Au Courant —Spring 2017
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AU COURANT —Spring 2017 ICONIC ADDRESS. LEGENDARY SERVICE. WWW.THEPIERRENY.COM Palais de Compiègne French Heritage Literary Award | 35th Anniversary Celebration | Henri Jobbé-Duval – Révélations Fair The Horvitz Collection in Paris | Education | 2017 Grants | Past National & Chapter Events —Message from the Chairman IMPERIAL BALL AT THE PALAIS DE COMPIÈGNE The Empress Eugénie Surrounded by her Ladies in Waiting at Compiègne. Musées nationaux du palais de Compiègne@RmnGP This year, French Heritage Society will celebrate its 35th to create a residence of splendor for him and his mistress Madame Anniversary. As every five years, FHS will treat itself to a splendid de Pompadour. Later, during the last years of Louis XVI’s reign, the Anniversary Gala in a magical setting. For its 10th Anniversary, ultimate neo-classical château that we know today was completed. the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles glittered with brilliance. This was followed with great pomp at the majestic Orangerie at Versailles for After being crowned Emperor of France, Napoleon I engaged the the 15th Anniversary celebration. Chenonceau, perhaps the most neo-classical architects and designers Percier and Fontaine to refur- romantic château in the Loire Valley, served as a glamorous setting nish and further restore Compiègne. Napoleon received his future for the 20th Anniversary. Who will forget the glorious candlelight second wife Marie-Louise at the now palatial Palais de Compiègne atmosphere of Vaux-le-Vicomte where the FHS 25th grande soirée in 1810. Napoleon adored Compiègne. Subsequently, the Second was held? However, our 30th Anniversary at Fontainebleau, where Empire (1852–1870) glittered at Compiègne as Emperor Napoleon most all of the Kings of France and even an Emperor left their own III and Empress Eugénie entertained often and lavishly. They were successive stamp, seemed more splendid than ever. All these magical passionate about this beautiful château. events featured dazzling fireworks and an exquisite meal conceived by a great chef of France. Franco-American amitié is always palpable On Saturday, October 7th, the ballroom at Compiègne will twinkle and fun is had by all. again with merriment as the friends of French Heritage Society toast our 35th Anniversary. I hope that you will be there! I would For our 35th Anniversary, we will head to the Imperial Palais de not miss it for the world. Compiègne, which was beloved by two Emperors of France. Originally built as a medieval 14th-century fortress by Charles V, it was replaced by Louis XV in the 18th century as a sumptuous 1,300- room hunting lodge. During his youth, Louis XV had loved the game-filled forests that surrounded Compiègne. When he assumed Elizabeth Stribling, Chairman the throne, he asked his renowned architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel French Heritage Society —1 —Message from the President —Table of Contents COMMEMORATING GREAT ANNIVERSARIES A Key to Better Understanding History The destruction of cultural heritage during the First World War mo- 01 Message from the Chairman tivated great American families like J.D. Rockefeller to deploy an 02 Message from the President incredible philanthropy in favor of great emblematic monuments 03 Table of Contents in France such as the Cathédrale de Reims and the Château de Versailles. Among the testimonials of this post-war philanthropy Events are the Museum of Blérancourt created by Anne Morgan, and the 04 French Heritage Literary Award Château-Thierry Memorial Church. The latter was built in 1924 with 08 35th Anniversary Celebration funds raised by American Protestant associations in memory of the young American soldiers who fell by the thousands in June and July Education 1918 at the Battle of Bois Belleau, among others. As of 1914, the 14 Student Exchange Program American Hospital in Paris set up an ambulance service entirely run 17 Richard Morris Hunt Prize by American volunteers (doctors, surgeons, and nurses), who helped more than 10,000 Allied soldiers during the Great War. Artisans/Art de Vivre 18 Interview with Henri Jobbé-Duval FHS was founded in 1982 and is a continuation of this history with this specificity: it is not an “American Friends of” dedicated to a Grants single monument, but it is a Franco-American association whose 22 2017 Grants action has been from the beginning a “two-way street” and which 25 Grant Profile – Château de La Ferté Saint-Aubin Anniversaries are occasions to celebrate, and they are also moments over the years has extended its activities beyond private patrimony of truth. For both men and institutions, they present an opportunity to Patrimony as a whole. With this uniqueness, FHS aims to offer Campaigns to take stock and, also more profoundly, to seek meaning. its members numerous opportunities to discover the rich heritage of 27 Planned Giving France through its monuments, regions and terroirs. For me, it is impossible to separate FHS’ 35th Anniversary from a Past National & Chapter Events great anniversary celebrated in France and the United States, name- As Libba describes so well in her editorial, on the occasion of this 28 The Horvitz Collection ly the centennial of the official entry of the United States into the 35th Anniversary we invite you, dear members and friends of FHS, to 31 Annual Presentation in Paris “Great War”, on April 6, 1917. join us for vibrant new programs to discover France. For the Travelers 32 New York Gala Program, we will take a romantic voyage through Normandy, the 33 Palm Beach Gala Let’s think about it: the existence of FHS already represents one home of the Impressionists and the cradle of race horse breeding, to 34 Young Friends Circle third of this centennial! “Lafayette, here we are,” exclaimed Charles visit the most fashionable resorts of the Belle Époque. 