Author: Stew Ross

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The French P. T. Barnum

Saturday morning, 15 December 1894, was cold, wet, and gloomy in Paris but that didn’t stop the small crowd of protesters who had come to the gates of Père Lachaise Cemetery to jeer at the procession. The object of their disdain was the old man who died eight days earlier at the age of eighty-nine. Despite the dignitaries and their eloquent speeches about the deceased, the protesters couldn’t and wouldn’t forgive Monsieur de Lesseps for being responsible for the loss of their life savings. M. de Lesseps was considered a national hero until his last act when his reputation was ultimately destroyed.

Did You Know?

This is the first of a series of blogs on men and women you’ve likely never heard of. I’ve run across many interesting people over the years of doing research for the blogs and the books. From time-to-time I will introduce you to some of them. They will all have two things in common: first, each of them is buried in a Paris cemetery and second, each will have led an extremely interesting life with interesting stories to tell you about. These are the characters who will be included in my future book, Where Did They Bury Jim Morrison, the Lizard King? A Walking Tour of Curious Paris Cemeteries. The people you and I visit may not be every day household names but they will entertain you.

So, what does M. de Lesseps share with P.T. Barnum? As you know, Mr. Barnum was a celebrated American showman, businessman, and politician. He was an effective speaker, persuasive in his arguments, did not give up in the face of absurd odds, and affected everyone he came in contact with. This pretty much sums up M. de Lesseps.

Let’s Meet Ferdinand de Lesseps

Ferdinand de Lesseps (1805−1894) was born into a family whose roots could be traced back to 14th-century Spain. His father was in the French diplomatic service in Italy (Napoléon made him a count). Ferdinand was educated in Paris and eventually entered the diplomatic corps. While serving in Alexandria Egypt, Ferdinand read a book about the Ancient Suez Canal which intrigued him enough to later propose building a modern version. By 1837, he had returned to France and married the daughter of the prosecuting attorney at the court of Angers (the capital of the important Middle Ages and Renaissance province of Anjou). The couple had five children of whom the eldest was Charles Théodore. Read More The French P. T. Barnum

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American “Grande Horizontale” and Nazi Collaborator

From the time she was a very small girl living in San Francisco, Florence Juliette Antoinette Lacaze knew she wanted a special place in life. Florence quickly determined that because she wasn’t born into that “special place,” she would have to develop it on her own. From that day on, everything Florence did was a calculated move to enhance her position in society, create wealth, and as we’ll see after France’s liberation, protect her physical self and reputation (Florence perfected the art of lying to enhance her life story). In other words, Florence built her entire life around her. While Florence was a benefactor to her friends, she was ruthless towards her enemies. She shared several common traits with her deceased father-in-law, Jay Gould, the notorious 19th-century “Robber Baron.”

Did You Know?

Many of us were required to read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby while in junior high or early high school. Remember those days reading about East Egg and West Egg? East Egg was the aristocratic section of town while West Egg belonged to the nouveau rich. The character social types were in love with money, social standing, and generally created a lot of messes in their lives (and others). Fitzgerald finished the first draft and sent it to his editor. It was promptly sent back to the author because Fitzgerald “had not sufficiently developed the characters with any believability.” Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda were, at the time, fixtures on the French Riviera staying in Frank and Florence’s hotel, in Juan-les-Pins. They were first hand observers of mid-1920s high society and the exploits of the crowd which included Florence. So, when the draft was sent back for revisions, Fitzgerald fleshed out his characters using the group of people orbiting around Florence. When the novel was published, it met lukewarm reviews but more revealing was the fact that none of the Riviera crowd recognized themselves.

Let’s Meet Florence

You’ve probably never run across the subject of our blog today. Florence Lacaze Gould (1895−1983) was and is to this day, an enigma. Very little has been written about her, much to the delight of her estate and foundation. In fact, the availability of images of Florence is tightly controlled by her foundation. Her legacy (and that of her husband, Frank Gould) are nowhere to be seen in written accounts of the numerous properties they founded or developed into very successful businesses. Read More American “Grande Horizontale” and Nazi Collaborator