Bazar De La Charité
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The ''Bazar de la Charité'' was an annual charity event orchestrated by the French Catholic aristocracy in Paris beginning in 1885, when it was first organised by Englishman Henry Blount, the son of banker Sir Edward Blount, a financier of railway enterprises in France. The ''Bazar'' was held in a variety of locations by a consortium of charitable organisations that shared renting fees, acting to reduce costs and group potential buyers. The 1897 ''Bazar de la Charité'' became known for the fire which claimed 126 lives, many of which were notable aristocratic women, including Sophie Charlotte, Duchess of Alençon.


Fire of 1897

In 1897, the ''Bazar'' was located in the
8th arrondissement of Paris The 8th arrondissement of Paris (''VIIIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, the arrondissement is colloquially referred to as ''le huitième'' (). The ar ...
at 17 Rue Jean-Goujon, inside a large wooden warehouse which the organisers had reconstituted as a medieval street using painted wood, cardboard, cloth, and papier-mache. One of the key attractions of the ''Bazar'', scheduled for 3 to 6 May, was to be a
cinematograph Cinematograph or kinematograph is an early term for several types of motion picture film mechanisms. The name was used for movie cameras as well as film projectors, or for complete systems that also provided means to print films (such as the ...
installation which functioned with
ether In organic chemistry, ethers are a class of compounds that contain an ether group, a single oxygen atom bonded to two separate carbon atoms, each part of an organyl group (e.g., alkyl or aryl). They have the general formula , where R and R ...
lamps. On the afternoon of 4 May, the projectionist's equipment caught fire, and 126 people — mostly aristocratic women wearing impractical and highly flammable
corsets A corset /ˈkɔːrsɪt/ is a support garment worn to constrict the torso into the desired shape and posture. They are traditionally constructed out of fabric with boning made of whalebone or steel, a stiff panel in the front called a busk which ...
and ''
crinoline A crinoline is a stiff or structured petticoat designed to hold out a skirt, popular at various times since the mid-19th century. Originally, crinoline described a stiff fabric made of horsehair ("crin") and cotton or linen which was used to ...
'' — died as a result of the following blaze and the panic of the crowd in attendance. Over 200 others sustained additional injuries, and the disaster—noted for improperly marked exits—was reported internationally. Some of the visitors fleeing through the courtyard were aided in escaping through the windows of the adjacent Hôtel du Palais' kitchen by the hotel's manager, Mme Roche-Sautier, and cook M Gauméry. The condition of the charred remains of the victims was such that dental records were necessary for identification, which in itself became a landmark in the early history of forensic dentistry. In the aftermath of the fire, 937,438 francs, equivalent to the amount raised by the previous year's ''Bazar'', was donated by an anonymous benefactor to the charitable purposes for which the ''Bazar de la Charité'' had been organised.


Notre-Dame-de-Consolation

A Catholic chapel, the Notre-Dame-de-Consolation, was built on the location of the ''Bazar'' in honour of the victims of the fire, and is currently owned by the Bazar de la Charité Memorial association. It was classed as a historic monument in 1982, and in 2013 was devolved to the
Society of Saint Pius X The Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX; ("Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X"), FSSPX) is a canonically irregular traditionalist Catholic priestly fraternity founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Lefebvre was a leading traditionalis ...
.


