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MISS BARTLETT : 1869 - 1870 SUPER, ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT DIARY HANDWRITTEN BY A YOUNG CONNECTICUT WOMAN VISITING HER FAMOUS PARIS BASED ARTIST UNCLE AND COUSIN WHILE FRANCE ONCE MORE ROILS FROM NAPOLEON III SECOND EMPIRE TO BE REBORN AS A MORE ENDURING THIRD REPUBLIC

24mo - over 5" - 5¾" tall. On offer is a superb, historical and significant 1869 manuscript diary handwritten by Miss Bartlett, a fascinating young woman from the Waterbury, Connecticut area who at the time of these writings has spent 3+ years travelling and studying mostly in Paris with trips to Germany, Austria and Switzerland with her extended family. She is a University student attending school in Paris, writes and speaks German fluently and proves to be a very observant and descriptive writer over the over filled 200+ page or so narrative which is May 1869 through February 1870 mostly in Paris France as the Second Empire comes to an end and on the cusp of a more enduring Second Republic. [Bartlett is a very well known surname from pre Colonial times in the Hartford/Waterbury/ Redding et al parts of Connecticut. Local researchers and historians would likely be able to find the author's full name.] Garnered from her writings we learn that her father is a prominent Minister in the Waterbury Connecticut community, she is staying with her Uncle who is an accomplished sculptor and whose son, her cousin, became a more famous sculptor: Truman Howe Bartlett who would have been 34 years old at the time of the visit and his son Paul would be four years old. Historians will know that 1869 was a significant time for the sculptors and on a much grander scale all of France and particularly Paris where ground shaking events were taking place and Miss Bartlett proved to be a zealous observer and diarist if in a somewhat scatter about way in the undated book. As a writer she is at the apex: here is a wonderful snippet that accompanies a lovely drawing of an asteroid the writer witnessed seeing in the sky entry after witnessing it: "It came from the North west it appeared to be very near the Earth to us, was certainly lower than the mountains and had the appearance to us of a bright red ball, but unlike a flame. A starry one with a long slender, sharp train, not like a comet but unlike a flame was like a piece of red hot iron. I thought I heard a low hissing sound a whishing as it passed. The mountains wore a robe of soft pink tonight." From the whimsical to the inner doings of the Bartlett artist clan to the political intrigue an entire country observes as the Emperor Napoleon's family commits murder and mayhem, where a funeral attended by 100,000 people and a man named Noir becomes a martyr to the Republican cause to the display of the murderer Troppmon's guillotined head and body or the Emile Zola like description of the peculiar Parisian habit of visiting the morgue for entertainment such as: a drowned woman's body pulled from the Seine River along with the display of the clothing of more drowned people in the Paris Morgue this diary is simply full of art scene, history, politics, culture and observations of an eclectic mind. Here are some more snippets: December 1869 … in went at evening to Bartlett's studio, saw the figure of Mr. Singer and son in clay, covered with the plaster cast. … went into the studio to see the workmen take off the plaster cast, or cut out the clay figure within. They took off one half then dug and cut and peeled out the clay which is of a greenish hue, and can be used for modeling other figures. Within the plaster cast, the figure in plaster is finally moulded for the cutting in marble, in such a similar a cast, the bronze is cast also. When the marble workers cut the marble, they use compasses and other instruments for the most delicate and careful measurements. The young sons of the Bronze caster Muller of Munich called to bid Mr.and Mrs. B goodbye. They go home tomorrow. Lleord Rene Hyacinthe was on his way back to Europe, there is a little gossip about him and a Mrs. M here, an American lady (a widow) it is thought may bring off from Romania so far, as to marry, possibly. Jan 1870 Heard today of the shooting of a young editor of La Marsaillaise Victor Boirby one of the Bonarpartes in a duel (Pierre Bonaparte) last Monday the 10th. Led a sketchy life is from the common class. His story is interesting and calls for one's sympathy for the unfortunate young man. Pierre Bonaparte is under arrest. Much excitement. He is described as 55 years of age, tall, stout a fighter from his youth, been in America, has a great passion for fire-arms. Was wounded in the encounter. Jan 12, 1870 The funeral for Victor Noir, the victim of Pierre Bonaparte, a martyr to his Republican principles, Editor of