ollectors of antique dolls, lady dolls in particular

The Shadow of
A captivating portrait of the empress
from Eugene Barrois, this view
illustrates her lovely neck and
shoulders. Fully marked E DEPOSE
B upon the lower front edge of the
shoulder plate, this early example
features a combination leather and
wood body fitted with long, highly
detailed, bisque arms.
A wardrobe fit for a Bonaparte
Empress! Note the gown on the left
– a fantastic creation in Eugénie’s
favorite shade of butter yellow, and
decorated with violets, a lasting
insignia of the Bonaparte family.
C
18
ollectors of antique dolls, lady dolls in particular, are used to hearing certain examples
referred to by the names of famous women in history. Upon hearing names such as
Victoria, Sophia Smith and Mary Todd, collectors may envision a doll, rather than the
flesh and blood individual who once walked this earth and left her indelible mark in the
process. One such person was Eugénie, empress of the French, and as you will soon
discover, the mark she left is monumental.
WINTER 2010
Her Smile
By Michael Canadas
In The Beginning
In 1826, Granada, Spain, was a sleepy little town, but among its inhabitants lived a very handsome count
by the name of Don Cipriano de Guzman y Palafox y Portocarrero, Count of Teba. With flaming red hair and
an eye patch, he was a striking figure in Granada. At that point in time, he was living under house arrest, as
he was a bonafide Bonapartist who had fought in the French army and been wounded by an English musket
ball in the battle of Trafalgar. Don Cipriano, like so many of his generation, had been loyal to Napoleon I
until the end and had been among the last defenders of Paris in 1814. So, understandably, when he returned
home to Spain, he was mistrusted by the Spanish king, Ferdinand VII. To make matters worse, Don Cipriano
DOLL NEWS • UFDC.ORG
19
was a liberal and believed in such things as Spain having
a constitution. In 1817, however, the king, in spite of his
mistrust, showed Don Cipriano great kindness by allowing
him to marry a young woman that he had met while in Paris
in 1813, when she had just completed finishing school.
Being half Scottish, one-quarter Spanish and onequarter Belgian, the young woman was obviously not
the blue blood Spaniard that Don Cipriano was, but she
had one thing that he did not, money and lots of it. His
bride’s father was a wine and fruit merchant, and then as
now, Spain was one of Europe’s main suppliers of both.
María Manuela Enriqueta Kirkpatrick de Closbourn y
de Grevigné was a tall, black-haired, black-eyed beauty
that most people liked instantly upon meeting. Doña
Manuela, like her husband, idolized Napoleon I; unlike her
husband, she harbored great social ambition. Soon, Doña
Manuela, armed with her title Countess of Teba, lived in
a social whirlwind. Interestingly, it was the friends with
royal connections, whom she met through her socializing,
who would ultimately save her husband’s life when Don
Cipriano was involved in the Spanish uprising of 1820.
Most who participated in the uprising were hanged, shot, or
hacked into fours, but for Don Cipriano, his wife’s charm
saved his life. Probably her money helped, as well.
Since Don Cipriano was the younger of two counts in
his family, his older brother had sometime before inherited
the family estate and wealth. When that older brother died
with no legal heir, the couple’s life changed drastically.
They were now the Count and Countess Montijo and
subsequently moved to the vast family estate in Madrid,
where in time the couple was blessed with the births of
two daughters. The first daughter, Paca, was born January
29, 1825, in a relatively routine manner, but her sister’s
birth, May 5, 1826, was another matter entirely. The day
was dry and calm when an earthquake shook Granada.
Doña Manuela, sensing that the small tremors might lead
to something of a greater magnitude, had a tent set up in
the garden. Her premonition was realized a bit later when
the big quake came, causing her to go into labor. There in
a tent in the garden, the baby girl was born prematurely;
Doña Manuela found consolation in the fact that her
second child was born on the anniversary of the death of
her great idol, Napoleon I. The next day, the baby was
christened Eugénie, for her uncle, the once-head of the
family–a great gesture of reconciliation between two
brothers, one living and one passed away.
Above Leon Casimir Bru capitalized on the popular empress
of the French, when he created this stunning life-size
mannequin head and shoulders. One of only two originals
known to have survived, it is believed that they were used by
posh boutiques to display jewels, or perhaps even hairstyles.
Right and Opposite From Leverd et Cie., one of the rarest
poupee parisienne models of Eugénie is also one of the
most innovative of the portrait dolls. Details include a noble
visage, and a realistic hairline achieved by inserting hairs into
a wax pate, so the hair appears to grow out of the bisque.
Julie Blewis Collection
20
WINTER 2010
DOLL NEWS • UFDC.ORG
21
A variation of Eugénie is evidenced by this Barrois portrait
model with classic and lovely pale bisque, cobalt blue eyes
and a hint of a smile. Patricia Gosh Collection
In Spain, it is believed that a child born during
an earthquake is destined for greatness. However,
little Eugénie grew up feeling the resentment
that the terror and pain of her birth had caused
her mother. As if that were not enough, her
mother made no bones about favoring
Eugénie’s older sister, Paca. Yet this did
not affect the sisters’ feelings toward
one another, and it has been said that
Eugénie loved her sister completely, with
a bond that could never be broken, not
even by their own mother.
As a girl, Eugénie once had her
fortune told by a gypsy: “You will one
day wear Europe’s most dazzling crown
and will live to be one-hundred years
old.” While, to a little Spanish girl, the
fortune offered much to look forward to,
a fortune teller, as gifted as she might be,
cannot share with you the reach and breadth of
your destiny.
22
WINTER 2010
Some of the greatest fashion doll faces have come from
the mind of Alexandre Dehors. One of his earliest dolls is
this bisque shoulderhead model, a raven haired Eugénie
that is mounted on a wood articulated body and dressed in
“Eugénie blue”.
