These Photos of Napoleon’s Veterans Are Some of the Oldest Military Portraits

Photo Credit: 1. Unknown Author / Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain (Colorized by Palette.fm) 2. François Gérard / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

Among the oldest photographs of veterans in the world is a set of 15 sepia portraits of former soldiers from Napoleon’s French Army. The images were captured when the subjects were in their seventies and eighties, and they’re currently part of the Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection at Brown University, in Rhode Island.

Grenadier Burg, 24th Regiment of the Guard. (Photo Credit: Unknown Author / Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

It’s unknown how Brown acquired the photos. Each is 12-inch x 10-inch and mounted on stiff card; the name of each veteran and his regiment is written on the back in pencil. They were taken in a studio, with some subjects standing and others seated. Several are blurry, indicating the difficulty the elderly subjects had in standing still for the time it would have taken to expose a film plate.

They’re likely the only remaining images of veterans of the Grande Armée and the Guard in their original uniforms and insignia, although some of the uniforms appear to have been tailored in the 1850s.

Quartermaster Fabry, 1st Hussars. (Photo Credit: Unknown Author / Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

It’s not clear when and why the men were photographed, but L’Épopée du Costume Militaire Français by Henri Bouchot provides some clues. In the book, there’s a color plate showing 10 Napoleonic veterans in full uniform, passing the column which sits at the center of the Place Vendôme. Two of the men bear wreaths, and a comparison shows the 10 veterans look very much like the ones in Brown’s collection.

May 5 is significant because it’s the day when veterans would gather in Paris, France, to commemorate the death of Napoleon. The London Times described the 1855 procession, “The base and railings of the column of the Place Vendôme appear this day decked out with the annual offerings to the memory of the man whose statue adorns the summit.

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Quartermaster Sergeant Delignon, Mounted Chasseurs of the Guard. (Photo Credit: Unknown Author / Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

“The display of garlands of immortelles and other tributes of the kind is greater than usual […] the old soldiers of the Empire performed their usual homage yesterday at the same place,” it continued.

On that occasion, there was a funeral in the chapel of Les Invalides. It was attended by Prince Jérôme and other dignitaries, and the entire personnel of the Invalides was present, along with soldiers of the First Empire.

Sergeant Taria, Grenadieres de la Garde. (Photo Credit: Unknown Author / Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

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The more likely date for these photos, however, is 1858. All of the veterans pictured are wearing Saint Helena medals, and it’s well known that those who fought in the wars of the Revolution and the Empire received these decorations in August 1857.

Damian Lucjan: Damian is a history geek that’s working for War History Online for almost a decade. He can talk about the history and its chain of events for hours and is 100% legit fun at parties. Aside of history, geography and etymology of all things are no less exciting for him! An avid video game player, meme distributor, and your comment section moderator all in one. Mythologies of all cultures are fascinating to him, Greek, Nordic, Slavic - you name it, and he’s in! In his spare time, assuming he has some left, he gives it all to his family, enjoying morning walks, a good book, an exciting FPS, and a long nap…or a few. Definitely a cat person.
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