Francis Amasa Walker (Boston, 1840 - 1897, Boston)
Letter to Isabella Stewart Gardner from Boston, 1886
Ink on paper
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Commentary
While attending finishing school in Paris during the 1850s, Isabella Stewart Gardner was captivated by French literature, culture, and history. Of particular note is her interest in the former French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, an interest she shared with many of her friends and acquaintances. In this letter from Francis Amasa Walker, Walker regales Isabella with a story from a dinner party he recently attended in which two fellow guests each produced a keepsake lock of Napoleon's hair while discussing their mutual interest in the former emperor.