Becoming An Empress
The Count and Countess Montijo were
unique individuals for their time and country
in that they expected their daughters to be
well-versed in politics, history and current
events. Simply put, Eugénie’s parents
believed in education for girls. Their
mother could speak several languages,
and she expected her daughters to be
able to also; their father wanted his
daughters to learn frugality, so there were
no silk dresses for them! Their parents
believed that charity began at home, and
over the years, they took two orphan
boys into their household as their own
sons. Eugénie perfected the art of riding
through play with one of the boys.
As Eugénie reached her tenth year, she
and her sister Paca were sent to Sacré Cœur,
a convent school in Paris. Both of her parents
loved the city completely, and Doña Manuela
decided to accompany the girls; at the time, the
Montijo marriage was feeling a strain, most likely due to problems
associated with the countess’ voracious social ambition.
Eugénie wrote to her father regularly.
“You know dear Papa, it is quite impossible to live in Paris.
They are always trying to kill the king. The other day, they set off an
explosion and the soldiers thought it was another revolution. I am
longing to kiss you Papa and see the other side of the Pyrenees. My
heart will not have enough room for its joy…”
The girls didn’t stay long in Paris. They were soon removed from
their convent school and sent to a boarding school in Clifton, near
Bristol, England. The change in environment proved to be an experience
that Eugénie would not want to remember. Tall for her age with bright
red hair, Eugénie felt tormented when the other girls called her “carrots.”
The sisters complained to their father that there were no amusements at
the school and the people were unfriendly. Eugénie did make at least one
friend, however; an Indian girl became her confidante. One day the two
sneaked away from school and were only discovered just before they
made their escape on a ship destined for India!
July of 1837 found Eugénie back attending a school in Paris. The
time spent in French convent schools allowed the girls to not only master
the French language, but also explore the then medieval city of Paris.
In 1839, the sudden death of Eugénie’s beloved father, Don
Cipriano, marked the end of her childhood, when at thirteen years of
age she stood at his grave. Eugénie loved her father with all the ardor
of her nature: he gave her life, a sense of freedom and values, and even
her spirit of adventure.
After the death of her husband, Doña Manuela became a dutiful,
though far from affectionate, mother to Eugénie, who felt her mother
was always more than happy to point out her inadequacies. It
was not a happy time in her young life; Eugénie wrote to
a friend in 1840: “The girls in Madrid are so stupid.
They only talk about their clothing unless there is
some scandal about each other.” The letter went
on to say that she had heard that the remains of
Napoleon I were to be brought back to Paris,
and that she wished she could be there for
the ceremony, thus revealing that she had
inherited from both of her parents an
infatuation with the great leader.
By the time Eugénie was seventeen,
she was a breathtaking beauty, overexcitable and a problem for her
mother–just like most teenagers. In
1842, Eugénie fell madly in love with
one of Spain’s most eligible bachelors,
the 15th Duke of Alba. Did he feel
the same love for her? We will never
know, for it would be her sister Paca
who would, through marriage, become
the Duchess of Alba. Dona Manuela
had arranged for her favorite daughter
to marry the duke and assume one of the
most prestigious titles in all of Spain. The
duke and duchess resided in one of Spain’s
greatest homes, which was, incidentally, filled
to the rafters with some of the most treasured
works of art in the world. The marriage of her
daughter Paca finally elevated the Countess Montijo
Empress Eugénie was
immortalized for all time
by the Smiling Bru. There
are many body types that
are suitable for this head
model, but this doll has
the classic leather body
with the exceptionally
beautiful bisque hands
for which Bru became so
well known.
Although few examples
were made of this rare
model, which features
a flanged neck, it is
unmistakably a portrait
of Eugénie. On an
articulated wood body,
she is yet another
great fashion lady from
Eugene Barrois.
Sharon Lindsay Collection
DOLL NEWS • UFDC.ORG
23
to the social status that she had worked her entire life to attain.
Eugénie’s reaction to the personally devastating news tells
us much about her character: she expressed her support for
the couple, and her love for her sister never waned. Although
dazzling, the Alba crown was not the most brilliant in all of
Europe. Remember, if the fortune teller of Eugénie’s youth
was to be accurate, destiny had something greater waiting just
around the corner for Eugénie.
With Paca now successfully married, the Countess Montijo
set off to find the proper husband for her second daughter. On
the heels of yet another disastrous love affair for Eugénie, which
nearly killed the young thing, her mother whisked the beautiful
Countess of Teba, as Eugénie was then known, off to Paris.
Doña Manuela had kept up with all of her friendships from
her old days in Paris and did her best to become reacquainted with
them so as to marry off her remaining daughter. Frankly, at age
twenty-three, Eugénie was starting to lose her bloom, but she did
have one thing that was in short supply in Paris, her virtue.
The Paris that Eugénie and her mother returned to was a
different city than either of them had known previously. The old
King Louis Philippe was out. In his place was the new, young,
unmarried president of the French Republic, Louis Napoleon
Bonaparte, who was not only the nephew of Napoleon I, but
his step-grandson to boot! For mother and daughter, obsessive
fans of Napoleon I, what city on earth could have been more
exciting? Before long, the two ladies from Spain had an invitation
to a social event in one of the most influential homes in all of
France. The president’s first cousin, Princess Mathilde Bonaparte
Demidoff, was at the time the acting first lady of France. Mathilde
was instantly charmed by Eugénie and soon introduced her to the
president at a subsequent ball. The president was widely known to
Winterhalter portrait of
Napoleon III, Emperor of France.
24
WINTER 2010
A rare, early,
profile of the
young Eugénie
at the beginning
of her journey
as empress, it
is interesting to
compare this
image with that of
her doll portraits.
