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Furniture; Glass and Stained Glass; Metalware; Rugs and Carpets
Introduction to the Collections
The study of decorative art objects is an old practice, but has accelerated during the 20th century, with the founding of decorative arts, related museum studies degree programs, and general public interest in collecting antiques and collectibles. Materials on the decorative arts can be found mainly in the Library’s Art & Architecture Collection. The collection has rich retrospective holdings on furniture, glass and stained glass, metalware, and rugs and carpets. All of the reference resources listed in this guide are located in that department. These reference tools can help in identifying the origins of various objects and serve as useful guides to visual images, history, terminology, and bibliography for further study. While the staff of the Art & Architecture Collection cannot engage in authentication and appraisal, they are able to lead users to appropriate reference sources for attribution and provenance research. Publications related to decorative arts economic production and patronage may also be found in the General Research Division. Separate research guides are available on Jewelry (link) and Pottery (link).
Subject headings are the best general entry point. The Library catalog CATNYP uses the Library of Congress Subject Headings. The broadest subject headings are as follows:
Antiques
Art Objects
Decoration and Ornament
Decorative Arts
The following headings are the most direct ones for Furniture, Glass and Stained Glass, Metalware, and Rugs and Carpets:
Furniture
Furniture—Attribution
Furniture—Styles
Furniture, Dutch Colonial
Furniture Finishing
Furniture Workers
Glass
Glass painting and staining
Glass, Colored
Cut Glass
Glass Containers
Glassware (may subdivide by country)
Art Metal-work
Flatware
Pewter
Pewter—Marks
Plate
Silverwork
Silver Bowls
Silver—Plated Ware
Carpets
Rugs
Rugs—Private Collections
Rugs—New York (State)
Rugs, Prayer
Rugs, Yoruk
Textile Fabrics
Keyword searching can be helpful, as long as broad terms are not used. Limited keyword searches to specific words that are as unique as possible to the search topic. The name of a manufacturer, a private collection, or a specific process or style may be useful terms to add to a word search. Advanced word searching can help locate titles published within a specific range of years.
A number of general reference tools have been created that cover important aspects of decorative art and design related to furniture, glass, metalwork, and textiles. These resources include dictionaries of terms, directories, encyclopedias, and survey guides. They provide accurate entries that define and explain specific forms of decorative art and their design functions.
Boger, Ada. The Dictionary of Antiques and the Decorative Arts; a book of reference for glass, furniture, ceramics, silver, periods, styles, technical terms, etc. New York: Scribner, 1967.
Alphabetical entries with useful line drawings; one of the oldest, most authoritative dictionaries.
Byars, Mel. The Design Encyclopedia. London: L. King Pub.; New York: Museum of Modern Art, 2004.
Chronicles the important developments that affected 19th and 20th century objects design.
Fleming, John and Hugh Honour. Dictionary of the Decorative Arts. New York: Harper & Row, 1977.
American edition of a European classic reference tool, with emphasis on Western art objects.
Hiesinger, Kathryn B. Antiquespeak: a guide to the styles, techniques, and materials of the decorative arts, from the Renaissance to Art Deco. New York: Abbeville Press, 1997.
Terms for carpets, works in various metals: silver; gold; bronze; and pewter, glass, and furniture by period. Entries identify important movements, artists and designers through the 1930s.
Materials and Techniques in the Decorative Arts: An Illustrated Dictionary. Edited by Lucy Trench. London: John Murray, 2000.
Scholarly yet concise alphabetical entries with pertinent illustrations. Particularly good for explanations of techniques.
Miller, Judith. The Illustrated Dictionary of Antiques & Collectibles. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 2001.
Good visual survey of periods and styles with terse but informative entries.
Furniture
General
Aronson, Joseph. The Encyclopedia of Furniture. 3rd ed. New York: Crown Publ., 1965.
2500 alphabetically arranged short entries on world furniture, from antiquity to the early modernist period. Longer essays on major countries, types of furniture and styles. Many black-and-white illustrations. "Glossary of Designers and Craftsmen" in back of volume.
Blakemore, Robbie. G. History of Interior Design & Furniture: From Ancient Egypt to Nineteenth-century Europe. Hoboken, NJ: J. Wiley & Sons, 2006.
Broad survey history with good line drawing illustrations. Excellent coverage of 17th through 19th century styles.
Boger, Louise Ade. The Complete Guide to Furniture Styles. New York: Charles Scribner's, 1959.
Broad survey history organized by historical period with subdivisions for geographic coverage and specific styles: e.g. Louis XIV, Empire, French Provincial, Chippendale, American Colonial, and Federal. Text followed by black and white plates of over 500 objects, bibliography on pp. 423-429.
Edwards, Clive. Encyclopedia of Furniture Materials, Trades, and Techniques. Brookfield, VT: Ashgate Pub., 2000.
Scholarly essay style entries with good cross-references to related terms, including useful black and white illustrations and some bibliographic citations.
