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 →
This was a rather exciting find! It appears that the Colonel commissioned 3 x paintings from Danish artist Ernst Meyer through the icelandic sculptor, Bertel Thorvaldsen. Just when I think I've exhausted all the research avenues the Internet can offer, a little gem sparkles at me. The Colonel mentions copies of two paintings and a... Continue Reading →
Like many wealthy people, Colonel Thorn invested in and gave contribitions to a slew of beneficaries and projects outside his patronange of the Arts. Here is the list I have tracked down so far. These details paint a composite picture that bring the Colonel and his family to life. Below is a list for me... Continue Reading →
In an earlier post, I pondered on who was in the painting below, which is listed in the Frick collection as Colonel Thorn and family, and I decided it was Ellen or Alice, Ida, Eugene and Colonel Thorn. I checked back recently and Frick had updated their archive details (or maybe I'd missed them first... Continue Reading →
The second part of Osgood's reflections is a sarcastic account of Charles Lever tasting sherry with Colonel Thorn. The Marquis de Penafiel mentioned in the excerpt was a Spanish noble and either the 11th or 12th Duke of Osuna. Charles Lever was an Irish writer and editor, author of The Confessions of Harry Lorrequer among... Continue Reading →
It seems that in 1843 Colonel Thorn was witness of the the marriage between the New York banking heiress, Mary Mason Jones (Edith Wharton's great aunt) and the Baron de Trobriand. I'm curious as to whether there was an actual connection between them, or if he was merely called upon as a well known American... Continue Reading →
Angelina "Jauncey" Thorn was the eldest daughter of the Thorn children. She was born in 1813 and married at the American Embassy in Paris in 1835 to Lewis (Louis) de Pau of New York, grandson of Comte de Grasse. Like her brothers William and James, she was forced to change her surname to "Jauncey" in order... Continue Reading →
In a previous post, I looked at how Jane Mary (Thorn) de Pierres (1821 - 1873) was immortalised in paintings and scultpures, but I'd like to dip into her life a bit more, and try and recreate a picture of her personality. Other than being the third eldest girl of thirteen children, not a lot... Continue Reading →
And so the recounts of the Colonel's masked ball continues. If nothing else, I will one day write this in a fictional form because... well I do love a good party! COLONEL THORN'S BALL Everyone in Paris knows the Hotel Monaco, a veritable reception area, which belongs to Mme Adélaïde, which M. Colonel Thorn, this... Continue Reading →
The Colonel's masked ball in 1840 with the Louis Quatorze theme was written about in many places. I've outlined the evening in two earlier posts but I think it's worth sharing other accounts of the night, so that we can see exactly what an incredible event it was. Here is a version of the evening... Continue Reading →
The Colonel and Mrs Thorn 
Hi Matt, thanks for your message. Can you point me to any research saying they were both called Ots Toch?…
From my research, it seems there were 2 people with the name Ots Toch, both Mom and Daughter. They are…
le fils décédé le 1er SEPTEMBRE
[…] Mr Maurer […]
I noticed that too..nicknames add even more color to the picture