Victims of the fire

The following individuals were numbered among the 126 victims of the fire. * Sophie Charlotte of Bavaria, Duchess of Alençon (1847–1897). A leading patron of the bazaar, she had insisted on remaining until all those working under her had been rescued. Her body was unrecognisable, even to her personal maid, but was identified by her dentist on the basis of her gold fillings.''L'Avenir'', May 7, 1897
* Claire Beucher de Saint Ange (1829–1897), sister of Laure Beucher (below). The two were visitors to the bazaar.Comtesse D. de Beaurepaire de Louvagny, ''Les Martyrs de la charité'' (Paris, 1897), p. 67. Her body was burned beyond recognition, but she was initially identified by her maid on the basis of her red flannels, and the identification was later confirmed by her husband, General Eugène Chevals, from a scar on her breast. * Laure Beucher de Saint Ange (1827–1897), sister of Claire Beucher (above). The two were visitors to the bazaar. The baroness of Saint Ange's body was burned beyond recognition but was identified by her maid on the basis of three rings she had been wearing. * Elise Blonska (1835–1897). A Russian immigrant who was librarian to
Jules Claretie Jules is the French form of the Latin "Julius" (e.g. Jules César, the French name for Julius Caesar). In the anglosphere, it is also used for females although it is still a predominantly masculine name.One of the few notable examples of a femal ...
, she had been working a stall raising money for the blind. Her body, burned beyond recognition, was identified by her orthopaedic corset. She was buried in the
Montparnasse Cemetery Montparnasse Cemetery () is a cemetery in the Montparnasse quarter of Paris, in the city's 14th arrondissement of Paris, 14th arrondissement. The cemetery is roughly 47 acres and is the second largest cemetery in Paris. The cemetery has over 35,00 ...
on 13 May. * Dona Adélaïda Corradi y Anduga, Madame Florez (1847–1897), died of her injuries in
Beaujon Hospital The Beaujon Hospital () is located in Clichy, Paris, France and is operated by APHDP. It was named after Nicolas Beaujon, an eighteenth-century French banker. It opened in 1935 and was designed by Jean Walter. In 2023, the project to merge t ...
."Récapitulation des victimes", ''
Le Petit Parisien ''Le Petit Parisien'' () was a prominent France, French newspaper during the Third French Republic, Third Republic. It was published between 1876 and 1944, and its circulation was over two million after the First World War. Publishing Despite its ...
''
May 8, 1897
* Claire Dalloyau (1838–1897), wife of Auguste Bouvyer, was a member of the
Third Order of Saint Dominic The Third Order of Saint Dominic (; abbreviated TOP), also referred to as the Lay Fraternities of Saint Dominic or Lay Dominicans since 1972, is a Roman Catholic, Catholic third order which is part of the Dominican Order. As members of the Order ...
. She and her daughter were working at the duchess of Alençon's stall. The daughter suffered serious burns but survived. Mrs Bouvyer's body was entirely consumed by the fire, with no part recovered, requiring a court order to pronounce her dead. * Lucie Dehondt (1871–1897), in religion Sr Vincent of the
Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul The Company of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul (; abbreviated DC), commonly called the Daughters of Charity or Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, is a society of apostolic life for women within the Catholic Church. ...
, was present with Sr Marie Ginoux and Valérie Verhasselt (both below) to raise money for the orphans of
Le Raincy Le Raincy () is a prestigious communes of France, commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, center of Paris. Le Raincy is a subprefecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis departments of France, department and ...
.''Annales de la Congrégation de la Mission (Lazaristes) et de la Compagnie des Filles de la Charité'' (Paris, 1897), p. 362. * Thérèse Donon (1857–1897), baroness Saint-Didier, attended the bazaar to assist her husband's aunt, the dowager baroness Saint-Didier (Louise Pedra, below). After being rescued she re-entered the building thinking her niece, Mademoiselle Kergorlay, was still inside. * Marie du Quesne (1857–1897), Viscountess Bonneval, whose husband had been a member of the
Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...
of the
Third French Republic The French Third Republic (, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 1940, after the Fall of France duri ...
from 1885 to 1889. She was helping at one of the stalls in the bazaar. After escaping the fire she had re-entered the building to try to help a friend. Her body was identified by her husband on the basis of her jewellery. Her 15-year-old daughter fell ill and died nine days later. Both were buried in the family vault in
Issoudun Issoudun () is a commune in the Indre department, administrative region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is also referred to as ''Issoundun'', which is the ancient name. Geography Location Issoudun is a sub-prefecture, located in the eas ...
. * Dr
Henri Feulard Henri Feulard (; 1858–1897) was a French dermatologist. Life Henri Feulard was born in Paris on 20 May 1858. He trained as a physician in the hospitals of Paris, interning at the Hôpital Saint-Louis, which at the time specialized in dermatol ...
(1858–1897), visited the bazaar together with his wife, their ten-year-old daughter Germaine, and the family maid Ernestine Moreau (below). The family became separated in the stampede. Dr Feulard re-entered the building in an attempt to save his daughter, but both perished, as did Ernestine Moreau. Mrs Feulard suffered critical burn injuries, but survived. * Juilie Garivet (1853–1897), in religion Sr Marie-Madeleine of the Blind Sisters of St Paul. * Anna Ginoux de Fermon (1863–1897), in religion Sr Marie of the
Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul The Company of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul (; abbreviated DC), commonly called the Daughters of Charity or Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, is a society of apostolic life for women within the Catholic Church. ...
, was the superior of her order's house in
Le Raincy Le Raincy () is a prestigious communes of France, commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, center of Paris. Le Raincy is a subprefecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis departments of France, department and ...
. She was present with Sr Vincent Dehondt (above) and Valérie Verhasselt (below) to raise money for the orphans of Le Raincy. Her remains were transported to Brittany for burial in the family vault. Her funeral mass was attended by thousands, including the Daughters of Charity of Nantes and 25 priests from the neighbourhood. * Blanche Grossier (1852–1897), wife of the industrialist Achille Chouippe, who employed upwards of 300 workers. She kept the company accounts and took care to do right by her husband's employees. She had visited the bazaar as a customer. Her body was identified from her clothes. * Léonie Guillaumet (1868–1897), a young woman attached to the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul of
Saint-Louis-en-l'Isle (For the Paris Church of the same name see Saint-Louis-en-l'Île) Saint-Louis-en-l'Isle (; Limousin: ''Sent Loís d'Eila'') is a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Population See also *Communes ...
, accompanied Sr Joseph Sabatier (below) to assist with her efforts. * Amélie Guyard-Delalain (1829–1897), wife of Alfred Carteron and mother of Jeanne Carteron. She was at the bazaar to help with a stall to support the charitable works of the parish of
Saint-Roch, Paris The Church of Saint-Roch (, ) is a 17th–18th-century French Baroque and classical style church in Paris, dedicated to Saint Roch. It is located at 284 rue Saint-Honoré, in the 1st arrondissement. The current church was built between 1653 a ...
. * Hélène de Haber, Comtesse de Horn (1831–1897), died of her injuries in