Whoever sculpted the head of this stunning model must have
been working from one of the many portraits of the empress,
which were commonly found throughout Paris in her day. From
Leverd et Cie., this is simply a fantastic Eugénie complete with
the amazing shaped hairline the firm is well known for creating.
Countess Maree Tarnowska Collection
The most commercially successful of all Empress Eugénie
models is undoubtedly the Smiling Bru. Each size takes on
a slightly different look based on finishing in the green-ware
stage, painting and of course, the setting of the eyes. Pat Boldt
Collection (bride), Helen Thomas Collection (brown hat) and
Denise Buese Collection (tan/purple).
always be on the lookout for his latest conquest; the fact that the
young, beautiful Spanish countess wasn’t that kind of girl made
her all the more alluring to him.
Continuing on the hunt for a husband, mother and daughter
traveled together all over Europe and England. When they
returned to Paris, yet again, a different atmosphere seemed to
pervade the city. To simplify, a tour of France by the president
resulted in a complete political triumph, and on December 2,
1852, which was the forty-eighth anniversary of the coronation
of Napoleon I, the president, in a coup d’etat, became Emperor
Napoleon III of France. The empire was restored, and a great era
in French history was just beginning.
Of course, every great emperor needs an empress, so
Napoleon III and his government set out to find him one. Not
surprising, perhaps due to his philandering ways, the emperor’s
proposals were turned down by all available princesses, who
considered the offer undesirable and not to be taken seriously.
Rebuffed, the emperor lowered his sights and decided to marry
for love. He had not forgotten the young and beautiful Eugénie,
DOLL NEWS • UFDC.ORG
25
Countess of Teba, so in a first step at courtship, she was invited
to dinner. Upon her arrival, Eugénie discovered that she was
the only guest. Though young and a bit timid, she would have
none of that and promptly left in a huff! The emperor next
invited Eugénie to the Château de Compiègne, but with her
mother in tow. It wasn’t until the emperor saw Eugénie on a
horse, however, that he truly appreciated
what a magnificent woman she was,
and he inquired of her, “What is the
road to your heart? I demand to know!”
Eugénie replied, “The road to my heart
goes through the chapel, sir.”
Louis Napoleon had been
captured in a spell and was to soon
fall completely in love with Eugénie.
In a letter from Louis Napoleon to
her mother, one can easily sense the
emperor’s admiration for Eugénie:
“Madame la Comtesse, I have loved
your daughter and wished to marry her
for some time. I have therefore come
today to ask for her hand, for nobody
is more capable of contributing to my
happiness or more worthy of wearing a
crown. If you give your consent, I would
ask that you not mention the project
until we have made all arrangements.
Please receive, Madame la Comtesse, the assurance of my
feelings of sincere friendship, Napoleon.”
It seems Eugénie’s fortune teller was spot on. The little
Spanish girl would indeed wear the most dazzling crown in
Europe–the crown of France.
First, however, the Emperor had to sell the idea to his
senate, which he did in an oration of defiance and hope:
“She whom I have chosen is of a lofty birth. French by
education, and by the memory of her father’s bloodshed in
the cause of the Empire, she has the advantage of being a
Spaniard, of having no family in France to whom the honors
and dignities must be given. Endowed with every quality of
mind, she will be an ornament to the throne and in hour of
danger, one of its bravest defenders. A devout Catholic, she will
unite her prayers to heaven for the welfare of France with
mine. Gracious and good, she will, I do not doubt, revive the
virtues of her predecessor, the Empress Josephine.
So gentlemen, I am here to say to France: I prefer a
woman whom I love and respect to an alliance
with an unknown lady who would have
brought advantages, not unmixed with
sacrifices, in putting an independent heart
and happiness above dynastic prejudice
or calculating ambition, I shall not be less
stronger for being more free. Soon I shall go to
Notre-Dame to present the Empress to the people
and the army. Their confidence in me will assure
their sympathy for her whom I have chosen; you
gentlemen, who have come to know her, will be convinced
that on this occasion also, I have been inspired by providence.”
26
WINTER 2010
The wedding at Notre-Dome in 1853 was a glittering affair
with most of the crown heads of Europe not in attendance.
On the subject of crowns, if you recall, the fortune teller
of Eugénie’s childhood promised her a dazzling one. The
citizens of Paris, the working people, started a fund and raised
600,000 francs to purchase their young new empress a tiara
as a wedding gift. Eugénie, however,
declined the offer of a tiara, instead
accepting the money to open Europe’s
first women’s shelter. The empress
would go on to open an orphanage, as
well as to support many other projects.
Soon, the emperor and the twenty-sixyear-old empress were to transform
Paris into the center of all of Europe.
Eugénie’s beloved father had taught
her from childhood, “from those who
much is given – much is expected.”
Taking her father’s lessons to heart,
the young empress would venture out
most mornings in an unmarked carriage
to witness, firsthand, the exact needs
of her people. As the grand-daughter
of a merchant, she managed most of
her charitable works with the skill of a
successful businessman. Provided 1.2
million francs as her annual government
allowance, Eugénie spent only 100,000 of the budget on her
clothing and the rest on her good deeds–and she was known to
keep her books to the penny.
Was it during these carriage rides through the city’s
medieval slums that Eugénie garnered new ideas for the
redeveloped Paris which was in the works? Several factors
made this idea of a grand renovation of the city an excellent
one. At that time, the river Seine, the lifeblood of the city, ran
dry every summer, turning from a viable source into a series
of stagnant pools of water. Diseases from mosquitoes, such as
malaria, in addition to cholera, reached epidemic proportions.
Also keep in mind, with very few open spaces in the city,
working citizens had no place to congregate on their days free
from work, except in drinking establishments. The emperor and
empress had both traveled and lived abroad. They were aware
of the great public parks in England and elsewhere, where
the public could gather and take in leisure activities. Finally,
the royal couple was all too aware that Paris, in its medieval
slum state, was not manageable from a military
point of view.
