I've mentioned on occasions that one of my interests in Colonel Thorn stems from his patronage of artists. And certainly it seems that among the beau monde of the time, he was an active procurer of art, sculpture and literature. Research into history is like a trail of slowly disintegrating breadcrumbs and wandering down the... Continue Reading →
Today Jacqueline shared with me this image of Euphemia White van Rensselaer (1842) painted by George Healey. Euphemia was John Church Cruger's wife, and step-mother-in-law to Jane Mary Jauncey Cruger. Apparently Jackie Kennedy loved it so much she had it hanging in the Whitehouse. This was painted a year before she married Cruger, and her... Continue Reading →
I have already mentioned that one of the most rewarding aspects of this project is how it has acquainted me with new relatives. This week, I heard from Jacqueline who is a descendant of James Jauncey Thorn, Herman and Jane's second eldest son. As a memory jog, James Jauncey Thorn (b. 1814; d. 1845) is buried... Continue Reading →
One of my newly discovered relatives, Yolande de Ziegler, kindly sent me this photo from the Geneva art show where Tim Walker was being exhibited. It is a mash-up of the the original Winterhalter painting with Eugenie and her Ladies in Waiting. Jane Thorn is on the left of the top of the picture with... Continue Reading →
I'm going to use this post to cobble together any peripheral pieces of information about the Ball. One interesting snippet was from the Countess of Granville's diary where she moans about having to attend. It would be interesting to know if she had a personal issue with Herman and Jane, or it was simply part... Continue Reading →
The accounts I have read about Colonel Thorn's famous costume ball held on March 3rd, 1840 at Hotel de Monaco, rival anything F. Scott Fitzgerald imagined for Gatsby. Invited guests were told visit the Versailles museum to study the court life of Louis X1V and the costumes from that period. Countess Granville diarised the upcoming... Continue Reading →
I am hoping to build up a picture of the times. Not just politically, but the everyday moments. What did the Colonel and his family do? Who did they talk to? What would those conversations have been about? This post will be devoted to documenting some of their lunch and dinner guests. Though it is,... Continue Reading →
I can only surmise why Colonel Thorn relocated the entire family to France in the 1830's. However, Paris was, at that time, the cultural and social epicentre of the world. It was the place to find his daughters and sons the kind of marriages he desired. The place of noble and wealthy suitors. The research... Continue Reading →
Since I began to blog about Colonel Thorn, I have been contacted by relatives from America, France and Ireland. I'd like to welcome them to my journey, and thank them, not only for getting in touch, but for sharing some of their personal archival material. From the Mansfield/de Ferussac connection through Alice Thorn in Ireland,... Continue Reading →
Throughout this process, I want to spend some time detailing specific homes and their architecture. So much history is to be unearthed from 'place', and I feel that in order to honour past lives, it's necessary to visit the homes they built to value the lives they lived in them. The ghosts of lives and... 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…