Charles Alexandre Lesueur collection
Collection — Folder: S0825
Identifier: S0825
Scope and Contents
This collection includes a March 22, 1837 letter written by Charles Alexandre Lesueur and sent from New Orleans, Louisiana to William Augustus Twigg at New Harmony, Indiana. In the letter Lesueur mentions that he is returning a nine hundred dollar note to be kept in trust until his return or to be used for William's wife and children in the event of his death. He also mentions that the banks in New Orleans were in dire straits and that a Mr. Nicolet was dead. The letter was written in French and the collection includes an English translation completed in December, 2017.
Also included is an 1830 lithograph of Charles Alexandre Lesueur and his dogs, Bull, Penny and Spot at the mouth of the Fox River, close to New Harmony, Indiana.
Also included is an 1830 lithograph of Charles Alexandre Lesueur and his dogs, Bull, Penny and Spot at the mouth of the Fox River, close to New Harmony, Indiana.
Dates
- 1830, 1837/03/22
Creator
Language of Materials
Materials in French and English.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Biographical Note
Charles Alexandre Lesueur was born in Le Havre, France on January 1, 1778. Called "The Raphael of Zoological Painters," he was an artist and naturalist. He became acquainted with geologist William Maclure and accompanied him on a study tour of the West Indies and the United States. After his travels with Maclure, he settled in Philadelphia and helped found the Academy of Natural Sciences in that city. In 1825, he was persuaded to move to New Harmony, Indiana by Maclure and Robert Owen. He traveled to Indiana on Maclure's "Boatload of Knowledge" and arrived in early 1826. He was the guardian of his niece Virginia DuPalais and she accompanied him to New Harmony. Virginia married William Augustus Twigg in 1828. Lesueur remained in New Harmony making scientific sketches, teaching art, and going on archaeological explorations until 1837 when he returned to France by way of New Orleans. He died in France on December 12, 1846.
Sources:
Carmony, Donald, and Elliott, Josephine. "New Harmony, Indiana: Robert Owen's Seedbed for Utopia." Indiana Magazine of History, September 1, 1980. https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/imh/article/view/10250/14211.
Ewell Sale Stewart Library, Academy of Natural Sciences. "Charles Alexandre Lesueur Illustrations, ca. 1804-1829." Accessed December 28, 2017. https://www.ansp.org/research/library/archives/0100-0199/lesueur136b/.
Purdue University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections. "Charles Alexandre Lesueur." Accessed December 28, 2017. http://www4.lib.purdue.edu/archon/?p=creators/creator&id=21.
Sources:
Carmony, Donald, and Elliott, Josephine. "New Harmony, Indiana: Robert Owen's Seedbed for Utopia." Indiana Magazine of History, September 1, 1980. https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/imh/article/view/10250/14211.
Ewell Sale Stewart Library, Academy of Natural Sciences. "Charles Alexandre Lesueur Illustrations, ca. 1804-1829." Accessed December 28, 2017. https://www.ansp.org/research/library/archives/0100-0199/lesueur136b/.
Purdue University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections. "Charles Alexandre Lesueur." Accessed December 28, 2017. http://www4.lib.purdue.edu/archon/?p=creators/creator&id=21.
Extent
0.01 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Arrangement
This collection is arranged chronologically.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a purchase from Richard E. Banta on 1936/02/10.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Translation
A special thank you to Robert Vézina for translating the letter from French to English during December 2017.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2017/12/29 by Laura Eliason. EAD finding aid created 2017/12/29 by Laura Eliason. EAD finding aid revised on 2018/11/09 by Bethany Fiechter.
Creator
- Title
- Charles Alexandre Lesueur collection
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