the Marsaillaise, a young man, self made, was attended by 100,000 people. Great excitement, the military at last called out. More rumors in regard to the excitement of the killing of young Noir. Tuesday the 18th Walked to d'Auteuil several policemen at the door of the concierge of Pierre Napoleon where he is under arrest for the shooting of Victor Noir. The photographs of Prince Pierre who shot young Victor Noir. Noir's companion on his call on Bonaparte (Fouvielle) Henri Rochefort Editor of La Marsraelles who's paper published the article that caused the shooting of Noir on the murder of a family of city persons. Troppmon who was beheaded last Tuesday morning a singular _ are hanging in a shop side by side. The Prince has a resemblance to the Great Napoleon as have all the real Napoleons, but all lack the strength in look as well as character. There is much feeling now in Paris in regard to the prosecution of Henri Rochefort for "insult" as they term it to the Emperor and his family. The English papers speak of its results as perhaps fearful. There is much excitement on the prophecy of evil times coming. Pierre Bonaparte has prosecuted the Marsailles for libel. The American correspondent writes that Spain has nearly subdued the insurgents of Cuba excepting a few guerrillas among the mountains. Montescue is rejected by Spain. …went to the Louvre then to the Morgue one body of a female laid there taken from the water. She looked about 30 years of age, the room for the reception of bodies drowned in the Seine was hung all over with their clothing. June 1869 Walked out to the Artillery School building a fine spacious one and then out to the grounds where they were exercising about 40, possibly 50 artillery wagons. Were exercising in the various maneuvers of battle. On a continued firing of cannon. The echos were strange and interesting. This woman who has lived in America said her father an old man of 70 years sent 100 guilders to her brother in America to help him to buy a substitute for our army during the slavery rebellion. He lives in welterheim. …nearly clear this evening, the moon near the close of the first quarter and bright eyed Venus shone over Stockhorn and the other planets are visible at this time. Mr. B. gone to Munich to his figure cast there in bronze by Muller. This is a figure for a cemetery in Hartfort for the cast. Mr. Bartlett's letter from the Artist Muller whose casts are so wonderful in bronze. The figure (Bartlett's) is done, boxed, sent on the Bremen Steamer. Muller writes "this figure is called the Angel of Life and is designed for Mr.Clark of Hartford, CT as a monument in a cemetery. 30th Oct 1869 Mr. B told us he came to Europe on the Arago Capt. Gadsden, on whos steamer _ passed a month little incident at sea. They during a moonlight night, saw a number of rockets in the distance and lights of a peculiar character. They called the Captain and he ordered the steamer to head toward the location of the lights. Reaching it they found the sailing vessel loaded with R. Road iron, in a sinking condition as the Capt. And crew - they all left it took passage on the Arago and months after Mr.B heard that the vessel did not sink after they left it careening. a careening and making as it should, but it reached Greeno _, from where it started, although it had gone nearly to the Newfoundland Banks. The law is, that whoever finds and saves an abandoned ship owns it thereafter. Looked out of the window and saw a little Italian boy about ten years old waiting at the door of Bartlett's studio. He has chosen him for a model, to mould. [She then describes the cloths the boy wears.] A tragic play of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette _ in which the Marsaelleise on the Long of The Girondins was funny, has just been enacted. Some one said that The Empire would or could survive the acting of it but it has and continues to - The French Republic did not appear inviting, and it is rumoured that the police ordered that the music of a certain part supposed to be most dangerous, should be discordant, at any rate, it was so and has hissed. The people seem to dread as they hope. Desire an uprising. The Emperor is said to be better and stronger and his changes for life good for some time yet. But we feel some days as if we were standing on a smothered volcanoe. December 10, 1869 the last dated chronological entry in this diary continues on with discussions of European History, legends and literary discussions and presentations. Woman is fluent in German and Latin and writes in these languages. Some German items she writes and then translates in to English. The 5¼ x 3½ inch book has some general aging and rubs but is overall G+.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good+

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