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 →
It was interesting to read the article below, as it puts the Thorn's back in New York in 1845, staying in New Rochelle, while they waited for Apthorp Manor to be made ready for their return. And it suddenly struck me how mobile the entire family was over the years. They were constantly on the... 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 →
Zerlina was the Thorn's tenth child, born around 1828/9. I mentioned her in the general post on the children. Sadly, she drowned at the age of eight years old at Trenton Falls, New Jersey, in July, 1836. An account of the incident, describes Herman was carrying her and helping his wife across the fastmoving water.... 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 →
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 →
Old William Jauncey, Jane Mary's uncle and legal guardian, deserves some space in this large family story. He was the source of Herman and Jane's great wealth, and the reason that they made many decisions in their early married life. Because of his disapproval, they eloped. And his desire to control who inherited his money,... 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 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…