In looking back through some source material, I noticed that John Van Buren, an American politician, had written to his father, President Martin Van Buren about Mary Thorn (de Varaigne), Jane, and James on Thursday 21/2/1839 in Paris: Calling Mary "his old belle" is interesting, considering that she was fifteen or sixteen when she eloped... Continue Reading →
In the Salon of 1853 both Disderi and Gayrard displayed works. For Gayrard it was the bronze statue of The Lady on Horseback (Jane Thorn de Pierres). Whereas Disderi was exhibiting his portait photography. This year the famous exhibition was moved to northern Paris, and not everyone was happy with this. There were 1,768 works... Continue Reading →
I came across this rather vicious description of of King Louis-Philippe's sister, Madame Adelaide, and her connection to Colonel Thorn. It seems that within Parisian society they both had plenty of critics. If this can be believed, the Colonel was fearful of being "papped" by the likes of Alphonse Karr, who had written many scathing... Continue Reading →
The author of The Last of the Mohican's, James Fenimore Cooper was a friend of Colonel Thorn's and mentioned him often in his letters to his wife and friends. I have posted a couple of his comments previously, and here are a few more. I did not know about the Ludlow St rental, and it... Continue Reading →
Thanks to Serge, I did some digging around as to where Jane and Etienne (Stephan) lived in Paris and have found record of them at 16 Rue Montaigne in the 8th, near the Champs Elysees. The building now seems to be home to designer labels such as Armani and Cucinelli. This would have been in... Continue Reading →
I have enjoyed finding out which artists performed at Colonel Thorn's salon in Paris. It helps paint a vivid picture of the times. Most recently, I have found a mention of Mr Adrien Garreau, an exalted cellist. Mr Garreau has come to this country on the recommendation of the Ambassador of France to Washington and... Continue Reading →
It's these incidental pieces of information that build such a rich picture of the Thorn family's life. Of course, I'm curious about who was in the carriage! Being 1842, I expect it was Jane, Alice or Mary. 1842: On the way back from Chantilly, several accidents occurred which could have been very serious, and which... Continue Reading →
It is believed that Colonel Thorn spent 1 million francs renovating Hotel Matignon. In today's currency, that is equivalent to 51 million AUD. It's kind of hard to take in, and puts the 'e' in extravagant. So far, I have been able to find out a few facts about the renovation. He took the advice... Continue Reading →
Have I mentioned that Archival Librarians Rule the World! Much of the research material I'm finding on Google Books is only available in snippet view. This has been a constant source of frustration to me, which I didn't know how to overcome. Lately, though I've taken to reaching out to the librarians where the book... Continue Reading →
This passage in Le Mémorial bordelais : feuille politique et littéraire has revealed some fascinating kernels of Thorn history. It seems that when the family packed up ready to return to New York for good, they left Hotel Matignon and stayed temporarily at Hotel Forbin just outside Marseille. My assumption is that their boat was... Continue Reading →
The Colonel and Mrs Thorn 
[…] Mr Maurer […]
I noticed that too..nicknames add even more color to the picture
Oh, yes I found the photo amd put it on the poat about the Thorn granchildren! From Jane's letters it…
I shared her portrait and her father James with you…James is the black framed portrait vs the giant gold framed…
Dear Jacqueline, I feel the same as you. It has brought so much to life. Jane is clearly very fond…