Georges E. Haussmann, a visionary
master architect, was hired by Napoleon
III on 22 June, 1852 to “modernize”
Paris. His designs called for the complete
demolition of the heart of Paris to be replaced
by a thoroughly modern city. As early as 1852,
plans had been drawn up to completely rebuild
over 250,000 structures in the city. Buildings were
torn down over an eighteen-year period. The creation of
a gigantic new sewer system, wide boulevards offering broad
views of the city’s landmarks, a new importance on trains,
and fantastic public parks for the citizens to enjoy were all
part of the plans. Because both the Bonaparte and the Montijo
families were natural born business people, the emperor and
empress were aware of the positive result that rebuilding Paris
would have on the country’s economy. As a whole new Paris
emerged, entrepreneurs were provided incredible opportunities.
Among those entrepreneurs were doll makers: over two hundred
doll-making establishments were born during this period of
transition. I strongly believe that in nearly all of the doll makers’
and merchants’ inventories could be found a doll version of
Empress Eugénie. Do we know whether the empress ever saw
the dolls made in her likeness? Absolutely she did, because
it was Eugénie who personally presented the medals to the
honored exhibitors at the Exposition Universelle in the years
1855 and 1868. The empress would have obviously viewed
the doll display of Maison Guillard, the gold medal winner in
1855, which stood next to the display of Maison Huret, which
received a bronze medal that same year.
The pinnacle of artistic and financial success for these doll
artisans was reached during these years and would not have
been possible without the Hausmann plan and the loans that
were made available at low rates during the city’s renaissance.
A major financial power during the reign of Napoleon III,
France could credit its success to the emperor’s motto: “One can
only build some thing solid and lasting on a new foundation.”
In great and successful eras, one lady always seems to set
the tone for the rest of country, or in the case of the empress
of France, the rest of the world. Christened “the muse of
France,” was Empress Eugénie consumed with fashion? We
can speculate, but I do not believe that was the case. Setting a
standard and appearing in appropriate fashion was part of the
responsibility of her position, and the benefit of her fashionable
taste was the fact that she helped to sell French goods.
Above Baron Haussmann presenting the royal couple and
dignitaries with plans for the new Louvre.
Below I consider this bronze medal one of the most unusual
pieces in the world of doll collecting. Presented in1855 to
Calixte Huret at the Exposition Universelle, it has recently
become infinitely more important to me, especially after
I learned it was presented to the honorees, in person, by
Eugénie, the Empress of France. Surely the highlight of the
Huret sisters’ career in dolls, the medal is a rare artifact that I
now treasure more than ever.
Eugénie’s fashion consciousness became much more
developed after she was introduced to Princess Pauline von
Metternich, the newly arrived wife of the Ambassador of Austria.
Pauline was blessed with a wonderful figure, but unfortunately
had simian features. Although Eugénie loved to be around
attractive people, she made an exception for Princess von
Metternich, who was fun and made the empress laugh. At one
reception, Eugénie remarked on a stunning gown Pauline was
wearing and inquired of her who was responsible for its creation.
“Worth, a rising star,” the princess answered. Eugénie replied,
“All stars must have a satellite. Have him come tomorrow at 10
DOLL NEWS • UFDC.ORG
27
Wife And Mother
o’clock to meet with me at the Tuileries.”
With that meeting, Charles Fredrick
Worth, an Englishman who designed
There is a very old Spanish saying:
clothing in Paris, instantly became the most
“The pearls a bride wears on her wedding
prestigious name in the world of fashion.
day represent the tears that come later.”
The empress loved Worth’s dresses and
Unfortunately for Eugénie, on her
ensembles, because they did not require
own wedding day, she was covered in
much time for fitting. Not only had Maison
Bonaparte pearls. The emperor once
Worth perfected the art of cutting and fit,
remarked to a relative that he had been
but the firm could also create something
faithful to Eugénie for the first six months
on short notice. Reportedly, Worth once
of their marriage. His list of lovers is long
created a gown for Eugénie in three hours!
and legendary, though he insisted that he
While the truth of this report is doubtful,
was never the pursuer in his conquests,
a true professional always anticipates the
but the pursued. This admission naturally
needs of his clients, and I believe that was
caused the empress much distress, and
most likely the case in that instance. It has
one day she wearily asked one of her
been reported that during one meeting,
courtiers, “Was there anyone one in the
Worth showed Eugénie some patterned
Eugénie is resplendent in Bonaparte pearls court with which the emperor had not had
brocade from Lyon, to which she reacted
a secret tryst?”
and a hairstyle Español, circa 1854.
negatively, proclaiming that the sample
Eugénie never took a lover and
looked like drapery material! Worth, in
simply behaved as was expected of
his reply, diplomatically pointed out that
a lady. She also remained respected
silk weavers in Lyon were Republicans
by the public for never disgracing her
and that her wearing their silk would
marriage vows, no matter how much
ease some of the political tensions
embarrassment she suffered by her
between their political party and her
husband’s actions.
own. Eugénie relented, wore a Worth
Finally in 1856, after two tragic
creation of beige Lyonnaise silk brocade
miscarriages, Eugénie gave birth to
and almost overnight, 125,000 looms
a boy. At one point during the very
were put to work.
difficult delivery, doctors asked the
It is true that Eugénie never wore the same
emperor whether they should save his child or his
dress twice. Further, she changed her clothing
wife? The emperor chose his wife’s life that day,
three times per day, and her cast offs were given
but fortunately the choice did not end in tragedy,
to her ladies in waiting, who in turn also wore
when Eugene Louis Jean Joseph Napoleon, or
them once, and then sold the pieces. The empress
Louis (Lou-lou to his family), the prince imperial,
of France’s clothing has been sprinkled, therefore,
entered the world. The boy became the center
all over Paris and the world!
