The heiress, Mrs Moulton, was described in the newspapers as the daughter of a rich American piano maker. She moved to Paris the 1840's, where she sought acceptance and notability. She aspired to hold soirees and fetes that all the most important people would attend and asked a Madame Lemercier and Colonel Thorn for assistance... Continue Reading →
It was exciting to discover this image of Napoleon and Eugenie and their attendants taken in 1860. Thanks to Henri de Fraville, I have this information about the photo: Photograph attributed to Adolphe BRAUN (1812-1877) and entitled “La Cour Impériale à Fontainebleau, June 24, 1860” published in the review “Le Point, artistic and literary review”... Continue Reading →
Below is a little insight into the protocol of the Hunt during the reign of Napoleon 111 and Empress Eugenie. Jane Thorn de Pierres is mentioned often for her riding prowess. That means she got to wear the formal hunt gear and buttons. It looks rather tight and restrictive to be riding sidesaddle in. When... Continue Reading →
I discovered this delightful despcription of Alice, Ellen, and Ida Thorn being observed in their carriage as it tooled around Central Park. This was six years after the Colonel had died. Interesting to hear that Napoleon 111 was annoyed by the Colonel's flashy livery. French Landau Central Park 1865 The married daughters of the late... Continue Reading →
And still the infamy of the Masked Ball of 1840 continues! This is taken from a letter by writer and journalist by Delphine de Girardin. It's a fascinating perspective on Colonel Thorn's motivations for the extravagant entertaining he did. If the author is in any way correct, then it begs the question why? Why spend... Continue Reading →
It's unsurprising, with so much ostenatatious wealth, that the Thorn's were occasionally robbed over the years. I've found a few references to these incidents. One occasion was August 1839 when they were on holiday in Italy. They had been living in Paris for almost a decade at that time, and they travelled often. Colonel Thorn,... Continue Reading →
As part of my immersion into the Thorn's story, I've found it interesting to learn about the people around him. Particular writers' names keep coming in connection with the family, so I will take a moment to talk about who they were, and speculate on why they might have been friends. For instance, the artist... Continue Reading →
The Versailles train accident in 1842 is still one of the worst rail accidents ever. A loco with 17 carriages left for Paris and derailed at Meudon when an axle broke. Reports of the deaths ranged between 50 and 200 hundred people. Of importance for this story is that one of Colonel Thorn's sons escaped... Continue Reading →
Some of the anecdotes I have found in the course of my research have been amusing and revealing. None more so than this one from 1866, which I mentioned in my post about Jane (Thorn) de Pierres. It is such an insight into the tone and day to day court life of Napoleon 111 and... Continue Reading →
I am absolutely ecstatic to share with you this George Healy painting of Mary (Jauncey-Thorn) de Varaigne du Borg and her daughter Jeanne-Marie. This photo has been shared with me by my French cousins to whom I send many, many thanks!! We believe that Healy painted this around 1858-60 and that Jeanne Marie is about... 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…