Fiell, Charlotte and Peter Fiell. 1000 Chairs. Köln; New York: Taschen, 1997.
A clear-cut visual survey history, with concise text, that covers the history of chair design in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Lockwood, Luke Vincent. The Furniture Collectors’ Glossary. New York: Da Capo Press, 1967.
Alphabetical list of terms for forms, functions, decoration, major figures and styles. Line drawing illustrations.
Piña, Leslie. Furniture in History, 3000 B.C.- 2000 A.D. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003.
A survey which effectively highlights the highlights of historical periods, with emphasis on hand crafting versus industrial design.
World Furniture: An Illustrated History. Edited by Helena Hayward. New York: McGraw Hill, 1965.
Profusely illustrated, much of it in color, this historical survey is arranged by time period, then subdivided by country or geographical region. Provides quick visual overview of national styles and their development, broadly treating works in terms of their historical evolution.
English
Edwards, Ralph. The Shorter Dictionary of English Furniture: From the Middle Ages to the Late Georgian Period. London: Country Life, Ltd, 1964.
A revised version of one part of an earlier work, The Dictionary of English Furniture. Covers late 15th century up to 1820. Many black and white illustrations. Essays of varying length on types of furniture, specific objects and styles. Section on cabinet-makers, craftsmen, decorative artists at end of the volume.
Pictorial Dictionary of 19th century British Furniture Design. Woodbridge: Antique Collectors' Club, 1977.
Begins with key dates in 19th century English furniture history; contemporary sources quoted in the Dictionary; essays on designers and design books; pictorial dictionary by type of furniture, primarily illustrated with line drawings and engravings.
American
Kay, Myrna. Fake, Fraud or Genuine? Identifying Authentic American Furniture. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1987.
Sourcebook of identification techniques, problems in construction, inspection processes and various clues to spotting fraudulently identified pieces. Covers 17th -19th century furniture. Chapter on "Technology as Evidence". Many photographs, often of test cases and their details.
Bjerkoe, Ethel Hall. The Cabinetmakers of America. Garden City: Doubleday, 1957.
Introductory essay on "Cabinetmaking as it developed in America". Brief biographical sketches of cabinetmakers. Bibliography, pp. 249-252.
Butler, Joseph T. Field Guide to American Antique Furniture. New York: Facts on File, 1985.
Using a "Systematic visual approach," traces the history of American furniture from 17th through early 20th century. 1700 illustrations -- line drawings arranged in chronological sequence by type of furniture, e.g. daybeds, sofas, chests, desks. Forms divided by style, then geographic origin.
Iverson, Marion Day. The American Chair 1630-1890. New York: Hastings House, 1957.
Illustrated essays on chairs by historic period, with sections on styles, e.g. Windsor, Queen Anne, Hepplewhite, Turned Chairs. Appendix on museums and historic houses with significant holdings.
Sack, Albert. The New Fine Points of Furniture: Early American. New York: Crown Publishers, 1993.
Uses illustrated examples to show the reader good, superior and finest quality furniture pieces. Explains details about construction and ornamental features.
Semowich, Charles J. American Furniture Craftsmen Working Prior to 1920: An Annotated Bibliography. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1984.
Allows access to useful biographical information in more obscure sources. Alphabetical lists by craftsmen's names of works about individuals; works about groups of craftsmen; general works; trade catalogs; craftsman-biographical index referring to numbered citations in first section; author-title index; subject index.
Glass and Stained Glass
Brady, Darlene and William Serban. Stained Glass: A Guide to Information Sources. Detroit: Gale, 1980.
Bibliographical entries on general reference sources; dissertations and theses; periodicals; library collections; archives and museums; events and resources. Several useful indexes for authors, titles and subjects.
Florence, Gene. The Collector’s Encyclopedia of Depression Glass. 9th ed. Paducah: Collector Books, 1990.
Highly illustrated guide to all physical, historical and technical aspects of this extremely popular glassware. Contains many identifying measurements and information on glass craftspeople and firms.
Guide to Trade Catalogs from the Corning Museum of Glass. New York: Clearwater, 1987.
These trade catalogs serve as important guides to identifying the production of various types of U.S. and foreign glassware: bottles and druggists' glass; cut glass; flat glass; laboratory ware; lighting glassware and lamps; and tableware. Indexes for companies, geographical locations, chronology and subjects.
Hartmann, Carolus. Glasmarken Lexikon 1600-1945. Stuttgart: Arnoldsche, 1997.
Covers Europe and North America with over 11,000 hallmarks, signatures and firm marks. Includes known artists and short entries describing practices.
Jones, Robert. Biographical Index of Historic American Stained Glass Makers. Raytown, MO: Stained Glass Association of America, 2002.
The entries cover artists from the colonial era to the mid-20th century.
McKearin, Helen and George. Two Hundred Years of American Blown Glass. Garden City: Doubleday & Co., 1950.
