More work

Monday - grey with drizzle and this afternoon I have a meeting with the curator of Art Nouveau at the Mussee des Arts Decoratif - very hard to arrange and very important - followed by another session at the Bibliotheque of the Jardin des Plantes(JB) (pre booked before I arranged the meeting with the curator and I dare not miss another booking).
This morning I am trying to assess just what I have found out at the JB so far. I know that from 1895-1928 the JB had a fairly steady supply of Acacia and Eucalypt seeds from Australia and from Thuret and Thouin (in France) as well as (once) from Alsace Lorraine (Nancy?) and Florence (were these from plants grown from the Labillardiere collection? Was it in Florence by then?). Secondly, that Eucalypts and Acacias where planted regularly by the JB during this period - I have one record of germination numbers during this time)
I am told that the JB exchanged seeds and plants with other JBs but only JBs (so no distribution to non botanical organisations such as the city of Paris for example).
Perhaps there will be more information in the records I have requested for this afternoon.
At the Musee des Art Decoratif (MAD) I am given ID and sent to the fifth floor where I am met by the curator's assistant who informs me that Evelyne has gone for a coffee but has no more English. Evelyne's English is on a par with my French but between us we have an interesting discussion about my project. After telling me that Australian flora was being used in design in the time of Napoleon III and after and informing me that the records are enormous, she gives me some references that I must look up in the Bibliotheque - especially the "Etude de la PLante" and "Encyclopedie..." by Verneuil, the works of Grasset and sections of the Albumus Maciet (the large collection of A2 sized books that line the Bibliotheque).
I am then walked down the corridor introduced to Isobelle the archiviste who is instructed to find me some examples of the use of Eucalypts and Acacia in the MAD's intranet and to show me the box of records on the Jeweller Lucien Falize. These records include corespondence between Falize and Emile Galle (the famous glass maker from Nancy) and Evelyne points to the use of Acacia on falize's letterhead and notes that it is dated 1891-92 - so here is my evidence. The artist's name is included within the drawing on the letterhead so I have a reference to follow up.
Isobelle provides me with printouts of the 12 items she has found in the database. It is interesting to note that only one of these is pre 1900 (1898) and also that there is a vase by Sevres - more information to take home and digest. I ask for a photocopy of the covering pages of the Falize/Galle correspondence (€0.20 each, although there is no charge for the stack of laser printout - again, only the French). After offering help on specific artists if I get stuck Isobelle escorts me to the lift and wishes me well with my research which for her is something unusual and interesting.
A quick dash to the JB (which thankfully is on the same metro line) and then home by 6.30 with a lot more information to digest.
Tuesday, Marcia and I arrive at the MAD to begin the research there (Marcia has offered her help which I readily accepted). After registering as users I spend some time with the lady on reception sorting out the reference codes for the books Evelyne has recommended (at this stage I don't know how the system works and have to sort of feel my way so I guess it helps that I have a piece of paper that she has written on as she is someone important in the hierarchy). The request system is basically the same as when I was at the Sourbise in 2005, you complete two copies of the request form (no more than five codes) and hand them to a person at a central desk who also checks your registration card. You then wait for the items to appear on the same desk sometime later. While waiting we start on the Albumus Maiciet - as mentioned before, these are A2 sized books with 1cm thick covers and are very heavy - and are soon rewarded with images in the Vernueil "Etudes..." and "Encyclopedie..." - some photographs and some stylised studies. I also find copies of the images used on the Falize/Galle correspondence in another book. Much of this collection is undated or has handwritten dates penciled in so it is often hard to date what you are looking at but find out that the Verneuil books are 1900 and 1908.
Quietly contented we leave the MAD and find that it has stopped drizzling so go for a stroll in the Tuilleries Gardens before heading for the Arc de Triomphe to do a little sightseeing. The Louve is a U shaped building with a very large central coutryard and the building which houses the MAD is located at the end of one of the long fingers that runs off from the Louvre toward Tuilleries as you can see in the photo of me above.
We stop off at the Printemps roof cafeteria for a very late lunch but like everyhting else it has changed and is now like a greasy spoon (we eat anyway because we are starving and enjoy the view). Also, Bun discovers a whole bunch of new friends also enjoying the view which includes Sacre Coeur.