Mary in Europe: Pau, France

[Eva Elisabeth]

Pau, France, was often mentioned in discussions on Mary or even in connection with the Grants' visit there. I didn't know more than that it is a town in the French Pyrenees and wanted to find out why Mary decided to live there.
Most of the following is a summary from Wiki of what could probably be interesting to you in order to get an idea of where Mary spent most of her time between 1876 - 1880.
   
   
French writer, poet and politician Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine (1790 –1869), instrumental in the foundation of the Second Republic, said: "Pau has the world's most beautiful view of the earth just as Naples has the most beautiful view of the sea." The city stands on a 200m elevation overlooking the valley of a mountain river called the "Gave de Pau", where a ford gave passage to the Pyrenees. Pau features an oceanic climate with mild Winters, and hot but not very hot Summers.
   
The site was fortified in the 11th century to control the ford across the "Gave de Pau". It became the seat of the viscounts of Béarn and was made capital of Béarn in 1464. The Château de Pau was the residence of the kings of Navarre, who were also viscounts of Béarn and birthplace of Henry IV of France. His mother, Jeanne d'Albret, crossed into France to ensure her son would be born there. Napoleon III refurbished the château and Pau adding streets of Belle Époque architecture. Pau is still a centre for winter sports and equestrian events. King Charles XIV of Sweden, the first royal Bernadotte, was also born there. Nowadays, Pau has roughly 85,000 inhabitants.

Now comes something (I find) very interesting:
The "Musée des beaux-arts de Pau" exhibits an 1873 oil painting by Edgar Degas: "A Cotton Office in New Orleans". In it, Degas depicts the moment when his uncle Michel Musson's cotton brokerage business went bankrupt in an economic crash. The firm was swamped by the postwar growth of the much larger Cotton Exchange. In the painting, Musson is seen examining raw cotton for its quality while Degas' brother Rene reads "The Daily Picayune". It carried the bankruptcy news. Another brother, Achille, rests against a window wall at left while others, including Musson's partners, go about their business.
This is the painting:
   
Degas traveled from Europe to New Orleans in late 1872 with his brother, René, to visit his mother's brother, Michael Musson. After the American Civil War, René had joined his uncle's cotton factor firm in New Orleans. Degas was to return to Europe in January 1873, but when his return trip was delayed, he decided to paint the cotton business surrounding him.

Although Degas was one of the few impressionists who did not focus on idyllic landscapes but on people, including, despite his famous ballett dancers, people's less idyllic destiny and life, I was not aware he travelled to America and also painted on this topic.

"A Cotton Office in New Orleans" was the first painting by Degas to be purchased by a museum. Degas' sale of the piece marked a turning point in his career as he moved from being a struggling, unrecognized artist to a recognized and financially stable artist.

Degas crafted his work with the intent of selling it to a British textile manufacturer. But a drop in stock prices worldwide and declines in the cotton and art markets ended his hopes for that specific sale. Degas then exhibited "A Cotton Office in New Orleans" in the second Impressionist show in Paris in 1876. He finally sold the painting in 1878 to the newly founded Musee des Beaux-Arts in Pau, France. Thus, Mary might have seen it!!

[Gene C]

Sounds nice. Someone want to plan a Mary Lincoln tour for next year?

For you accountants out there, can I write the trip off my taxes as a business expense it I write some kind of article about it, or research for a book that never gets published?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Still I don't understand at all why Mary chose this place instead of e.g. one of the Mediterranean seaside resorts.

Just in case anyone will ever come to Frankurt and wants to do some "Mary sightseeing", here are the addresses to go to (I doubt you'll find them on the internet, I got them from the "City History Archiv"):

At the time Mary and Tad lived in Frankfurt, the "Hotel d'Angleterre" ("Englischer Hof", located at Roßmarkt 13-15) was the most expensive Grand hotel in town. In 1866, it was the main quarter of the Prussian commander-in-chief.

The "Hotel de Holland" ("Holländischer Hof“ located Goetheplatz 5) was built in 1780 and originally (until 1800) named "Goldenes Roß" (Golden Horse). In 1873 it was sold to a banking establishment and torn down.

Dr. Johann Heinrich Hohagen's private institute was located in Kettenhofweg 15 in the upscale Westend. It was registered as an "Educational Institute and Business School". The building was was torn down in 1967.

I've already posted some info and pictures here:
http://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussio...age-6.html

...but was promised to get photos of the "Hotel Holland" and Dr. Hohagen's institute, too.

[Liz Rosenthal]

Eva: Very interesting find! I had no idea that Degas painted any scenes of Americana. The painting of the cotton exchange doesn't even resemble his style - from what I've seen of it.

Maybe Mary stayed in Pau because she could be assured some sort of anonymity and/or privacy.

[RJNorton]

I checked Jean Baker's biography, and here is a summary of the reasons the author gives for Mary choosing Pau:

1. Mary had heard about Pau as a health spa during her first trip to Europe with Tad. In 1870 Sally Orne was looking for a quiet retreat because her daughter was ill, and Mary recommended Pau.