Large survey history of American glass production, with background on glassmaking in various periods, table and other fine wares, blown and mold glass, nineteenth century bottles and window glasshouses. With many color and black and white photographs, and selected bibliography, pp. 361-366.
Newman, Harold. An Illustrated Dictionary of Glass. London: Thames and Hudson, 1977.
Contains 2442 entries for terms about "wares, materials, processes, forms and decorative styles, and entries on principal glass-makers, decorators, and designers, from antiquity to the present." Introductory essay on the history of glassmaking.
Pullin, Anne Geffken. Glass Signatures, Trademarks and Trade Names from the Seventeenth to the Twentieth Century. Radnor, PA: Wallace-Homestead, 1986.
Technical entry on “How to Look at Glass” is invaluable. Indexes major signatures, trademarks and trade names. Has glossary of selected foreign terms and a section on benchmark dates.
Raguin, Virginia. Stained Glass: From its Origins to the Present. New York: H.N. Abrams, 2003.
A substantial historical overview of glass painting and staining, with excellent bibliography.
Sourcebook 2001/[Stained Glass Association of America]. Hartland, MI: Stained Glass Association of America, 2001.
Describes stained glass practices, standards, professional studios, and association members.
Vose, Ruth Hurst. Glass: The Connoisseur Illustrated Guide. London: The Connoisseur, 1975.
Organized into sections on techniques, blowing and molding, colored and clear glass, decorative practices and later techniques, with many illustrative line drawings and selected color photographs.
Who’s Who in Contemporary Glass Art: A Comprehensive World Guide to Glass Artists; Craftsmen; Designers. Munich: Joachim Waldrich Verlag, 1993.
Arranged by alphabetical biographical entries. Includes Native Country index and a Residence index.
General
International Hallmarks on Silver. Paris: Tardy, 1985.
Technical information in introduction. Material gathered on European common certification process for silver. Hallmarks reproduced in sections by country. Index to places mentioned. Analytical index of hallmarks listed in this book. Covers selected countries in Europe, Africa and Asia.
Rosenberg, Marc. Der Goldschmeide Merkzeichen. Frankfurt am Main: H. Keller, 1890. 4 vol.
Lists 20,000 gold and silver makers in Europe, chiefly German. Listed by city or province. Register/index of monograms reproduced.
Perry, Evan. Collecting Antique Metalware. Garden City: Doubleday & Co, 1974.
Guidebook to forms and functions of various metalware, fake and reproductions, care and conservation.
Newman, Harold. An Illustrated Dictionary of Silverware. London: Thames and Hudson, 1987.
Contains 2,373 entries on British and North American silver. Techniques, styles, leading designers and makers from ca. 1500 to the present; emphasis on 17th - 19th centuries, alphabetical arrangement, well illustrated.
Silver and Pewter
Brett, Vanessa. Phaidon Guide to Pewter. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1982.
Guidebook with essays on history and production processes. Lists types of pewter by country - Western Europe and U.S. Chapters on 19th century style: art nouveau to contemporary. Glossary register of pewter marks, pp. 230-245.
Ensko, Stephen & Dorothy. American Silversmiths and Their Marks. Boston: David R. Godine, 1988.
The authors have devised a final, revised edition of the classic 1915 work by Robert Ensko and three subsequent books by Stephen. Gives names and marks of early American silversmiths from 1650-1850; list of silver objects with found marks, unidentified marks; locations of silversmiths' shops with maps provided; facsimile pages from four previous Ensko books; illustrations of various silver forms, e.g. cups, bowls, tankards, tea sets, flatware.
Fallon, John P. Marks of London Goldsmiths and Silversmiths 1837-1914. London: Barrie & Jenkins: 1992.
An invaluable resource for identifying hallmarks from this time period. Provides hallmark drawings and history of the firms involved.
Jackson’s Silver & Gold Marks of England, Scotland and Ireland. Edited by Ian Pickford. Woodbridge: Antique Collectors' Club, 1989 (1905).
Revised and enlarged edition of Sir Charles Jackson's classic work English Goldsmiths and their Marks. Describes London plate, marks and names, lists provincial goldsmiths by region, has sections on Wales, Scotland & Ireland. Reproduces marks by date with photographs of details.
Kovel, Ralph & Terry. Kovel’s American Silver Marks. New York: Crown Publishers, 1989.
Covers two periods 1640 -1850, andl 1850-1980. Alphabetical listing including initials with names/firms listed when known, including dates and hallmarks reproduced when identified. Useful bibliography, pp. 418-421.
Okie, Howard Pitcher. Old Silver and Old Sheffield Plate. New York: Doubleday, 1928.
Covers silversmiths in Great Britain and Ireland, reproducing about 13,000 hallmarks in facsimile. American tables of date letters and other marks. Hallmarks and date letters for Paris Guild of Silversmiths. Continental European hallmarks are listed. A history of Old Sheffield plate is provided, with a description of the method of its production, and key names and hallmarks.
