Introduction
The “Save Napoleon I's Residence on St Helena International Appeal” is on schedule and on budget. Thanks to the generosity of donors, it has been able to go beyond the restoration of the Generals' Wing, for the greater good of the Napoleonic heritage on St Helena. Here is a progress update as of 1 February, 2014.
1) The Generals’ Wing
The major construction work will be completed in late June 2014, as planned. The exterior walls are completed. The roof is being put on. The outlines of the different rooms can already be seen:
– The Las Cases and Gourgaud apartments will be arranged to house visiting VIPs, with two bedrooms, a lounge and two bathrooms;
– The O'Meara and Montholon apartments and what used to be the quarters for the English orderly officers at Longwood will become a conference centre and temporary exhibition space, capable of holding up to 120 people.
Once the Generals' Wing has been restored and reconfigured following the plan prepared by the young Emmanuel Las Cases and taking into account a watercolour by the English officer Ibbetson (offered to the French Domains by the collector Jean- Paul Mayeux), the rooms will then be decorated and equipped – in the two apartments – as far as is possible using original furniture.
The official inauguration of the “new” Generals' Wing is scheduled for 15 October, 2015, the bicentenary of the arrival of Napoleon at St Helena.
2) The Emperor’s Apartments
The departure of 31 pieces of furniture from Longwood to Paris for restoration forced Michel Dancoisne Martineau to reorganize the interior of the house in certain places. Thus, deprived of its billiard table pool and its famous globes, the Anti-Chambre has returned to its 1821 state (by then the Emperor had given the billiard table to the domestic staff). Moreover, the Emperor's furniture has been replaced by other historical pieces – for example: the table in the dining room (now in Paris) has been replaced by Bertrand's table. The original furniture will of course be put back in its place after restoration.
In order for the Emperor's study not to be left empty, the room is currently being displayed as a funeral chapel, exactly as it was when the Emperor's mortal remains lay there from 6 May, 1821.
As regards the restoration of the interior, the room where the Emperor died has regained its appearance as of 5 May, 1821: the carpets, furnishings, cornices, and painting have been redone.
Lastly, a study is currently under way for a restoration of the bathroom to its 1821 state. The Emperor's bathtub is currently in Paris, a fact which will facilitate the work on the furnishings, painting and redevelopment.
3) The Restoration of the Furniture sent to Paris
31 items of furniture were sent to Paris, and they arrived in mid-May. They are in the hands of the restorers from Malmaison and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This operation will last until the end of 2015. An exhibition of the furniture is currently scheduled to be held at the Musée de l'Armée in Paris for 2016.
4) The Restoration of the Furniture remaining on St Helena; the Restoration of the stables
The sixty items of furniture remaining on St Helena are being restored on-site as part of a sub-project. This has furthermore made it possible to restore part of Longwood stables, which have been converted into a workshop. This small building will be named after the Archambault brothers. The restoration on site is being conducted by Amaël Gohier, professional French restorer, who is currently on his second two-month mission. He has a team of seven young Helenians whom he is training and who are starting restoration of the furniture under his guidance. The best of trainees has been recruited to work for a year, full time.
NB: this training operation was made possible by a generous grant to the Fondation Napoléon of €100,000 from the Government of St Helena.
5) New signing/panels for the three Napoleonic places
During the Fondation Napoléon director's visit, Michel Dancoisne Martineau and the director worked on new designs for the signing/panels around Longwood House, the Tomb (now called “Tomb of the Emperor Napoleon”) and the Briars Pavilion. About one hundred general sign/panels will be installed, and the texts will be updated.
In view of the probable increase in visits after the commissioning of the airport of St. Helena in June 2016, ongoing reflection is being turned towards the problem of how best to manage visitor flow.
6) Communication, organisation
Several projects, necessitated by the exceptional investment resulting from the “Save Napoleon I's Residence on St Helena International Appeal”, are as yet unfinished. The French Domains, the Foundation and the Government of St. Helena are currently reflecting together on the positioning of French Domains in terms of the island's tourist “pull” and considering expanding the Napoleonic “offer” by creating an informal association under the title “Napoleonic Sites of Saint Helena”, which would include the Maison Bertrand and the creation of a Napoleonic route, etc. Finally, a study is being conducted concerning the organisation of the French Domains themselves. Everything will naturally be done with the greatest respect for these important ‘realms of memory' (lieux de mémoire).
7) Creation of a dedicated fund for Domaines nationaux de Sainte-Hélène
The “Save Napoleon I's Residence on St Helena International Appeal” is to continue until the end of 2015. The funds collected (and the remainder from the first wave of the subscriptions) will be placed in a special fund, to be managed by the Fondation Napoléon, which will be used in future to pay for the small restorations that the French Foreign Ministry cannot handle.
The Save Napoleon I's Residence on St Helena Internation Appeal is ongoing. If you haven't already given or if you would like to give again, here are the details.