of Eugénie’s life, and she raised him to be an
At one ball, the empress received an American
outstanding and likable boy, who was loved by all
guest, and while commenting on the lady’s lovely
in his family.
gown, which was not a Worth creation, Eugénie
Doctors recommended against any more
Franz Xavier Winterhalter’s
playfully informed her, “Worth and I rule Paris.”
children
for Eugénie, as giving birth to another
lovely portrait of Eugénie,
Her statement was not boastful, it was completely
complete with magnificent child would surely end in death for her. She had
pearls and an ermine wrap. succeeded in giving France an heir, and when
true. Worth and Eugénie together plotted all of
the major fashions of their time, from keeping
faced by the distressing dimension of her married
the hoop skirt popular longer than it should have been, to its
life, she would have to turn the other cheek as far as her
overnight disappearance, to the lengths of skirts in general, to
husband’s affairs were concerned. Eugénie chose to swallow
the appearance of the bustle. The two even dictated the latest
her pride no matter how tormented by jealousy she became,
color trends.
choosing instead to quiet her mind by refurbishing the royal
Worth and his wife were invited to many social events
residences, including the Palais des Tuileries.
during the Second Empire, and the empress of France always
It was that palace to which Queen Victoria and Prince
made a point of greeting them and making a fuss over the
Albert made a state visit. Victoria had, in advance, created a
merchant of elegance. In his day, Worth was referred to as “the
list of all the art she wished to view at the Louvre. Eugénie,
king of fashion”; the empress, then, was the king-maker. Upon
therefore, had the art relocated and temporarily installed in the
Worth’s death in 1895, the empress said, “He was my friend
Tuileries so that the English queen could enjoy it at her leisure
in my time of great prosperity and my friend in my despair.”
in complete privacy. It is written that Victoria considered that
Eugénie’s name will forever be linked to the House of Worth
state visit to Paris one of the highlights of her young life, and
and to the French fashion industry she helped to create.
between queen and empress was born a sisterhood that would
28
WINTER 2010
To commemorate the birth of the Imperial Prince, this exquisite cradle
was created as a souvenir candy box for the most discriminating
boutiques, perhaps one of the many suppliers to the royal household
itself. It always gives me a special thrill to read the words “Suppliers to
the Imperial Prince” on a French boutique label.
last both of their long lives. As an interesting aside, the public in
general was quite supportive of the empress’ projects relating to art
and its acquisition, and in a mere eighteen years, both the Louvre
collection and the building itself grew four times in size.
Through her acquisition of art objects, Empress Eugénie became
an expert in French history. As a result, she was instrumental in the
revival of both the Empire and the Louis XVI styles, and she became
particularly interested in the life of Marie Antoinette. Eugénie, a
foreign-born monarch like Marie Antoinette, no doubt identified with
the fallen Austrian princess. This interest led to the amassing of a
major collection of the former queen’s personal effects.
Eugénie with
her beloved
son Lou-lou,
in both a pose
and gown
that is so very
similar to one
her predecessor
Marie Antoinette
chose to wear in
a portrait of the
ill-fated family.
DOLL NEWS • UFDC.ORG
29
The beloved son, and the
center of Eugénie’s life,
in a rare painting of the
toddler with family and
cabinet members.
Napoleon III may have
been a philanderer,
but his love for his son
was complete. Both he
and the empress were
completely devoted
parents, but not
smothering, in the care of
their only child.
A Sèvres biscuit plaque,
illustrating a silhouette
of the Imperial Prince – a
rare, and sentimental
piece for the collector of
French porcelain.
An Empress Of Substance
In January 1858, events unfolded that showed the French
people exactly what their empress was made of. The account
begins with a delivery from the House of Worth of a butter
yellow gown (Eugénie’s favorite color), which the empress
proclaimed a masterpiece. Eugénie chose to wear this triumph
of a gown at a gala opera performance at Rue Le Peletier.
Picture, if you will, the complete pageantry of a full military
escort, including handsome lancers protecting the imperial
carriage with its elegantly attired royal passengers inside. As
this procession reached the opera house, a bomb exploded
nearby, immediately extinguishing all of the gas lighting,
which illuminated the street, and bringing the caravan to a halt.
Then there was another powerful explosion in the blackness,
and the terrified screams of the onlookers resonated through
the cobblestone streets, echoing over and over against the
surrounding stone edifices. As the doors of the carriage flew
open, inside a courageous Eugénie was relieved to see her own
secret police, who instantly pulled the emperor and her out
of the carriage and, with those actions, abruptly into a hellish
scene. It is possible that Eugénie’s courage was buoyed at that
moment by a sort of macabre relief that it was not assassins
with daggers who had flung open the carriage doors, but her
own men, for Eugénie had always harbored an intense fear of
being stabbed in the street.
It is reported that, upon taking in the nightmare that
surrounded them, Eugénie said to her guards, “Do not
bother with us, take care of the others. This is all part of
our profession.” The emperor, on the other hand, although
uninjured, was quite shaken and suggested returning to the
safety of the palace. Eugénie retorted, “Do not be ridiculous,
I want the people to see what they have done!” (A similar
statement you may recall would be uttered by our own first
lady, and scholar of French history, Jacqueline Kennedy, just
over one hundred years later.)
30
WINTER 2010
With that, Eugénie, and her former masterpiece of a gown,
now littered with shards of broken glass, blood stains and
bits of brain matter, entered the opera house followed by the
emperor. The audience already inside were stunned not only
by the violence of which they had learned, but also with the
bruised and bloody appearance of their emperor and empress.
As testimony to her courage, the empress never once lost her
composure during the standing ovation the couple received as
they took their seats.