Rainwater, Dorthy T. American Silver Manufacturers. Hanover: Everybodys Press, 1966.
Compiled to identify silversmiths who were manufacturers. Covers 1842 - 1920. Useful because no official guild halls with records were established for the U.S. Makes references to 1896-1915 Jewelers’ Circular publications. Trade-marks of the jewelry and kindred trades. Alphabetical name listing, with cross-references, short description of individual or firm and hallmark reproduced when available. Glossary, pp. 207 - 213, bibliography, pp. 215-223.
Rainwater, Dorothy T. and H. Ivan. American Silverplate. Nashville: Thomas Nelson; Hanover: Everybodys Press, 1968.
Essays on historical background, manufacturing, productions processes, styles and types of silver by function, many drawings and photographs.
Stern, Jewel. Modernism in American Silver: 20th-century Design. Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art; New Haven: Yale University Press, 2005.
Major exhibition of influential silver work with excellent bibliography and index.
Wyler, Seymour B. The Book of Old Silver. New York: Crown Publishers, 1937, (1971).
Essays on historical aspects of old silver, e.g. laws, frauds, collection and care, types of silver items, Sheffield plate. American and European countries' hallmarks. Index to marks.
Allane, Lee. Oriental Rugs: A Buyer’s Guide. London: Thames and Hudson, 1988.
General introduction for the beginning or amateur enthusiast. Explains rug names and terms; how Oriental rugs are made; issues to consider when buying a rug. A section of color plates follows, with information on designs and "Rugs of the major Producing Countries", e.g. Persia, Anatolia, Afghan and others.
Curatola, Giovanni. Oriental Carpets. London: Souvenir Press, 1981.
Heavily illustrated survey useful for identifying makes and types of carpets, their colors, patterns and symbology.
Gans-Ruedin, E. The Connoisseur’s Guide to Oriental Carpets. Rutland; Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle. 1971.
Thorough historical survey with sections on the characteristics of carpets, buying and care. Remainder of volume covers classification of carpets by country or region, with sections on various types, illustrations and specific examples.
Murphy, Brian. The Root of Wild Madder: Chasing the History, Mystery, and the Lore of the Persian Carpet. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005.
A colorful account of the Persian carpet’s history and its weavers and sellers.
Neff, Ivan C. and Carol Maggs. Dictionary of Oriental Rugs: With a Monograph on Identification by Weave. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1977.
Technical guide concerned with explaining origins of types of Oriental rugs by their weave patterns.
Rosenstiel, Helene Von. American Rugs and Carpets: From the Seventeenth Century to Modern Times. New York: William Morrow, 1978.
Strong survey history of various types of American floor covering from painted floor, matting, linoleum and oilcloth, to loomed carpets. Pattern chronology, bibliography, pp. 184-187.
Periodical indexes that will cover these selected decorative arts may be found in the Library’s Selected Electronic Resources page under the category “Art & Architecture.” The following electronic indexes provide access to key journal articles on the various subjects:
Art Index Retrospective
Indexes articles that may cover decorative arts subjects from 420 international periodicals, yearbooks, and museum publications for the period 1929-1984
Art Full Text
Continues the indexing of Art Index from 1984 to the present, with the occasional full text coverage for some titles.
ARTbibliographies Modern
Indexes and abstracts periodical article, books, dissertations, and exhibition catalogues related to twentieth century design and some decorative arts.
Design and Applied Arts Index
Indexes 450 international design and craft journals with coverage of designers, artists, decorative arts movements, firms, studios and workshops. Coverage from 1973 to present.
Databases of visual images for the decorative arts have been slow to develop but are growing. The decorative arts are often represented by commercial interests, however, so the following resources have been chosen for their usefulness for teaching and presentation purposes.
ARTstor
This organization is a not-for-profit scholarly developer and distributor of electronic digital images for art study, gathered from museums and other cultural institutions. Collections with strong decorative arts holdings in furniture, glass, metalware, and textiles are included. Users can build their own file of study images. Access this database through the Library’s Selected Electronic Resources page.
Digital Library for the Decorative Arts and Material Culture
http://decorativearts.library.wisc.edu/images.html
An important image database from the University of Wisconsin offers an academic collection’s focus.
NYPL Digital Gallery/NYPL Digital Library Collections
The Library’s searchable database of visual materials documenting culture studies and social history from antiquity to the present. Among the over 450,000 images from the Library’s collections are many decorative arts objects, including furniture, glass, metalware, and rugs. Access is through the Library’s homepage at www.nypl.org and through the Selected Electronic Resources page.
Selected Internet Resources
Decorative arts websites are primarily commercial in origin, with a few selective exemptions from academic and museums sources. Major decorative arts firms can have their own websites that may give historical information and archival imagery.
