14,000 Images of the French Revolution Released Online

[octoberlib]

Last edited Wed Feb 5, 2014, 04:55 PM - Edit history (1)

Toppled crowns and tumbrels to the guillotine are just part of the massive archive of images and documents released online this month. The French Revolution Digital Archive, a partnership between Stanford University and the Bibliothèque nationale de France, was announced last week with some 14,000 high-resolution images.

For anyone who tried to use the thorough, but cumbersome, BnF website for research, this is joyous news. Yet even for curious non-academics the archive is incredibly user-friendly and rich with vivid material on one of history’s most tumultuous times. The archive, a multi-year project, is divided into two areas — Parliamentary Archives and Images of the French Revolution — with a very handy visual timeline included on each search so you can pinpoint what exact point of time you want to target. While the images are heavy on prints and illustrations, there are also photographs of medals, coins, and other artifacts.

You can approach the images by themes like “religion,” the woeful “King and the Royal Family,” and the chaotic “political rivalries and social conflict.” There are also divisions in art and culture, like “heroes” and “allegories,” and even the titillating ”politics in the boudoir.” The keywords once you’re viewing an image are in French, but overall it’s accessible to either anglo- or francophones.



Crown: “I lost a head”; Guillotine: “I’ve found one” (1793





An astronomer looking at the stars, and falling into an abyss (1789-92)





Stamp with a skull and guillotines with the words “equality" and “fraternity” (1799


http://hyperallergic.com/106358/14000-images-of-the-french-revolution-released-online/

http://frda-stage.stanford.edu/en/catalog/sh280xt1652

[cyberswede]

1. Fantastic!

Thanks for posting!

[octoberlib]

2. I thought so too. I don't know where to start! nt

[WorseBeforeBetter]

3. Oooh, thanks.

I need to get to bed, but think this is gonna keep me up for a while!

[octoberlib]

6. I know , me too. I told myself I'd stop at midnight.

Let's see if I can stick to it.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

7. LOL That's my goal as well.

We'll see.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

4. thanks. The French Revolution is what moves me more than any event

in history. thanks so much for posting

[octoberlib]

8. I'm glad I posted it then! I'm a history buff and found it interesting. nt

[Flying Squirrel]

5. Excellent timing. n/t

[octoberlib]

10. I had the same thought, lol. nt

[edbermac]

9. My favorite:

"It's good to be the King!"

[octoberlib]

11. +1

[RainDog]

12. k&r n/t

[Solly Mack]

13. K&R

[cliffordu]

14. 'Liberty' and 'Fraternity'

Is probably going to be my next tattoo....

[In_The_Wind]

15. There's a great tattooist nearby.

just sayin'

[cliffordu]

17. Well...

[In_The_Wind]

18. I'll take you there.

On my trike.

[cliffordu]

19. Now we're talking.....

[In_The_Wind]

20. Do you have a license?

Or will you be looking over my shoulder?

[cliffordu]

21. No license. Just the bicycle.

[In_The_Wind]

22. Not a problem.

We'll take my camera. You'll have fun taking photos while we ride.

[cliffordu]

24. Shaw 'nuff, baby, shaw 'nuff

[octoberlib]

25. It'd make a great tattoo! nt

[PowerToThePeople]

16. i oppose violence

Why are these fascist thugs taking us all down a path where violent revolution is the outcome?

[octoberlib]

26. I oppose violence too. It doesn't work. If we ever get to that point, any revolution would have

to be peaceful to get my support. Like the Color Revolutions.

[cali]

23. wow, wow, wow. thank you so much for posting.

[octoberlib]

28. I was in the middle of a book about Robespierre,

when I came across the above article. This archive is fascinating!

[JNelson6563]

27. Bookmarking for later!

[JustAnotherGen]

29. Thanks!

Off to dig up what I can on M.A.

ETA -I've never seen such a strong image of her Hapsburg jaw.
http://frda-stage.stanford.edu/en/catalog/bj825wm4934

[octoberlib]

32. I would think there'd be lots of good stuff on Marie Antoinette. I haven't gotten that far yet. nt

[dipsydoodle]

30. Stamp with a skull and guillotines with the words “equality” and “fraternity”

maybe "liberty" fell off. :shrug;

[octoberlib]

31. When I copy and pasted this , I thought maybe part of the stamp wasn't included

in the picture, but it looks complete to me. I think it's a typo.

[dipsydoodle]

34. Its misattributed / typo error.

Full Monty here :



Text displayed on a placard announcing the sale of biens nationaux (1793). Soon after the Revolution, the motto was sometime written as "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, or Death". The "death" part was later dropped for being too strongly associated with the Reign of Terror.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libert%C3%A9,_%C3%A9galit%C3%A9,_fraternit%C3%A9

[JI7]

33. i love reading about the french revolution

the whole thing is so fascinating with incredible characters on all sides. even though it happened over 200 years ago i always find i can kind of relate to the people (even when i disagree with them).

[Laelth]

35. Nifty. Thanks for posting. n/t

-Laelth