2. Mary spoke French. She felt she needed to understand the language.

3. She considered Pau quiet in comparison to other French cities such as Paris, Nice, and Cannes. She felt those cities were expensive and full of overdressed Americans.

4. She had heard that Vichy, the best known French spa, had a reputation for being dirty.

5. On the basis of language and politics she ruled out other European countries.

6. Within months of arriving in Pau Mary informed her banker that "the French cannot take advantage of me as is frequently done with strangers who don't understand their language. Happily I am not in the latter category."

Here are a few opinions from other authors. Justin and Linda Levitt Turner write that Mary settled in Pau because "of the clear mountain air and the mineral baths and medical facilities at hand." Isabel Ross writes that Pau was "the resort that seemed to suit her best of all." Catherine Clinton writes that, "there is evidence that Pau recommended itself as a place to preserve her delicate health and to stretch her limited income."

[Eva Elisabeth]

Thanks Roger! I wondered why Pau nowadays - as far as I've seen - is not particularly mentioned and promoted as a spa. I found the following additional info:
In 1842, a Scottish doctor in Pau, Alexander Taylor (1802-1879) developed and henceforward offered a cure for "winter depression" with great success, so that many British people came to Pau.
Between 1830 and 1914, Pau had an excellent reputation throughout Europe for its climate and sports facilities and events. The Pau Golf Club e.g., founded in 1856, is the oldest one on the European continent.
BTW, in 1876, Pau had 28 908 inhabitants.
Mary's last residence there was the "Hotel Henry IV".

[RJNorton]

A great big THANK YOU to Eva for sending these photos!

Credit to the "Institut für Stadtgeschichte Frankfurt am Main (ISG Frankfurt a. M.):"

Hotel d'Angleterre (Englischer Hof), ca.1850/55

Hotel de Holland (Holländischer Hof), ca.1840

Dr. Johann Heinrich Hohagen's Private Institut, 1957

Dr. Johann Heinrich Hohagen's Private Institut, rear side

[Eva Elisabeth]

Thanks again for helping with the pictures, Roger! Just one final remark: Both buildings in the third picture belonged to Dr. Hohagen. He started with the smaller white one on the left and later bought the other one, too, to extend the institute.The last two pictures had been taken immediately before the buildings were torn down.

Today I found a link with some very nice pictures of the foreign (UK + Mexico) but also of many US Lincoln statues (+short info):
http://www.postcardy.com/lincoln3.html
According to the descriptions, there are two more than just the two depicted UK statues in Europe.

[Gene C]

That's a nice link Eva

[Eva Elisabeth]

Here's a photo of a part of the building that housed the last Hotel in which MTL took residence, the Hôtel de la Paix. It is nowadays an apartment building adjecting the restaurant "Majestic".
http://www.larepubliquedespyrenees.fr/20...115741.php

[Gene C]

If you hit the "translate" button in the upper right of the screen, it puts it into English.

The restaurant has good reviews .. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserRevie...taine.html

Check out the photos of the food. The deserts look good

[LincolnToddFan]

(01-14-2015 12:58 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  Here's a photo of a part of the building that housed the last Hotel in which MTL took residence, the Hôtel de la Paix. It is nowadays an apartment building adjecting the restaurant "Majestic".
http://www.larepubliquedespyrenees.fr/20...115741.php

Thanks for the link to the article and the photos Eva...fascinating!

[Eva Elisabeth]

(01-14-2015 02:25 PM)Gene C Wrote:  The restaurant has good reviews .. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserRevie...taine.html

Check out the photos of the food. The desserts look good

If Mary had tried these she probably wouldn't have complained to her grand-nephew Lewis Baker: "How much I long to...have a taste of your dear grandmother's good food—waffles, batter cakes, egg corn bread are all unknown here— as to biscuits, light rolls they have never been dreamed of, not to speak of buckwheat cake."

[Donna McCreary]

(01-15-2015 09:13 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  

(01-14-2015 02:25 PM)Gene C Wrote:  The restaurant has good reviews .. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserRevie...taine.html

Check out the photos of the food. The desserts look good

If Mary had tried these she probably wouldn't have complained to her grand-nephew Lewis Baker: "How much I long to...have a taste of your dear grandmother's good food—waffles, batter cakes, egg corn bread are all unknown here— as to biscuits, light rolls they have never been dreamed of, not to speak of buckwheat cake."

The foods Mary listed in the letter are plain, basic foods. Perhaps she did try the desserts and wanted something more simple.

[Donna McCreary]

(10-21-2013 03:17 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  A great big THANK YOU to Eva for sending these photos!

Credit to the "Institut für Stadtgeschichte Frankfurt am Main (ISG Frankfurt a. M.):"

Hotel d'Angleterre (Englischer Hof), ca.1850/55

Hotel de Holland (Holländischer Hof), ca.1840

Dr. Johann Heinrich Hohagen's Private Institut, 1957

Dr. Johann Heinrich Hohagen's Private Institut, rear side

Does anyone know who owns these photos and who to contact for permission to publish? I would love to use one or more in my book.