Joséphine Colomb (née, Bouchet; 4 February 1833 – 17 September 1892) was a 19th-century French children's writer, lyricist, and translator who signed her works, Mme J. Colomb or Mme Louis-Casimir Colomb. She was a recipient of the
Montyon Prize
The Montyon Prize () is a series of prizes awarded annually by the French Academy of Sciences and the Académie française. They are endowed by the French benefactor Baron de Montyon.
History
Prior to the start of the French Revolution, the B ...
(1875) for '' La fille de Carilès''. In 1893, she was a recipient of the Jules-Favre Prize. Colomb died in 1892.
Biography
Joséphine-Blanche Bouchet was born in
La Roche-sur-Yon
La Roche-sur-Yon () is a Communes of France, commune in the Vendée Departments of France, department in the Pays de la Loire Regions of France, region in western France. It is the capital of the department. The demonym for its inhabitants is '' ...
(
Vendée
Vendée () is a department in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France, on the Atlantic coast. In 2019, it had a population of 685,442. Her parents were Louis (1785-1866), a doctor of medicine, and Marie Anne Julienne Perrine (Langlais) Bouchet (1790-1859).
After her marriage on 14 November 1859 to Louis-Casimir Colomb (1834-1890), an academic, illustrator and writer, she signed her works "Mme J. Colomb" or "Mme Louis-Casimir Colomb". Her books for young people were published in the "Bibliothèque des écoles et des familles" (Library of schools and families) collection of Hachette editions in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. Instead of featuring the usual orphans or unfortunate teenagers common in late 19th century works of juvenile fiction, Colomb constructed characters with minds of their own who often intelligently challenged adult authority. She also published '' Les Béatitudes'', a versified version of the
Beatitudes
The Beatitudes () are blessings recounted by Jesus in Matthew 5:3–10 within the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, and four in the Sermon on the Plain in the Gospel of Luke, followed by four woes which mirror the blessings.
In ...
, with music by
César Franck
César Auguste Jean Guillaume Hubert Franck (; 10 December 1822 – 8 November 1890) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher born in present-day Belgium.
He was born in Liège (which at the time of h ...
.
Joséphine Colomb died in
Villerville
Villerville () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. The ''commune'' is located towards the eastern end of the coastline called the Côte Fleurie (Flowery Coast).
In entertainment
In the summ ...
(
Calvados
Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples and/or pears.
History In France
Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Norman distillation was ma ...
), 1892.
Awards
The
Académie Française
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...
awarded her the
Montyon Prize
The Montyon Prize () is a series of prizes awarded annually by the French Academy of Sciences and the Académie française. They are endowed by the French benefactor Baron de Montyon.
History
Prior to the start of the French Revolution, the B ...
in 1875, for ''La fille de Carilès''; and the Jules-Favre Prize in 1893, for ''Ensemble de son œuvre''.
Publications
* ''La Fille de Carilès'', 1874.
* ''Chloris et Jeanneton'', 1877.
* ''Feu de paille'', 1881.
* ''Pour la muse'', illustrated by Tofani, 1884.
* ''Pour la Patrie ! (aux exilés d'Alscace-Lorraine)'', illustrated by E. Zier, 1885.
* ''Danielle'', 1888.
* ''Le Petit Livre des souvenirs'', 1888.
* ''Les Révoltes de Sylvie'', illustrated by S. Auzanne, 1889.
* ''Le Bonheur de Françoise'', illustrated by S. Auzanne, 1889.
* ''Les Étapes de Madeleine'', illustrated by S. Auzanne, 1889.
* ''Mon oncle d'Amérique'', illustrated by Tofani, 1890.
* ''Les Conquêtes d'Hermine'', illustrated by H. Vogel, 1892.
* ''Hélène Corianis'', illustrated by A. Moreau, 1893.
* ''Le Pauvre François / Ferma contre Pagliati'', (n.d.).
* ''Jean l'Innocent'', (n.d.).
* ''Aventures de Trottino'', (n.d.).
* ''Franchise'', (n.d.).
* ''L'Ambition de Jean Trémisort'', (n.d.).
* ''Bataille de fleurs'' / ''Les nénuphars'' / ''Les lions de mon oncle Paul'', (n.d.).
* ''Chimères'', (n.d.).
* ''Les Cinq Ans de Frédéric'', (n.d.).
* ''Contes aux enfants sages'', (n.d.).
* ''Contes de vacances'', (n.d.).
* ''Contes qui finissent bien'', (n.d.).
* ''En province'', (n.d.).
* ''Entre oiseaux (On prend plus de mouches avec une cuillerée de miel qu'avec une tonne de vinaigre)'', (n.d.).
* ''La Famille de Friquet'', (n.d.).
* ''La Fille des bohémiens'', (n.d.).
* ''Franchise'' : ''Aimery au clair visage : roman de chevalerie'', illustrated by C. Monnot, (n.d.).
* ''L'Héritière de Vauclain'', (n.d.).
* ''Histoires de bêtes'', 1890.
* ''Histoire morale et instructive de Matou'', (n.d.).
* ''Les Infortunes de Chouchou'', 1881.
* ''Maître Pizzoni'' / ''L'Élève de Leoni'' / ''Le Chanteur florentin'' / ''Tante Gertrude'' / ''Une Signature'' / ''Chez Grand'Père'', (n.d.).
* ''Mirliflor'' / ''Blanche-Écume (Les malheurs de Bébelle)'', (n.d.).
* ''Pieter Vandael'', 1883.
* ''Pour les faire mentir'', (n.d.).
* ''Le Prix de Gisèle'', (n.d.).
* ''Récits et historiettes'', (n.d.).
* ''Sabine'', (n.d.).
* ''Souffre-Douleur'', (n.d.).
* ''Sur les toits'', (n.d.).
* ''La Trouvaille de Jeannette'' / ''La Victime de Ravageot'', (n.d.).
Part of Hachette's "Bibliothèque des écoles et des familles" series
* ''La Fille de Carilès / Le Petit Prince Ulrich / Nedji la bohémienne / La Bonne Mitche'', illustrated by Adrien Marie, 1874.
* ''Le Violoneux de la sapinière'', illustrated by Adrien Marie, 1874.
* "L' héritière de Vauclain" , illustrated by C. Delort, 1879.
* ''Le Sansonnet de Madame Duysens'' / ''Le Maître de Papillon'' / ''Le Prix d'honneur'', 1882.
* ''Denis le Tyran'', 1883.
* ''Contes vrais'', 1884.
* ''Simples Récits'' (''Marianne Button'' / ''Le Matin et le Soir'' / ''Les Consolateurs d'Hassan'' etc.), 1885.
* ''Hervé Plémeur'', illustrated by E. Zier, 1886.
* ''Histoires de tous les jours'', 1890.
* ''Les Filles du fermier'', 1891.
* ''Une nichée de pinsons'', 1895.
* ''Deux Mères'', illustrated by Adrien Marie, (n.d.).
* ''Contes pour les enfants'', (n.d.).
* ''Histoires et proverbes'', (n.d.).
* ''L'Ours de neige'', (n.d.).
* ''Petites Nouvelles'', (n.d.).
Edmondo De Amicis
Edmondo De Amicis (; 21 October 1846 – 11 March 1908) was an Italian novelist, journalist, poet, and short-story writer. His best-known book is the children's novel ''Heart''.
Early career
Born in Oneglia (today part of the city of Imperia), h ...
* ''L'Espagne'', by Edmondo de Amicis
* ''Souvenirs de Paris et de Londres'', by Edmondo De Amicis