Appraisers Association of America
www.appraisersassoc.org
Art Dealers Association of America
www.artdealers.org
Bard Graduate Center. Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design, and Culture. Education Programs.
www.bgc.bard.edu
Victoria and Albert Museum. Decorative Arts Collections
www.vam.ac.uk/collections/index.htlm
National Gallery of Art Decorative Arts Collection
www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/decarts.shtm
Furniture Styles and History
www.furniturestyles.net
The Furniture History Society
www.furniturehistory.org.au
Association for the History of Glass
www.historyofglass.org.uk
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Gold and Silverwork History Collection
www.rijksmuseum.ni/aria/aria_encyclopedia
The Persian Carpet Gallery
www.persia.org/Images/Persian_carpet/carpet_history.html
Compiled by Paula A. Baxter, Art & Architecture Collection, 11/07
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) came to prominence in France as a military and political figure by 1796. He consolidated his political power in 1800 and had himself constituted sole ruler of France in 1804. Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, presided over an empire that ran from May 1804 to April 1814. His return from exile and second reign ended abruptly after the Hundred Days on the battlefield of Waterloo in June 1815. This research guide will focus on scholarly resources in The New York Public Library that pertain to biographical, historical, military, and literary publications on Napoleon and his times—a period of sweeping social change in Europe.
The literature written on the Napoleonic era is staggering in numbers. As of September 2004, The New York Public Library’s online CATNYP catalog contains 2695 entries under Napoleon I alone and 117 records for his first Empress, Josephine. 760 entries appear for France—History—Consulate and First Empire, 1799-1815.
This research guide is intended to provide direct access to the broadest, most authoritative popular history book publications in the English language on this subject. Works cited are by British, American, and European scholars in translations. The study of Napoleon and his world has received much critical reappraisal in the later 20th century. Many of the resources annotated here were consulted during research preparation for The New York Public Library exhibition, Decoration in the Age of Napoleon: Empire Elegance Versus Regency Refinement, Edna Barnes Salomon Gallery, September 3, 2004 – April 2, 2005.
If you need further assistance, visit our reference desk, or e-mail us at grdref@nypl.org
Compiled by Paula A. Baxter, Art & Architecture Collection, 12/04
The Empire and Regency styles do not have direct headings in the Library of Congress Subject Headings volumes. Instead, the terms used are:
Decoration and Ornament—Empire Style
Decoration and Ornament—Regency Style
Also, geographic subdivisions can be used, as in
Decoration and Ornament—France—Empire Style
Related headings of use may be:
Architecture, Regency
Furniture, Regency —Great Britain
Regency —England
And
England—Social life and customs—19th century
France—Social life and customs—19th century
| 1769 - | August 18, Napoleon born at Ajaccio, Corsica |
| 1784 - | October, Napoleon secures appointment to Ecole Militaire in Paris and a year later (September 1, 1785) is commissioned a second lieutenant in the French Army |
| 1789 - | July 14, the Bastille is stormed and events lead up to the French Revolution |
| 1793 - | September 16-December 19, Napoleon distinguishes himself at the Siege of Toulon |
| 1794 - | February 6, given command of artillery of the Army of Italy |
| 1796 - | March 2, appointed head of the Army of Italy |
| 1796 - | March 9, marriage of Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine Beauharnais |
| 1798 - | May 19, beginning of Napoleon’s campaign expedition to Egypt, departs for Paris in August 1799 |
| 1798 - | August 1, Battle of the Nile, English Admiral Nelson’s naval forces decimate the French fleet at anchor in Abukir Bay |
| 1800 - | June 14, Battle of Marengo, defeats the Austrian army |
| 1804 - | May 18, Napoleon constitutes himself Emperor, confirmed by plebiscite |
| 1804 - | December 2, coronation ceremonies for Napoleon I and Empress Josephine in Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, with Pope Pius VII in attendance |
| 1805 - | October 21, Battle of Trafalgar effectively eliminates threat of French Fleet |
| 1805 - | December 2, Battle of Austerlitz, Napoleon defeats Austrians and Russians |
| 1807 - | 1 November 19, French army invades Portugal |
| 1808 - | February 16, French army invades Spain, national revolts by Spanish from May onwards |
| 1810 - | April, marriage of Napoleon to Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria; the Empress Josephine was divorced in 1809 |
| 1811 - | March 20, birth of Napoleon’s heir, the King of Rome |
| 1812 - | June to December, invasion of Russia, Battle of Borodino on September 7 and Napoleon enters Moscow on September 14, city on fire until September 19, retreat from Russia begins on October 19 |
| 1814 - | April 6, Napoleon’s first abdication, he is exiled to the island of Elba in the Mediterranean |
| 1815 - |
February 26 to March 1, Napoleon escapes from Elba, start of the Hundred Days |
| 1815 - | June 16-18, Battle of Waterloo, the French forces are defeated |
| 1815 - | June 22, Napoleon’s second abdication |
| 1815 - | October 15, Napoleon lands on the island where he is to be interned, St. Helena in the South Atlantic |
| 1821 - | May 5, death of Napoleon |
| 1840 - | December 15, Napoleon’s remains are interred at the D ôme des Invalides |
Conner, Susan P. The Age of Napoleon. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2004. (JFE 04-6012)
Provides chronological, biographical, and bibliographic citations to major historic events.