37 Chapters E. Stanton, lieutenant-colonel on General Pershing’s staff, upon his arrival in Saint Nazaire. Undeniably, historians agree that French Then we are on to Paris for the Parisians Program to discover the 42 In Memoriam intervention was decisive for American Independence, and that the most emblematic workshops of artisans and the delight of being re- entry of the United States into the war in 1917 was just as important ceived for private dinners with French friends. 43 Salon du Patrimoine / Corporate Patrons for the victory in 1918. These decisive battles, to which can be added those of 1944, solidly united our two Nations, which for centuries Finally, on October 7th, we will relive the splendor of the Court of fought in the name of freedom against tyranny and then against the Second Empire together in the sumptuous Royal and Imperial totalitarianism. These historical ties are stronger than our cultural Palais de Compiègne. differences and even our recurrent political antagonism. Libba like myself along with the teams in New York and Paris and The second lesson to be drawn from the rapprochement of our an- our many members and Chapter Chairmen, invite you to a new niversary to great historical Franco-American anniversaries is the Rendez-vous with the History of France! importance of voluntary commitments throughout history. The engagement of Louis XVI is the fruition of movements of which Lafayette is the most famous symbol. The official entry of the United States into war in 1917 was preceded by the voluntary commitments of young Americans to France’s cause, whether it was the heroic American pilots of the Lafayette Squadron (again the same ref- Denis de Kergorlay, President erence!) or the young poet Alan Seeger and his famous “I have a French Heritage Society Rendez-vous with Death.” —2 —3 Under the Gracious Patronage of His Excellency Gérard Araud, Ambassador of France to the United States His Excellency François Delattre, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations and Mrs. Sophie L’Hélias-Delattre Ms. Anne-Claire Legendre, Consul General of France in New York Mrs. Bénédicte de Montlaur, Cultural Counselor of the French Embassy in the United States Mr. Keith Yazmir Award Co-Chairmen Elizabeth F. Stribling and Christian Draz Steering Committee Yann Coatanlem Janet Desforges Patricia A. Forelle Clydette de Groot New Y ork ChapterChairmen Odile de Schiétère-Longchampt and Guy N. Robinson FHS Events Chairman CeCe Black ViceChairmen Linda and Harry Fath Ronald Lee Fleming Patricia and John Forelle Carole Bailey French and John French III Emily Frick Penny Grant, MD Marifé Hernández and Joel Bell Bruce Horten Judy McLaren John E. Oden Odile de Schiétère-Longchampt Monica Gerard-Sharp Wambold Benefit Commitee Irene Roosevelt Aitken Laurie Bodor Rosalie Brinton Timothy Corrigan Janet Desforges Richard and Rosann Gutman Dr. Francis de Marneffe Frank Morgan and Brent Feigenbaum John and Barbara Robinson Elizabeth F. Stribling and Guy Robinson List as of Wednesday, March 22, 2017 —4 —5 —Events —Events FRENCH HERITAGE LITERARY AWARD FRENCH HERITAGE LITERARY AWARD WINNER A Rich Selection of Works for Inaugural Launch Luc Sante Brings to Life “The Other Paris” The inaugural French Heritage Literary Award winner: “The Other Paris: An Illustrated Journey Through a City’s Poor and Bohemian Past” by Luc Sante As Laura Auricchio, member of the jury commented, “‘The Other Paris’ enriches our knowledge of the history of Paris by bringing together in a seamless and fluid manner many different sources of information. Sante’s wide-ranging sources include not only archival documents, but also archival photography, literature, history, social history, geography, performance, and illustration. The result is a multi-faced view of Paris that Sante celebrates in a creative way.” This fascinating book takes us on tour of the lost Paris of the last two centuries - poor, unvarnished and truly bohemian. Paris, the City of Light with the iconic architecture of the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, of craved-stone façades and polite exchanges. But there was another Paris, hidden from view and virtually extinct today - the Paris of the French Heritage Society’s inaugural French Heritage Literary “Fashion Victims: Dress at the Court of Louis XVI and Marie- working and criminal classes that shaped the city.