Showing posts with label Napoleonic era. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Napoleonic era. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Today's bon bon and a few tidbits about Empress Josephine! With my pictures, too!

Josephine in her later years at Malmaison
She was a woman who loved fashion and spent money like water. She was married to a man suspected of being more royalist than was prudent. She almost went to prison, too. But used her charms to persuade a few French men to keep her and her two children safe. But there is more!

Empress Josephine was a setter of style, the love of her husband Napoleon's life—and his torment. We know much of her legend, but there is much about her that was kept discreetly secret.

She had terrible teeth. Black, in fact. And you never see her in portraits smiling.

She took three hours each day to bathe and dress. Her boudoir in Malmaison was the place she took her breakfast and often, her luncheon too.

She never visited a military hospital as she claimed the humours would kill her.

Portrait of Josephine that hangs at Malmaison

She died of a throat infection on the very day Napoleon set foot in Cannes as he escaped from Elba and marched north.

Here I am outside at Malmaison!

The bee is the emblem (or logo) of Napoleon and Josephine! This emblem is cemented in the walkways leading to Malmaison!

One picture of Josephine's enormous boudoir.

Her gardens, lovingly tended by gardeners of the French National Heritage.

She loved animals and kept a menagerie at Malmaison.

She loved flowers, especially roses and Napoloen even had cuttings from England imported to her during wartime!

She had no children by Napoleon but by her first husband, she had two. Today, many of the royal houses of Europe are descended from those two children.

She died at Malmaison and is buried close by in the Ruiel. Next to her is buried her daughter, Hortense.

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

Shopping in Napoleon's Empire meant you were treated to shop signs of great beauty!

🍒Napoleonic era shop signs were not only colorful but told stories of their offerings for the illiterate. 

Here at top: THE GREAT VICTOR’S TOBACCONIST shop was posted outside a shop selling, of course, tobacco. Taking notice of Napoleon's recent victories in Italian city-states, the owner added reference to him. We wonder how well his sales did!

Here below: The shop called THE EVE OF AUSTERLITZ tries a different tactic in that it is a a wine shop in celebration of Napoleon’s victory. 



This sign is for a food merchant whose customer is clearly enjoying his meal. This shop was for the shop CORCELLET, located in 104 Palais-Royal!