in the beginning of the 5th century AD. It was a time of great flux for the Gallic people. The invasions of Germanic tribes like the Vandals, Sueves, and Alans in 406-07, started the process 'where Gaul slipped from Roman to Barbarian Rule' (Drinkwater, 1992). The Franks, Visigoths, and Burgundians also invaded Gaul in the 5th century; and by the 6th century, the Franks had united the country under Merovingian rule.

[Jean-Baptiste Dubos], Histoire Critique de l'Établissement de la Monarchie Françoise dans les Gaules. Vol. I. [Paris: Osment, et al.], 1734. De Beer Fb 1734 D

Coco Chanel

Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel (1883-1971), known as Coco, was the illegitimate daughter of a laundress and a clothing peddler. After her mother died in about 1895, Coco lived in an orphanage where she learned to sew. She left the orphanage aged 18 and worked as a seamstress, and in a cabaret act. Coco opened her first couturier shop in Paris in the 1920s where she sold her designer clothing, perfume, and jewellery. Throughout her life, Coco moved in the higher echelons of Paris society, mainly thanks to a succession of high profile lovers – she even had an affair with the 2nd Duke of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor. Coco's designs live on in the Chanel suit, the little black dress, and the double C logo of the Chanel brand.

Marcel Haedrich, Coco Chanel. Paris: Gutenberg, 2008. Every effort has been made to trace copyright ownership and to obtain permission for reproduction. If you believe you are the copyright owner of an item on this site, and we have not requested your permission, please contact us at special.collections@otago.ac.nz . Science TT505 C45 H327

Les Plans et Profilz de toutes les principalles Villes et lieux considerable de France Ensemble les Cartes Generalles…

On the French Mediterranean coast lies the Fort de Brigançon, a former presidential retreat. Ironically, its inability to fortify from the press has led to it becoming a national monument.