Description:

French Rev. of 1830 Archive, 29 Pcs, Incl. Eyewitness Accounts With Significant Battle Content & Mentioning Major Players Lafayette, Charles X, Louis Philippe, Etc.

An outstanding French-language archive offering eyewitness accounts of the major events of the Revolution of 1830, also known as the Second French Revolution. The archive contains 29 pieces, 13 of which are letters dealing directly with the Revolution of 1830, dated July 26 - August 10, 1830. The remaining 16 pieces in the archive touch upon a variety of topics, mostly political and economic, dating from ca. 1792-1837. Almost all of the items were professionally translated by a retired University of Indiana linguistics professor, Herbert E. Isar of Gig Harbor, Washington. The archive is also accompanied by EXTENSIVE research compiled by a former collector, George F. Caldwell of Broomall, Pennsylvania. Caldwell's and Isar's correspondence regarding translation issues, handwriting, and fees, from November 1991 through February 1992, are also included.

The 13 letters relating to the Revolution of 1830 remain the capstone of this archive. French monarch Charles X precipitated the Revolution of 1830 by publishing three ordinances on July 26, 1830; these laws dissolved the French parliamentary body, virtually abolished freedom of the press, and modified electoral laws in such a way as to reduce the voting population to about 25,000 people, almost all landed proprietors. The French people were incensed by the king's high-handed rescinding of such core liberties. Printers' strikes and journalists' protests broke out, followed by armed demonstrations, and barricades were erected all over Paris. "Les Trois Glorieuses" referred to three days, July 27-29, 1830, when insurrection swept through Paris and the French provinces. The uprising by the common people was vividly captured in the popular imagination by artwork like Eugene Delacroix's "Liberty Leading the People" (1830). Charles X was forced to abdicate. Louis Philippe was hailed as the citizen king and took over the reins of government.

This subsection of the archive gives an outstanding overview of the Revolution of 1830 almost day by day, as events occurred. Seven of the thirteen letters were written by Gabriel Odier (1796-1851), a French banker, and addressed to his maternal uncle, Jean Gabriel Eynard (1775-1863), an affluent Swiss businessman who had fled France during the original French Revolution. Eynard had accumulated a sizable fortune through various commercial, investment, and banking ventures, and served as the Ambassador of the Republic of Geneva at the 1815 Congress of Vienna. Expected condition issues affect the letters including folds, isolated stains, and scattered collector's inscriptions, else near fine. The average size of the letters is approximately 8" x 10."

The lot includes:

Revolution of 1830 material:

- A letter written in Paris on July 26, 1830, the day before fighting broke out, reporting ominous developments: "this morning's gazette... the charter... the Chambers... the freedom of the Press and change of the electoral law... will react after several days, but no one will have much faith in them. Yesterday the deputies... hours of convocation... the abyss of revolution..."

- Two letters, both dated July 28, 1830, recount that events were moving quickly. One of these letters addressed to Madame Eynard, Jean Gabriel Eynard's wife, stated: "last night there was a bit of movement in Paris, almost all the shops closed, the light extinguished. The crowd... resist the police... they fired upon the troops... there are several regiments stationed in different places... this morning, some persons tried to reorganize the National Guard, and those reassembled continued to regroup and disarm the police... I am told but cannot be certain whether a front regiment has refused to fire and sided with the crowd... One supposes that this agitation cannot last." The other July 28, 1830 letter addressed to Jean Gabriel Eynard read in part: "the fighting is too intense to be able to last a long time…At Rouen it was learned that the prefect has been hanged yesterday. The resistance is too general… to last long. Wretched people!"

- A letter dated July 29, 1830 reporting that "a very lively engagement has taken place in the streets and squares of Paris beginning yesterday at noon until 6 a.m., this morning... the troops were stopped everywhere by barricades that had been built. This morning at 10, almost all streets and boulevards were covered by barricades, a group of soldiers withdrew while the others no longer fought... two line regiments... declared that they were no longer willing to fight and went to place themselves... under the command of General Gerard. The Louvre and Tuileries [palace] are taken, the royal guard has withdrawn, and fighting has ceased. General Lafayette has taken, along with General Gerard, command of the National Guard. The Deputies have appointed Périer, Laffitte, Odier, Gérard [and] Loban to head the Paris municipal government."

- A letter written in Paris on July 30, 1830 gives more information. "All is calm in Paris, the National Guard is reorganizing... King Charles and the Dauphin [eldest son of the king of France] came... with two or three thousand men but no longer was able to do anything, as the guard refused to fight the people... one fought on the 28th and 29th, one has dislodged all the Swiss... National Guard under the command of Lafayette... "

- A letter dated August 1, 1830 reports that life was returning to normal for Parisians: "people have undone the barricades... acceptance of the Duke of Orléans as the lieutenant of the kingdom has calmed everyone... the Chambers will assemble... to proclaim the Duke of Orleans king... this terrible and sudden revolution... astounding event... Charles X and his entire court left St. Cloud yesterday... almost the entire guard has abandoned their arms."

- A letter dated August 2, 1830 gives a hint of some remaining turmoil: "a powerful segment wanted a Republic, it has been quite difficult to set aside these notions... there is at present a segment which desires a Regency, but it appears to be impossible... order is being reestablished in Paris, no massacre, no plunder has tarnished the triumph."

- A letter written on August 2, 1830 continues to provide post-Revolutionary information. "I hope that his [Duke of Orléan's] designation to royalty will experience no difficulty... this morning he appointed commissions of a provisional nature to head the ministries, fill the posts of prefect and police which had contributed a good deal to the revolution... court of Charles X has reached Normandy... I believe that within little time the tricolor flag will wave over all of France... Charles X has been abandoned by everyone and yielded."

- A letter dated August 3, 1830 continues the story of Charles X: "[he] has refused to receive a body of deputies, he has a thousand men with him, no more... the address of the Duke of Orléans... announced that Charles X and the Dauphin had abdicated but he did not mention the Duke of Bordeaux."

- An August 4, 1830 letter features more political content: "it is my hope that it will not take them long to proclaim the Duke... king... not so easy for some associates... favor the Duke of Bordeaux... those who favor the Republic won't have the game in their hands, with their chief Lafayette in favor of the Duke of Orléans."

- A letter dated August 7, 1830 reports that the Duke of Orléans was offered the title of King. "The Duke... shook the hand of Mr. Lafitte... then went... to seek General Lafayette whom he led to the window, and the ovation began all over again... one heard repeated shouts of … long live the King, long live Lafayette... today our new king will be addressing the two chambers... the family of Orléans which it will be necessary to call henceforth the royal family."

- A letter dated August 8, 1830 continues with news of Louis Philippe. "[He] showed extreme emotion. He shook hands with the deputies... Mr. De La Fayette also appeared... it is said that the new king of the French will be called Philip VII... the poor royal family moves very slowly... no doubt it expects that somewhere someone will declare in their favor."

- The final letter, dated from Paris on August 10, 1830, states: "It is difficult to conceive that the general exaltation has not produced any imitation, not any excess... this unanimity of opinion give me hope that we shall be exempt from trouble from abroad... sorrow if the foreign countries failed to respect the force of opinion... I believe that France was never stronger... "

The remainder of the archive consists of municipal documents, pamphlets, and memoranda dating from the original French Revolution of 1792, to the early years of Louis Philippe's monarchy, in 1837. Some of the items relate to commodity taxes (bread, tobacco, etc.) and license applications. Many of the pieces feature wonderful Revolutionary-era letterhead.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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