Library of Empress Marie Louise

In 1933 there was dispersed in Berlin ( Martin Breslauer) a group of books which once formed part of the library of Empress Marie Louise, second wife of Napoleon I, later Duchess of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla.

During the negotiations of the Allies in Paris, the representative of Austria returned the books to the Empress, who, as Regent of Parma, continued to collect. Like his wife, Napoleon was particularly fond of works of natural science, and was fond of showing such books to the King of Rome, later to become the unhappy Duke of Reichstadt.

The following Alpine books were listed :

Alt. Das Pittoreske Oesterreich (Vienna, 1840-46).

Bacler d’Albe. Souvenirs Pittoresques (Paris, 1818).

Brockedon. Illustrations of the Passes of the Alps (London, 1828-29).

D’Haussez. Alpes et Danube (Paris, 1837).

Schultes. Reise auf den Glockner (Vienna, 1804).

These are all bound in red half morocco, and bear on the covers the crowned monogram ML. Since Alpine books in armorial or special bindings of this character are extremely rare, we have secured the fourth item listed above (D’Haussez) for the American Alpine Club library.

J. M. T.