Monday, December 3, 2007

Napoleon Bonaparte Love Story Manuscript

Historical documents always add great value to the collections of those who intently seek them out. Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the most infamous figures in European history, and he began his rise to prominence as a general during the French Revolution. He then staged a coup d'etat that landed him as the First Consul of France, which he parlayed into being the self-crowned Emperor. Later, by strategic alliances or by armed force, he gained control of most of continental Europe, which directly led to his disastrous invasion of Russia, followed by his infamous downfall at Waterloo. What most people don't realize is that Bonaparte was a writer, and before he moved on to political matters, he penned love stories. Recently, a single manuscript page from his 1795 short novel “Clisson and Eugenie” was sold for $35,400 at the Osenat auction house in Fontainebleau, France. The page had been part of a private French family collection and the buyer's identity was not disclosed at the time. “Clisson and Eugenie” was written while he was a 26-year-old general on his rise to the aristocracy, though it was never published in Napoleon's lifetime. It is believed he loosely based it on his brief romance with the sister of his brother's wife. If you have any items from a significant historical era, iTaggit is always prepared to help you manage your collections and value your collectibles within them.