Upon returning to the safety of their home later that evening,
and in sight of their sleeping child, they took their private moment.
In the end, ten people were killed and one hundred forty
were seriously wounded. The unsuccessful assassination attempt
Opposite The classic smile is readily evident on the face of this
Leon Casimir Bru who boasts a wooden body. As a tribute, the
doll has been dressed for a costume ball that Eugénie actually
attended, where she was attired as a lady in the court of Louis
XVI, complete with a period hairstyle. Created from the tender
fragments of an original Charles Fredrick Worth gown, the dress
lives on in miniature!
Inset Captured for eternity in her fancy dress gown, Winterhalter
painted this image of Eugénie in1854. This work now hangs in our
own Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
DOLL NEWS • UFDC.ORG
31
A stunning work from
Franz Xavier Winterhalter
is this scene of the
Empress of France with
her Maids of Honor, circa
1855. Please take note
that this monumental
painting is in fact life size!
was a turning point not
only in the history of the
Second Empire, but also
for the government. The
empress’ fearlessness in
the face of danger and
the fact that she was
her husband’s closest
confidante in all matters
resulted in the decision to appoint Eugénie as regent, to act in
his stead, should the emperor be assassinated, gravely ill, or
away on military campaigns. Such was the emperor’s belief in
his wife’s capabilities. With that decision, the stage was set for
Eugénie to possibly function as the most powerful woman in
the world, and she did, in fact, assume the duties of regent in
1859, 1865 and 1870.
The nineteenth century was a time of great empire building,
and France was no different from England and America in its
constant quest for expansion. With America fully involved
in civil war in the 1860’s, the supply of cotton to France was
suddenly cut off. On the advice of the royal couple’s trusted
dentist, Dr. Thomas W. Evans (an American living in France),
who the emperor had sent to meet with President Lincoln,
France decided to stay out of America’s civil war. Instead,
sights were set on Mexico, whose rich lands could supply
France with the much-needed cotton. Perhaps, the plan was
also driven by the idea that because Eugénie was a Spaniard,
she would feel pride in regaining and then presiding over
territory that had once belonged to her native Spain.
The first order was to enlist a couple willing to be the
emperor and empress of Mexico, and to face the harsh realities
that might greet them upon taking their positions in a world
away from their own. Napoleon III found such a couple
in the Austrian prince Archduke Ferdinand Maximillian
and his wife, Archduchess Maria Charlotte, who became
Emperor Maximillian and Empress Carlota. (The selection
of an Austrian to accompany an invasion of French soldiers
to Mexico might seem a bit strange, but it was rumored that
Maximillian was illegitimately fathered by Napoleon II, which
made him the cousin of Napoleon III.)
Largely due to a severe lack of troops but also because
the act was an unwelcome invasion of Mexico by France,
the attempt at expansion ended tragically when the army was
defeated by General Benito Juarez. Maxmillian was executed
and his widow descended into madness.
Frankly, the blame for this entire disaster with Mexico was
32
WINTER 2010
placed at the feet of
the empress, for it was
believed to be her pet
project, designed to keep
her mind off the emperor’s
philandering, and there
is probably some truth to
this belief. As the 1860’s
were coming to a close,
the emperor’s health was
in steep decline; he was
diagnosed with severe gall
stones, coupled with what
was most likely an early
case of prostate cancer.
In1868 France hosted
another Exposition
Universelle. The world
was dazzled by the
exhibition, and all of the heads of Europe were in attendance,
in spite of growing tensions throughout the continent. A
menace lurked just a round the corner, and he was a guest at
the party. Otto von Bismarck, the Chancellor of the North
German Confederation, planned to draw France into what
would turn out to be a disastrous war for the country. “The only
way to unify the kingdoms of Germany into one super power,”
declared Bismarck, “is to go to war with France.” With that,
everything possible was done to force France to the point of
declaring war on Prussia. This decision to go to war did not
come easily for the Napoleon III. He was seriously ill, too ill
even to mount a horse. Nevertheless, he courageously found a
way to lead his army to battle: he took a railroad car to meet his
men wherever he was needed. In the end, the French army was
no match for the might of the Prussian army.
At the moment when all seemed lost, the emperor managed
to mount a horse and bravely ride to the front line to await his
fate. He sat astride his horse smoking his cigarettes while brave
and patriotic French soldiers all around him were massacred;
the emperor would find no such relief, so to save his remaining
men, he raised the white flag and surrendered. With this act, the
Battle of Sedan in 1870 marked a defeat even more bitter than
Waterloo. The loss delivered France into the hands of Prussia,
and mighty Germany was born. Their fear that the biggest threats
to humanity were a unified Germany and a too powerful Russia
was one the emperor and empress would now be forced to face.
That day on the battlefield, while the Emperor emperor
surrendered his army and himself, he could not surrender the
country of France, because he was not technically the regent
ruler at that moment, due to his earlier provisions.
As head of the country, Eugénie governed from the
Tuileries while hoping for the best, and preparing for the worst.
She possessed the insight to have all of the treasures from
the great museums removed into to hiding places. The crown
jewels were all put into safekeeping, but she arranged to have
her personal jewels smuggled into England in a diplomatic bag.
As it became clearer that all was lost, Eugénie showed great
I have heard it said, “presentation is everything.” What better way to offer a sweet
candy treat to a doll collector friend, than with this fashion doll by Alexandre
Dehors? Complete with lovely bisque legs attached to a wooden base, the doll is
dressed in silk and ermine and topped off by jewels fit for Eugénie herself.
courage in doing everything she could to save France. In his planning,
Bismarck had not discounted one additional army--the French people,
the citizens of Paris, who would eventually turn on their own
government. To her credit, Eugénie knew French history very well
and was keenly aware of this eventuality. When it became evident
that the empress’ one hundred sixty guards could not protect
her, her cabinet, or her ladies, and because she did not wish for
them the same slaughter that befell the Swiss Guards of her
predecessor Marie Antoinette, she released them.