Nafziger, George F. Historical Dictionary of the Napoleonic Era. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2002. (*R-DG 02-3989)Authoritative summary of reference tools related to all aspects of Napoleon’s times and career.
Palmer, Alan W. An Encyclopedia of Napoleon’s Europe. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1984. (JFE 85-184) Dictionary-style format to biographical and historical information.
Gengembre, Gérard. Napoleon: The Immortal Emperor. New York: Vendome Press, 2003. (JFF 03-3292)
A visual survey of Napoleon’s life and career, and the many historical depictions and recreations made from his persona.
Giles, Frank. Napoleon Bonaparte: England’s Prisoner. London: Constable, 2001. (JFE 01-16801)
Surveys Napoleon’s life in exile on St. Helena, 1815-1821.
Hibbert, Christopher. Napoleon: His Wives and Women. New York: W.W. Norton, 2002. (JFE 03-9610)
A social historical evaluation of Napoleon’s complicated and often contradictory relations with women.
Horne, Alistair. The Age of Napoleon. New York: Modern Library, 2004. (JFC 04-1482)
Concise biographical summary of Napoleon’s influence on his times.
Johnson, Paul. Napoleon. New York: Viking, 2002. (JFD 02-14657)
A biographical examination of Napoleon’s political strengths and weaknesses.
Méneval, Claude-François, Baron de. Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte, theCcourt of the First Empire. New York: P.F. Collier, 1910. (DGD Méneval)
A translation of Napoleon’s memoirs dictated to his court secretary; gives a sense of Napoleon’s own concern for how posterity should view his accomplishments.
Napoléon Bonaparte. Edited by Raymond and Loretta Obstfeld. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2001. (JFD 02-23187)
A terse summary of Napoleon’s career and influence in its broadest social context.
Ratcliffe, Bertram. Prelude to Fame: An Account of the Early Life of Napoleon up to the Battle of Montenotte. London: Warne, 1981. (JFD 82-3925)
Explores the childhood and youth of the future French emperor.
DeLorme, Eleanor P. Josephine: Napoleon’s Incomparable Empress. New York: H.N. Abrams, 2002. (JFF 02-5405)
An examination of Josephine’s accomplishments as Empress, her personal influence, and relationship with Napoleon.
Epton, Nina C. Josephine; The Empress and her Children. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1975. (JFD 76-1261)
Biographical portrait with emphasis on her son and daughter by her first marriage, and their significance as Napoleon ’s stepchildren.
Erickson, Carolly. Josephine: A Life of the Empress. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1999. (JFE 99-9336)
Focuses on the emotional highs and lows of Josephine’s life, and examines the social and moral conditions for well-born women of pre- and post-Revolutionary France.
Markham, Felix. The Bonapartes. London: Weidenfeld and Nicholson, 1975. (JFF 76-308)
Social history of the Corsican-born Bonaparte family: Napoleon’s formidable mother, his various siblings and their roles in Napoleon’s empire-building.
Normington, Susan. Napoleon’s Children. Wolfeboro Falls, NH: A. Sutton, 1993. (JFF 93-1816)
Examines the lives of Napoleon’s two stepchildren, his illegitimate children by various mistresses, and his short-lived heir, Napoleon II, known after his father’s fall as the Duke of Reichstadt and raised in the Austrian imperial court.
Palmer, Alan W. Napoleon and Marie Louise. London: Constable, 2000. (JFE 01-3633)
Biographical portrait of Napoleon’s second, political marriage to the young daughter of the Austrian Emperor, and the mother of his legitimate heir.
Seward, Desmond. Napoleon’s Family. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1986. (JFE 86-2223)
All all-embracing view of the Bonaparte family and their role in Napoleon’s development; treats Napoleon’s fierce family loyalty and the roles he wanted his various brothers and sisters to play in his empire.
Political and Foreign Relations
Dallas, Gregor. 1815: The Roads to Waterloo. London: Richard Cohen Books, 1996. (JFE 97-2263)
Investigates the complicated historical, social, and foreign relations that led to Europe’s final confrontation with Napoleon on the battlefield of Waterloo.
Ellis, Geoffrey. The Napoleonic Empire. London: Macmillan Education, 1991. (JFD 91-9143) Authoritative survey history of the First Empire in France, with cogent explanations of Napoleon’s Continental System and the resultant economic effects of this blockade on England and Europe.
Herold, J. Christopher. The Horizon Book of the Age of Napoleon. New York: American Heritage Pub. Co., 1963. (G-10 1439)
Textbook-style summaries of Napoleon ’s career and historic context.