Beaujon Hospital The Beaujon Hospital () is located in Clichy, Paris, France and is operated by APHDP. It was named after Nicolas Beaujon, an eighteenth-century French banker. It opened in 1935 and was designed by Jean Walter. In 2023, the project to merge t ...
. * Marie Hoskier (1858–1897), was the daughter of Emile Hoskier, the Danish
consul general A consul is an official representative of a government who resides in a foreign country to assist and protect citizens of the consul's country, and to promote and facilitate commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries. A consu ...
in Paris, and of Elise Weyer (below), and the wife of Eugène Roland-Gosselin, who belonged to a leading family of Parisian stockbrokers. A Protestant convert to Catholicism, she was very active in charitable projects. Her mother also died in the fire. * Emma Jaume (1830–1897), wife of General Warnet, her second husband. She had previously been widowed as Madame de Terrasse, and visited the bazaar because her daughter by her first marriage was running a stall to benefit the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul of Clichy. She was buried with her parents in the Cimetière Saint-Martin,
Perpignan Perpignan (, , ; ; ) is the prefectures in France, prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales departments of France, department in Southern France, in the heart of the plain of Roussillon, at the foot of the Pyrenees a few kilometres from the Me ...
. * Jeanne de Kergorlay (1849–1897), wife of Jean Guy de Poilloüe, count Saint-Périer, and mother of (among others) René de Saint-Périer. A large woman, she remained inside the building giving a leg-up to others escaping through a high window (including her niece, Mademoiselle Kergorlay) until the floor gave way. Her body was identified by her children's governess on the basis of her jewellery, and the identification confirmed by her father. * Eugénie Marlé (1853–1897), wife of Louis Chapuis, a businessman in the
Bercy Bercy () is a neighbourhood in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, France, the city's 47th administrative neighbourhood. History Some of the oldest vestiges of human occupation in Paris were found on the territory of Bercy, dating from the late N ...
neighbourhood, active in the charitable works of the parish of
Saint Roch Roch (lived c. 1348 – 15/16 August 1376/79; traditionally c. 1295 – 16 August 1327), also called Rock in English, was a Majorcan Catholic confessor whose death is commemorated on 16 August and 9 September in Italy; he was especially invo ...
. Her body was burnt beyond recognition but was identified due to a bracelet. * Christianne Meilhac (1882–1897), aged 15, visited the bazaar together with her grandfather, Victor Poidevin (below), and an old friend of his, Dr Ernest Rochet (below). After calling at the stall where Mrs Rochet was assisting Viscountess Malézieu, the three took a turn around the building to admire the decorations. They were at the furthest point from the exit when the fire started. Ms Meilhac's body was not identified for several days, until after her grandfather's funeral had already taken place. * Laura Meinell, Viscountess d'Avenel (1855–1897). The wife of the economic historian Viscount Georges d'Avenel, Viscountess d'Avenel kept a salon noted for the attendance of leading figures in literature, the arts and diplomacy. On returning home from the catastrophe she did not seem seriously hurt, but she later died of internal injuries. She was buried in the
Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (, , formerly , ) is the largest cemetery in Paris, France, at . With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Buried at Père Lachaise are many famous figures in the ...
."Les obsèques particulières", '' Le Matin''
9 May 1897
/ref> * Ernestine Moreau (1862–1897). Maid to the Feulard family (above), she was buried in
Montmartre Cemetery The Cemetery of Montmartre () is a cemetery in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, France, that dates to the early 19th century. Officially known as the Cimetière du Nord, it is the third largest necropolis in Paris, after the Père Lachaise Cemet ...
. * Louiza Francesca Pedra (1816–1897), dowager baroness of Saint-Didier. Born in London to Portuguese parents, and growing up in England, in 1836 she married Baron Armand-Aimé de Saint-Didier, a magistrate who would go on to become a director of the . As a widow she divided her time between socialising and charity work. * Pénélope Petrocochino (1836–1897), widow of Antoine Vlasto, died of her injuries three days after the incident."Deux nouveaux décès", ''
Le Petit Parisien ''Le Petit Parisien'' () was a prominent France, French newspaper during the Third French Republic, Third Republic. It was published between 1876 and 1944, and its circulation was over two million after the First World War. Publishing Despite its ...
''
May 9, 1897
* Victor Poidevin (1825–1897), visited the bazaar together with his granddaughter, Christiane Meilhac (above), and an old friend, Dr Ernest Rochet (below). After calling at the stall where Mrs Rochet was assisting Viscountess Malézieu, the three took a turn around the building to admire the decorations. They were at the furthest point from the exit when the fire started.Comtesse D. de Beaurepaire de Louvagny, ''Les Martyrs de la charité'' (Paris, 1897), pp. 20–21. * Aline Ramboug, Madame Anatole Le Brun de Sesseval (1826–1897), was rescued from the fire by her 15-year-old granddaughter, Mademoiselle de Froissard, who re-entered the building to save her, but she died of her injuries four days later. * Marguerite Rémond (1835–1897), in religion Sr Sainte Claire of the Blind Sisters of St Paul. * Dr Ernest Rochet (1830–1897), visited the bazaar together with a friend, Mr Poidevin (above) and his granddaughter, Christiane Meilhac (above). After calling at the stall where Mrs Rochet was helping Viscountess Malézieu, the three took a turn around the building to admire the decorations. They were at the furthest point from the exit when the fire started. Dr Rochet was identified by scraps of clothing burnt to his body. * Adèle Sabatier (1830–1897), in religion Sr Joseph of the
Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul The Company of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul (; abbreviated DC), commonly called the Daughters of Charity or Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, is a society of apostolic life for women within the Catholic Church. ...
, was one of three Daughters of Charity to die in the fire, the only one from the community in
Saint-Louis-en-l'Isle (For the Paris Church of the same name see Saint-Louis-en-l'Île) Saint-Louis-en-l'Isle (; Limousin: ''Sent Loís d'Eila'') is a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Population See also *Communes ...
. * Valérie Verhasselt (1876–1897), aged 20, a boarder at the orphanage run by the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul in
Le Raincy Le Raincy () is a prestigious communes of France, commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, center of Paris. Le Raincy is a subprefecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis departments of France, department and ...
, had accompanied Sr Marie Ginoux and Sr Vincent Dehondt (both above) to the bazaar. She was buried in Raincy cemetery."Au Raincy", ''
Le Petit Parisien ''Le Petit Parisien'' () was a prominent France, French newspaper during the Third French Republic, Third Republic. It was published between 1876 and 1944, and its circulation was over two million after the First World War. Publishing Despite its ...
''
May 9, 1897
* Elise Weyer (1836–1897), wife of Emile Hoskier, the Danish
consul general A consul is an official representative of a government who resides in a foreign country to assist and protect citizens of the consul's country, and to promote and facilitate commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries. A consu ...
in Paris, died together with her daughter Marie Hoskier (above), wife of the stockbroker Eugène Roland-Gosselin.


