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Eugène Rosambeau lithograph, depicting female soldiers of “Les Amazones de la Seine”

 Collection — Box: BW-2, Folder: 5
Identifier: MS-0813

Content Description

This collection consists of an original color lithograph entitled “Les Amazones de la Seine,” created and signed by Eugéne Morsabeau Rosambeau in 1870, and published or distributed by the firm Imprimerie Deplanche. The print depicts five female French soldiers at ease facing a group of a dozen Prussian soldiers during the Siege of Paris (1870-1871). According to the text on the lithograph, the women, who are members of the “Amazones de la Seine” faction, were able to make the Prussians “lever la crosse en l'air.” This is an expression that means the Prussians raised the butts of their rifles in the air to signify their surrender. These caricatures were sold in the street during the Siege, which the French ultimately succumbed to in 1871.

Source: Naranjo, Roberto. “The Siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War.” Ohio State University Department of History ehistory Database. https://ehistory.osu.edu/articles/siege-paris-during-franco-prussian-war

Dates

  • Creation: 1870

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is housed off-site and requires 48-hours' notice for retrieval.

Contact Special Collections for more information.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions. It is not necessary to seek our permission as the owner of the physical work to publish or otherwise use public domain materials that we have made available for use, unless Johns Hopkins University holds the copyright.

Biographical / Historical

Partially rewritten from dealer description: Eugéne Morsabeau Rosambeau was a French illustrator who often drew caricatures of his subjects. While most of his material was satirical, some drawings, such as this lithograph, were more factual. The “Amazones de la Seine” were a group of female soldiers organized by Félix Belly in 1870. They fought in several important battles during the Siege of Paris from 1870-1871.

Source: “Search the Collections: E. Morsabeau Rosambeau.” The V&A Museum. http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1029438/actualites-print-rosambeau-e-morsabeau/ “Französische Karikaturisten [(French Cartoonists)].”arthistoricum.net. https://www.arthistoricum.net/themen/bildquellen/frzkar/frkar/

Extent

.167 Cubic Feet (1 legal-sized folder)

Language of Materials

French

Abstract

This collection consists of an original color lithograph entitled “Les Amazones de la Seine,” created and signed by Eugéne Morsabeau Rosambeau in 1870. The print depicts a group of a dozen Prussian soldiers brought to surrender by members of the “Amazones de la Seine,” a French female military faction during the Siege of Paris (1870-1871).

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased from Librairie Les Amazones in August 2017.

Processing Information

Processed by Charlotte Gassoway in June 2018.

Title
Guide to the Eugène Rosambeau lithograph, depicting female soldiers of “Les Amazones de la Seine”
Author
Charlotte Gassoway
Date
June 2018
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Repository

Contact:
The Sheridan Libraries
Special Collections
3400 N Charles St
Baltimore MD 21218 USA