Description:

Haussmann Georges-Eugene 1809 - 1891 Prefect of the Seine Baron Haussmann signs two documents, one during the Renovation of Paris, the other a letter nine months after Napoleon III's death.

Two documents signed by Georges-Eugene Haussmann (1809-1891), one a letter completely inscribed in his hand. The first is signed "G.E. Haussmann" with dramatically angled terminal "n" making a partial underline and on official "Senator, Prefect of the Seine" letterhead. In very fine condition with expected folds and a strip of minor burn along top, with two discolored adhesive spots verso. Letter measures 8.25" x 10.5". The second is a bifold letter on cream Turkey Mill Kent watermarked paper, on red crowned "H" letterhead, signed "G.E. Haussmann" at bottom of first page. In fine to very fine condition, with scattered light water stains not impairing the text, each page measuring 5" x 8".

On December 20, 1865, Baron Haussmann signed a thank you note to Henri Plon, the Imperial Printer and Publisher, for sending him a recently published copy of Napoleon III's travel itinerary in Algeria. The French Emperor had toured Algeria, one of his many valuable overseas colonies in northern Africa, in May 1865. The Plon publishing house was accustomed to royal favor; it had previously been granted exclusive rights to publish the correspondence of Napoleon Bonaparte, Marie Antoinette, and Louis XIII.

Baron Haussmann wrote a letter to an unidentified baron on September 21, 1873 from his Parisian residence at 12, rue de Boissy d'Anglas. "I learned of the arrival of the King and Queen in Paris from a newspaper, and I pray you in recalling a memory of their Majesties, to tell you how happy I would be to offer them my respectful homages. If they do not have any intentions of receiving visits, they will at least know that I am neither forgetful or ungrateful. Please accept, my dear baron, an assurance of my high consideration and my affectionate sentiments ... " The identity of Baron Haussmann's royal dignitaries is unknown.

Baron Haussmann's thank you note was written during the Renovation of Paris, 1852-1870. As was consistent with the modern minded emperor, Napoleon III wanted to update his imperial capital. In the mid-nineteenth century, much of Paris was still medieval in construction and layout. Overcrowding, traffic, sanitation, and aesthetics were an issue. As a Senator and Prefect of the Seine, Baron Haussmann was appointed by the emperor to oversee one of his most ambitious projects, the renewal of Paris. Buildings were razed and boulevards were widened, thus creating the modern face of Paris.

The Prefect's letter was written just nine months after the deposed ex-emperor's death in England, and during the same month that German troops finally evacuated Paris following the Franco-Prussian War.

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