Eugénie asked that not a shot be fired, and with that, she
fled her home of eighteen years, a home in which a
major portion of her life had been lived. She headed
to a secret passageway that led to the Louvre.
Accompanied by one faithful lady (who almost
forgot the last of the empress’ jewels, but at
the last moment wrapped them up in the daily
newspaper) and two loyal male members of the
staff, Eugénie wandered through the maze of
corridors and eventually came to a dead end, a
locked door. Out of nowhere, as if an incarnation,
a director appeared with keys and unlocked the
door that would lead her and her to party to
the street and, hopefully, to freedom. Eugénie
DOLL NEWS • UFDC.ORG
33
Sitting on the shores of
France looking towards
England, Eugénie probably
had no idea that the island
across the channel would
someday be her refuge.
immediately discharged the
men, wisely advising them
to remove their uniforms
for their own safety. She,
along with her lady and
the cash equivalent of fifty
francs (a pittance), said their
goodbyes to those who had
aided their escape. The two
women managed to walk through the bloodthirsty mob and find a
taxi. Eugénie would later tell of how, from the windows of that taxi,
as the driver navigated his way along the boulevards of Paris, she
witnessed shopkeepers removing their royal warrants from their
doorways and shop fronts, causing the empress to remark, “They
do not waste much time.”
But where to go? Not necessarily aware of the addresses of
many of her loyal friends and before the paltry sum of money
ran out, Eugénie fortunately remembered Evans, her American
dentist. Evans had spent that day preparing the American
hospital for incoming troops, and when he returned home,
waiting for him in his salon were two mysterious ladies. What
a shock it must have been for him when one of the ladies lifted
her veil, and he came face to face with the empress. “I have
come to you for protection and assistance,” she told him. “You
see I am no longer fortunate,” she continued, as her eyes filled
with tears. “The evil days have come and I am alone.”
Eugénie asked the doctor if he would help her escape to
England, and he agreed to assist in any way that he was able.
In the face of extreme danger, Evans arranged to disguise
Eugénie as an English invalid and planned to accompany her
to Deauville. The doctor was quite impressed by the empress’
calmness along the way, and the trio finally made it to the
French port city, where they met an English nobleman who was
willing to take them across the channel on his yacht.
The party left Deauville under the cover of darkness and
set off upon rough seas. A brewing storm hit the English
Channel with full force shortly after their departure, and at one
point they thought the ship would go down, sending them all
to a watery grave.
Remember, at this point in time, the empress did not know
whether her husband or her son was alive, and if the ship went
down in the channel with her on board, no one in the world
would ever know her fate. At that moment of deep despair,
Eugénie felt that there was not a more welcome grave, but that
was not to be.
The nearly destroyed ship limped into Ryde harbor at
4:00 am later that same day; the passengers were greeted with
the terrible news that the HMS Captain, a ship that was also
traveling in the channel that fateful night, had gone down with
500 officers and crew–all lost at sea.
34
WINTER 2010
The best hotel in the town
refused to take in such shabby
looking people traveling with
no luggage, but Eugénie’s
party finally found an inn that
would accept them, after much
hesitation on the part of the
innkeeper. The empress was
given a tiny room at the top
of the stairs, and after sitting
numbly for two hours, she
noticed a bible on the table
near her. She opened the book
to the words “The Lord is my
Shepherd; I shall not want,
He maketh me to lie down
in green pastures, He leadeth me beside the still waters…” As
she read these words the door to her room flew open to reveal
Evans, who shared with Eugénie the news that her son, the
prince imperial, not only was alive and well, but had also landed
in England that very day!
After The Empire
Soon, Eugénie and her beloved son were reunited, and
arrangements were made for them to move together to Camden
Place, at Chislehurst, in Kent. Surprisingly, most of the empress’
former staff from the Tuileries (by then burned to a stone shell),
from the footmen to the chef, found their way to Camden Place.
In an act that speaks volumes to Eugénie’s character, the staff
would remain with her until the end, such was their devotion to
her.
News soon arrived that the emperor was also alive and,
coincidentally, being held captive in a castle that once belonged
to one of his uncles. Though Eugénie and Napoleon’s marriage
had been tested by fire, in one of her letters to the emperor, she
wrote:
“You and Louis mean everything to me. You take the place
of my family and country. France’s misfortunes move me to
the depths of my soul, yet for one moment I do not miss the
brilliances of our past life. Simply to be together again is all I
wish for. My poor cher ami.”
The emperor was eventually released from prison and joined
his wife and son, resulting in what was the happiest time of their
married life. The prince attended military school and for the first
time in his life, he was able to go out in public and live like a
normal young man.
Eugénie enjoyed many visitors, including her “sister,” Queen
Victoria, and their friendship would only grow stronger as the
years went by–a sisterhood that helped strengthen French/
English relations into the alliance that exists to this very day.
Eugénie was still technically the regent of France, whether
the new government accepted her or not, but could do little
to help the situation in her former land. Horrified at the
despicable treatment of French prisoners of war at the hands of
the Prussians, the emperor did all he could to help by sending
clothing and every other article imaginable.
These classic Bru Smilers closely capture the likeness of the empress,
especially in the narrow shape of the tri-colored eyes – sheer Second Empire elegance.
A sale of part of Eugénie’s jewel collection, combined with
her income from Spain and inheritances from the emperor’s
family, allowed them to live securely financially, but the health
problems that had plagued the emperor finally caught up with
him. He underwent two operations and then took a turn for
the worse. As he lay dying, he was heard to mutter repeatedly,
“Were we cowards at Sedan…were we cowards at Sedan?”
