Shortly after the Civil War ended and up to the beginning of World War I, it was common for wealthy Americans to take their families over to Europe for a grand tour lasting at least one year. Adelicia Acklen (1817–1887) was no different.
Adelicia Acklen, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, was one of the wealthiest women in the United States. Her first husband died after seven years of marriage.
Stereocard of Belmont Mansion in Nashville. Photo by Carl Giers (c. 1870). Tennessee State Library and Archives. PD-100+; PD-1923; Wikimedia Commons.
He was one of the most notorious slave traders and owned nine plantations. After his death, Adelicia inherited Fairvue Plantation in Gallatin, Tennessee as well as cotton plantations in Louisiana, undeveloped land in Texas, and stocks and bonds.
Commemorative plaque located in Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Photo by Thomas R. Machnitzki (2013). PD-GNU Free Documentation License. Wikimedia Commons.
Adelicia remarried and along with her husband, Joseph Acklen, built the Belmont Mansion in Nashville. They had six children of whom three reached adulthood. Adelicia ultimately married for a third time and shortly before her death, the mansion was sold. Today, it is part of Belmont University. She’s buried in the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville. It is similar to the Parisian cemeteries that are so cool to walk around.Read More Adelicia’s Tour of Paris
Did you know that the first photograph taken with people was in Paris? Louis Daguerre used his new technique called Daguerreotype to take the photo in 1838. It was called “Boulevard du Temple.” Despite the street being extremely busy with pedestrians and a lot of traffic, only two individuals showed up in the photo—someone shining the boots of a man. The exposure time necessary was more than 10 minutes and so those 2 individuals must have stood relatively still for that time to be captured.
Palais de Justice – Conciergerie. Photo (c. 1853-70). Charles Marville. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.
Charles Marville (1813–1879) was one of the early photographers in Paris. His photographs of Paris in the mid-1800s are the best representations of the streets and buildings prior to their destruction by Napoléon III and Baron Haussmann. Many of his photos give you a good sense of what medieval Paris might have looked like (i.e., narrow streets, houses, workers such as the tanners, and streets used as the sewer). Many of Paris’s historically significant buildings were demolished over a 22-year period as Napoléon III carried out his vision of modernizing the city.
Marville was born Charles-François Bossu. He changed his name to Charles Marville in 1837 presumably since his last name, Bossu, means hunchback. Right about the same time, Victor Hugo published The Hunchback of Notre Dame in 1837 (was it really a coincidence he changed his name at that particular time?).
Monsieur Marville was named in 1862 as the photographe de la ville or photographer of the city. In this capacity, he began a series of official photographs called Le Vieux Paris (Old Paris) that captured certain parts of the city—buildings and streets—before Haussmann demolished them. This album of work consisted of approximately 450 photographs. They encompass his work over a 7-year period ending in 1869.
Urinoir en ardoise à 3 stalles, Chaussée du Maine. Photo (c. 1865). Charles Marville. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.
It is likely that many of Marville’s early photographs were destroyed. The city of Paris would have owned his photos and since the Hôtel Carnavalet (today, the museum of Paris) was undergoing renovations at the time, the collection of photos would have been held at the Hôtel de Ville (city hall). When the Hôtel de Ville was destroyed by fire during the Commune in May 1871, the photos would have perished (along with much of the written documentation of the French Revolution).
Charles Marville and his collection of old Paris photographs would not be discovered until the 1980s. Today, they are part of the collection held by Roger-Viollet (6, rue de Seine) and loaned out to museums around the world for special exhibitions. This is the photographic agency owned by the city of Paris. It owns, controls, and licenses almost all the official photos of Paris, photos of the relics held by the city owned museums, and other related photographs.
If you enjoy the historical aspect of Paris, don’t miss one of the Charles Marville photography exhibitions that come to your town. I know I won’t.
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– Stew
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Mr. Ross brings the streets of Paris to life, making it possible for you to stand on the very spots where the grand and tragic events of the French Revolution took place. If you are looking for more than just the typical tourist experience in Paris, then this book is must reading!
Dan Carpenter | Historian & Author
Stewart Ross’ book is full of interesting documents and research, it put you well on the tracks of Marie Antoinette, Danton, Robespierre and many more, whether in Paris or in Versailles, extremely interesting and easy to read!
Raphaelle Crevet | Certified Tour Guide, Paris, France
