Ephemera of the Chevalier d’Éon, French Diplomat Soldier and Gender Nonconforming Public Figure of the Eighteenth Century

Chevalier D'Eon

Archive

Charles Geneviève Louis Auguste André Timothée d’Éon de Beaumont, known as the Chevalier d’Éon, was an eighteenth century French diplomat, soldier, and intelligence agent whose public life became widely discussed because of their gender identity and political career. D’Éon served the French crown in military and diplomatic roles, including assignments connected with the secret diplomatic network known as le Secret du Roi. During the later part of their life d’Éon lived publicly as a woman and in 1777 was formally permitted by King Louis XVI to adopt female dress and identity in French society. Materials associated with d’Éon circulated widely in Europe and became part of a sustained public fascination with the individual’s career and gender identity during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

Archive of three items relating to the Chevalier d’Éon. [1] Calling card signed “Mlle. D’Eon,” written in ink on small ivory cardstock and using the feminine honorific consistent with d’Éon’s later public identity. [2] Engraved portrait titled “The Chevalier D’Eon,” clipped from an illustrated newspaper, depicting d’Éon in later life presenting as female while wearing a ruffled cap and the insignia of the Order of Saint Louis, the decoration awarded for military service. [3] Engraved view titled “The House of the Chevalier D’Eon at Tonnerre.” London: European Magazine, March 1, 1791. Engraved by W. Thomas and published by Sewell, showing the exterior of d’Éon’s residence at Tonnerre in France during the period when d’Éon lived in England and remained a subject of public attention.

The life of the Chevalier d’Éon became one of the most widely discussed examples of gender nonconformity in eighteenth century Europe. Reports about d’Éon’s gender circulated in newspapers, pamphlets, and printed images, creating a public debate that continued long after the individual’s diplomatic and military career ended. Surviving ephemera such as signed cards, portraits, and engravings provide contemporary evidence of how d’Éon was represented and understood in European society. Materials show light age related wear with strong clarity to the engraved images and legible autograph signature; overall very good condition. The group preserves contemporary visual and documentary references to one of the most historically documented gender nonconforming figures of the Enlightenment era.

Item #22211

Price: $1,250.00