Eugénie whispered her answer to him over and over again at each
question: “C’est impossible.” Then he died in her arms. Eugénie
forgave her husband for all of the past sorrows he had caused her,
as that is what her faith told her to do. At the end of the day there
was ever only one side that the empress was on: the emperor’s.
The Long Twilight
In 1874, Louis, the prince imperial, became of age on his
eighteenth birthday. Six thousand people came to wish him well
with shouts of “Vive Napoleon IV.” The young man showed
humility and restraint by asking the crowd to shout “Vive
France” instead, but in his heart he knew that, should the country
of his birth need him, he would serve. Louis was realistic,
however, and if he hadn’t been, he had his mother to remind him
that France was ungovernable unless its self-love was satisfied.
Many members of the Bonaparte family were involved in
French politics at that time, but the young prince wisely stayed
out of the scene. Eugénie was proud of her tall, handsome son,
and although she grieved for her husband, the days spent with
Louis at Camden Place were among the happiest of her life.
The young man was also loved by Queen Victoria, and it
was said that Louis was the only man besides John Brown who
wasn’t afraid of her. In 1879, war broke out with the Zulus, and
the prince wanted to see active duty in Her Majesty’s service.
He petitioned Victoria, and then he pestered her incessantly until
he was enlisted as a private. On February 27, 1879, Eugénie
saw her son off to South Africa, with all odds on the young
man coming home safe and sound, but her mother’s intuition
gave her no peace. Early in June, six troopers were sent out on
a scouting expedition with the prince among them. About noon
they dismounted their horses and corralled them, with plans to
take a rest. The scene seemed entirely safe when suddenly shots
rang out, and two men were killed by Zulu bullets. The prince
remounted his horse, a strap broke and as he fell to the ground,
his horse bolted. Louis got up and made a run for it, but after a
quarter of a mile, he realized he had no chance of survival. Louis
DOLL NEWS • UFDC.ORG
35
Evident here in one of the last portraits
of Louis Napoleon, is the fact that his
appearance favored that of his mother,
especially his eyes and that well known
slight smile. After his untimely death,
Eugénie wore black the rest of her long
life and at home, only she would be
allowed to extinguish the candles that
illuminated his portraits.
The Empress of France is
still making headlines for
her style. Once part of her
private jewel collection, this
one time belt buckle, which
she ordered transformed
into a brooch, has been
recently purchased by
the Louvre for their royal
collection. The price tag?
$11,000,000.00
drew his revolver and ran back to meet the Zulus face on, while
firing the gun in his left hand and attempting to deflect spears
with his right. In the end, he was speared seventeen times. With
all of his wounds on the front of his body, Zulus warriors later
shared that the young man “died like a lion.” To them, through
his choice of actions and his obvious bravery, he was “an
unearthly being – a god.”
It was up to Queen Victoria to break the news to her closest
friend in the world: the terrible news that Eugénie’s beloved
Lou-lou had died while fighting in her service. The following
days were the darkest yet for Eugénie, as the realization set in
that she had lost her only child.
Very soon after, Eugénie traveled to visit the place where
her boy was killed. As part of a great expedition with many
hardships, she never once complained. When the party arrived
close to the area in which it had all had taken place, Eugénie
located the exact spot, led by what she related was her beloved
son’s favorite scent, verbena. Eugénie stayed in that sacred
place, seemingly all alone, from twilight through the night. But
all around her through those dark hours, the tall grasses moved
with the stealthy activity of Zulu witnesses to her son’s death.
Trying to catch a glimpse of “the mother of the god” who had
36
WINTER 2010
This original fragment from the royal
bedchamber at Palais de Fontainebleau, was
removed in 1927. Among Eugénie’s original
personal choices of trims for her bedroom
decorations, it was used to match replacements.
It is now a lovely souvenir, displayed never far
away from the dolls created in her likeness.
died there shortly before; what they saw was the source of that
courage, for Eugénie did not move from her place, until the
morning light illuminated it once again.
For the rest of her days, when asked to comment on her long
life, she would simply say, without bitterness, “I died in 1879.”
Dear reader, that is where this story ends, even though
Eugénie went on to live until 1920. We can hope that she
enjoyed many happy days. We know that she made the best
of her life. She served her native country and her adopted one
with honor until the end. When Eugénie left this earth after
a brief illness, she did so from her beloved birthplace, Spain,
accompanied by a soft voice reading from her favorite story,
Don Quixote, and its telling of an impossible dream.
Though Eugénie lived to be only six years shy of her fortune
teller’s prediction of a life lasting one hundred years, the fortune
teller could not predict that Eugénie’s essence would live far
beyond those years. To me, the incomparable city of Paris is
unrivaled in beauty and elegance, not unlike the lady herself. As
we walk down the boulevards that Eugénie once traveled, and
through our collecting, as we handle poupee parisiennes, those
porcelain masterpieces created in her image, let us be reminded
of Eugénie, the woman, and the shadow of her smile.
Eugénie and her Wardrobe is one
of the few dolls that is documented
with the actual name of the Empress
of France. A very rare paper doll set
from the late 1850s to early1860s – it
gives us a clear look at the empress’
actual clothing styles. The original
paper doll measures nine-inches tall
and is complete with a front and back,
as is the decorated clothing. We have
reduced the size so that you can give
your own French fashion doll a gift. If
you do not wish to cut out the example
here in your magazine, please visit
www.dollnews.org where you can print
a set on any kind of paper you choose.
In addition, you will find patterns and
decorations to make a paper box and lid.
This elegant masterpiece from
Alexandre Dehors happily
presents you with a Eugénie paper
doll set for your pleasure.
DOLL NEWS • UFDC.ORG
37
38
WINTER 2010
DOLL NEWS • UFDC.ORG
39