In popular culture

* The event inspired the 1947 film, '' The Scarlet Bazaar'' (). * In the German telefilm, ''A Passionate Princess'' (), the Duchess Sophie was featured. * In the French telefilm, ''The President's Mistress'' (), when the President of France
Felix Faure Felix may refer to: * Felix (name), people and fictional characters with the name Places * Arabia Felix is the ancient Latin name of Yemen * Felix, Spain, a municipality of the province Almería, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, ...
worried about the hypothetical presence of his mistress at the scene of the tragedy. * In the
TF1 TF1 (; standing for ''Télévision Française 1'') is a French commercial television network owned by TF1 Group, controlled by the Bouygues conglomerate. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network. TF1 is part ...
/
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
co-production '' Le Bazar de la Charité'' (streamed on Netflix under the title "The Bonfire of Destiny"), which premiered in 2019. * In the Greek TV mini series ''Μετά την φωτιά'' which premiered in 2023.


References

*Marguerite Bourcet, ''Le Duc et la Duchesse d'Alençon: un couple de tragédie'', 393 pages, Perrin, 1939 (2003 reprint, ) *Dominique Paoli, ''Il y a cent ans: l'incendie du Bazar de la Charité'', Paris, MDC, 1997. *Venita Datta, ''Heroes and Legends of Fin-de-Siècle France'', Cambridge University Press, 2011, pp. 33–75.


Further reading

*


External links


''The projection at the Bazar de la Charité'' (French)
* ttp://www.memodoc.com/martyrologe_index_suite1.html ''Liste des victimes et des parents des victimes de l'incendie du Bazar de la Charité de H à P''br>''Liste des victimes et des parents des victimes de l'incendie du Bazar de la Charité de Q à Z''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bazar de la Charite Recurring events established in 1885 1885 establishments in France 8th arrondissement of Paris 19th-century fires in Europe 1897 fires 1897 in France Festivals established in 1885 Fires in Paris