Napoleon Bonaparte Visual Biography Archive of 55 illustrated French “Carte Postale” Documenting Napoleonic Wars and Imperial France Late 19th to Early 20th Century

Napoleon Bonaparte Visual Archive

Archive

Napoleon Bonaparte postcard series, late nineteenth to early twentieth century, presents a structured sequence of illustrated scenes depicting specific military, political, and dynastic events that defined the Napoleonic era and reshaped European power between 1796 and 1815. The cards isolate decisive moments such as the Egyptian campaign, the Battle of Marengo, the triumph at Austerlitz, the occupation of Berlin, the Peninsular War in Madrid, the invasion of Russia, and the retreat from Moscow, alongside ceremonial and dynastic episodes including the presentation of captured standards and the birth of the King of Rome. This series presents a chronological reconstruction of the rise, consolidation, and collapse of Napoleonic rule, likely created in part due to the renewed national investment in Napoleon during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when post Franco Prussian War recovery, expanded state education, and centennial commemorations encouraged the circulation of his campaigns as models of military success, national identity, and historical continuity.
Archive of 55 illustrated French “Carte Postale” postcards, ca. 1890s to early 1900s, printed primarily in black and white with several colorized postcards, many with printed captions in French. While most are from France, some of the postcards are from other European countries. Each measure roughly 3.5" x 5.5". Topics include early career representations such as “Napoléon Bonaparte Lieutenant Colonel,” attributed to Henri Félix Emmanuel Philippoteaux, alongside campaign scenes including “Napoléon aux Pyramides” (1798 Egyptian campaign), “La Garde Consulaire à Marengo – 14 Juin 1800,” and “Entrée de Napoléon à Berlin – 27 Octobre 1806.” The sequence continues with “Reddition de Madrid – 1808,” “Réception des Drapeaux d’Austerlitz,” and major turning points such as “Passage du Niemen – Juin 1812” and “Retour de Moscou – 1812.” Dynastic and personal subjects include “Naissance du Roi de Rome – 20 Mars 1811,” views associated with the Château de Malmaison and Joséphine de Beauharnais, and scenes of exile on Saint Helena. The sequence contains imagery of Napoleon’s tomb at the Hôtel des Invalides following the 1840 reinterment.

The series reflects the expansion of illustrated postcards as instruments of historical transmission in France during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when inexpensive printed imagery disseminated standardized narratives of national history to a broad audience. Coinciding with renewed state and popular investment in Napoleonic history during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, particularly under the French Third Republic, education reforms and mass print culture expanded access to national historical narratives. Light edge wear and occasional minor creasing consistent with handling; overall very good condition. The centennial cycles of the Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, combined with the political need to stabilize national identity after the Franco Prussian War, encouraged the circulation of cohesive, chronological interpretations of France’s imperial past. Illustrated postcards translated large-scale history painting and official commemoration into accessible, collectible formats, allowing repeated engagement with key campaigns and figures.

Item #21440

Price: $1,450.00