Lyons, Martyn. Napoleon Bonaparte and the Legacy of the French Revolution. Houndmills, UK: Macmillan, 1994. (JFD 95-6845)
Historical survey that evaluates the relationships between Napoleon and the ideals of the French Revolution; describes the role of France within Europe at that time.
Roberts, Andrew. Napoleon and Wellington. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2001. (JFE 01-16566)
Terse study in biographical and ideological contrasts between Napoleon and his English military adversary.
Shaw, Philip. Waterloo and the Romantic Imagination. New York: Palgrave/Macmillan, 2002. (JFD 02-26267)
Explores Napoleon’s last great battle within the context of Romantic Era literature, and assesses the use of Waterloo as a metaphor within Romanticism in general.
Sutherland, Donald. The French Revolution and Empire: The Quest for a Civic Order. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2003. (JFE 03-3376)
Evaluates the changes in civil liberties for the French nation in the period between the beginning of the Revolution and the end of the First Empire.
Broers, Michael. Europe Under Napoleon 1799-1815. London: St. Martin’s Press, 1996. (JFE 97-489)
Discusses Napoleon’s foreign relations policies during his years of influence.
Madelin, Louis. The Consulate and the Empire, 1809-1815. New York: AMS Press, 1967. (DAF The National History of France, vol. 7)
Official political history with bibliographies.
Muir, Rory. Britain and the Defeat of Napoleon, 1807-1815. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996. (JFE 96-6112)
Evaluates Britain’s steadfast political policy of opposition to the French Emperor, and the consequences of British army opposition to the French forces.
Schom, Alan. One Hundred Days: Napoleon’s Road to Waterloo. New York: Atheneum; Maxwell Macmillan International, 1992. (JFE 92-10604)
In-depth examination of the confluence of political and diplomatic factors that determined Napoleon’s escape from Elba and the circumstances leading to his last stand at Waterloo.
The Age of Napoleon: Costume from Revolution to Empire, 1789-1815. Katell le Bourhis, general editor. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art; H.N. Abrams, 1989. (3-MML+ 90-4501)
Visually impressive survey history of dress during these periods, based on a popular exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum ’s Costume Institute.
For a more exhaustive bibliography of arts in the age of Napoleon, see The Empire and Regency Styles.
Adkin, Mark. The Waterloo Companion. London: Aurum Press, 2001. (JFF 02-378)
An exhaustive compendium of data about this decisive battle for the armchair military history enthusiast. Reviews such significant factors as the battle orders, battlefield itself, infantry, cavalry, and artillery actions, battle highlights, and aftermath events. A section on myths and controversies reveals just how variable the battle’s outcome could have been.
Esdaile, Charles J. The French Wars, 1792-1815. London; New York: Routledge, 2001. (JFD 01-16265)
Concise guide to the War of the First Coalition, 1792-1797, the War of the Second Coalition, 1798-1801, and the Napoleonic Wars.
Glover, Michael. The Peninsular War, 1807-1814: A Concise Military History. London: Penguin, 2001, c.1974. (JFD 02-3638)
Tracks the stages of warfare in the Spanish Peninsula from the time of the arrival of British troops to the last drive into southern France.
Lefebvre, Georges. Napoleon; From Tilsit to Waterloo, 1807-1815. New York: Columbia University Press, 1969. (JFD 94-4474)
Documents major battles during a major transition period in the First Empire’s fortunes, tracing the arc from triumph to decline.
Neillands, Robin. Wellington and Napoleon: Clash of Arms 1807-1815. London: John Murray, 1994. (JFE 94-16885)
Compares the generalship tactics and styles of Napoleon and the English commander, Wellington.
Rothenberg, Gunther. The Napoleonic Wars. London: Cassell, 1999. (JFF 00-323)
Authoritative evaluation and documentation on Napoleon’s military leadership.
Schom, Alan. Trafalgar: Countdown to Battle 1803-1805. London: Joseph, 1990. (JFE 90-7408)
Explains the political and military circumstances leading to the major sea battle at Trafalgar in 1805, an engagement that brought crippling defeat to the French Fleet and a heroic death to England’s beloved Admiral Horatio Nelson.
Zamoyski, Adam. 1812: Napoleon’s Fatal March on Moscow. London: HarperCollins, 2004. (JFE 04-8489)
A detailed account of Napoleon’s campaign against Russia in the fall of 1812, offering new evaluations of the Russian army response and the circumstances whereby Napoleon’s troops were defeated and destroyed.
Delderfield, R.F. The March of the Twenty-six; The Story of Napoleon’s Marshals. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1962. (D-13 8177)
A portrait of the generals whom Napoleon appointed to lead his armies and stage his military campaigns.
Palmer, Alan. Bernadotte: Napoleon’s Marshal, Sweden’s King. London: John Murray, 1990. (JFE 91-3440)
A biography of one of Napoleon’s most colorful Marshals—and rivals—and the man who was chosen by Sweden to replace their previously hereditary ruling dynasty. Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (1763-1844) started his career as a soldier in the army of Louis XVI and ended as Carl XIV Johan, King of Sweden.
