March Auction
Lot 359:
Franco-Prussian War Souvenir Broadside, Siege of Paris 1870-71, Original Bread Fragment
Description
Framed historical commemorative broadside titled Souvenir Historique, documenting key events of the Franco-Prussian War, the Siege of Paris (1870-1871), and the collapse of the Second French Empire. The printed composition records the Declaration of War (15 July 1870), the Siege of Paris, the Proclamation of the Republic (4 September 1870) following the fall of Emperor Napoleon III, and the subsequent events leading to the Paris Commune.
The broadside incorporates detailed statistical and social data, including mortality figures, dates of capitulation, and extensive tables listing food prices during the siege, notably recording the consumption and cost of horse, dog, and cat meat. Mounted at center is an original fragment of siege bread, explicitly referenced by weight and storage conditions in the printed text, accompanied by applied dried floral elements. Presented in a period molded and gilded wooden frame with lace border under glass.
Details
Title: Souvenir Historique
Subject: Franco-Prussian War, Siege of Paris, fall of the Second Empire
Date: 1871 (post-siege)
Medium: Printed broadside with applied organic elements (bread fragment, dried flowers)
Frame: Period carved and gilded wood frame with lace border
Dimensions: approx. 39 x 30 cm (sight)
Condition: Toning and wear consistent with age and Losses and abrasions to frame
Original bread fragment present and stable
Creases, foxing, and small surface losses to paper
Provenance: Private collection, Paris
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