Young, Peter. Napoleon’s Marshals. Reading: Osprey Publishing, 1973. (JFE 74-1214)
Authoritative guide to the dress, ornamentation and field practices of Napoleon ’s leading generals.
Chartrand, Rene. Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon’s Army. London; Herndon, VA: Brassey’s, 1996. (JFG 97-128)
Part of the Brassey’s History of Uniforms series, with information on regimental dress, details, and colors for the French army.
Fletcher, Ian. Napoleonic Wars: Wellington’s Army. London; Herndon, VA: Brassey’s, 1996. (JFG 97-252)
Describes uniforms, details, and colors for the English army that opposed Napoleon.
Pericoli, Ugo. 1815: The Armies at Waterloo. New York: Scribner, 1973. (JFF 74-957)
Information on the military dress of Napoleon’s remaining Grande Armee, along with those of the English and their
Napoleon did not foster the literary arts in the same way he did the fine arts. He opposed the freedom of speech espoused by literary figures and was unsympathetic to the two great writers of his era.
Vicomte Francois-René de Chateaubriand (1768-1817)
Atala (1801) short story.
Le Génie du christianisme (1802).
Regular contributor to Mercure de France 1800-1814.
Anne-Louise-Germaine Necker, Madame de Staël (1766-1817)
Delphine (1802) and Corinne (1807) are novels.
Her non-fiction work led to several exiles by Napoleon.
Chateaubriand and Mme de Staël were early leaders of French Romanticism in literature and modern criticism. However, Napoleon ignored Chateaubriand and actively disliked Mme de Staël, exiling her at various intervals during his reign. The literary arts in France flourished better after Napoleon’s reign ended. One notable novelist and critic, Stendhal (Henri Beyle 1783-1842), served in Napoleon’s army under the Commissariat branch, in the early part of his career. His experiences form a backdrop to the themes of his great works, The Charterhouse of Parma (1839) and The Red and the Black (1830). The Romantic Movement of the early nineteenth century guided the development of “Le Romantisme” in French literature, which would flower later on with the works of Théophile Gautier (1811-1872), Victor Hugo (1802-1885), and Alphonse-Marie-Louis de Prat de Lamartine (1790-1869).
A number of later works have been produced that feature the First Empire of Napoleon.
Burgess, Anthony. Napoleon Symphony. 1974.
Cornwell, Bernard. Sharpe’s Trafalgar. 2001.
Part of the Richard Sharp series, various dates, mainly covering the wartime adventures of an English rifleman fighting the French during the Peninsular War.
Dumas, Alexandre. The Whites and the Blues. 1894.
The Company of Jehu. 1894.
Gulland, Sandra. The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. 1995.
The Last Great Dance on Earth. 2000.
Orczy, Emmuska, Baroness. The Bronze Eagle: A Story of the Hundred Days. c.1915.
Rambaud, Patrick. The Battle. 2000, c1997. Won the Prix Goncourt.
The Retreat. 2004. a third installment will be forthcoming.
Selinko, Annemarie. Désirée. 1953.
Teegan, Thomas Henry. With the Grand Army to Moscow: An Historical Novel. 1900.
Tolstoy, Leo. War and Peace. 1865-9. The great classic.
A wealth of articles within the periodical literature can be found on Napoleon and his era. The following indexing and abstracting tools may be used to locate relevant articles on this subject in periodicals, collected works, and newspapers. For a complete description of these and other related tools, please visit the Library’s Selected Electronic Resources page, located on dedicated computers in Room 315, the Public Catalog Room and the Rose Main Reading Room, as well as in most of the divisions throughout the Library:
Academic Search Premier
Art Index Retrospective
Dissertations Abstracts
Facts on File History Database
Historical Abstracts
History Guide
Nineteenth Century Masterfile
Social Sciences Abstracts
A wealth of information-in various guises-appears on the Internet. Web sites range from grandly conceived visual histories to subject-specific collections related to Napoleon and his place in history. As with many web sites, context and biases vary: viewers should be acutely aware of the lack of quality control for posted information. One may find anything from the latest conspiracy theories about Napoleon's death on St. Helena to surveys of decorative and commemorative collectibles. Obviously, some of the most impressive sites originate from France.
Royalty-World Royalty-Napoleon Bonaparte
http://www.royalty.nu/Europe/France/Bonaparte/NapoleonI.html
Club-Internet. Pages Persos. Napoleon 1st
http://www.napoleon1er.com
The Fondation Napoleon
http://www.napoleon.org/en/home.asp
The Napoleonic Guide
http://www.napoleonguide.com
The Napoleon Series
http://www.napoleon-series.org
Lucidcafe Library
http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/95aug/napoleon.html
Music Visualizations, Synchoric Orchestra dancing Schubert's Unfinished Symphony ... (1919). Dance Division.
One of 700,000 pictures in the NYPL Digital Gallery
NYPL Photostore