Visit to the Hometown of Alexandre Dumas

Until recently, every time that I gave my Entrée to Black Paris tour called Black Paris after WWII and told the story about how the remains of Alexandre Dumas were transferred from his hometown of Villers-Cotterêts to the Pantheon in Paris, I would think to myself that I should someday make the short trek up to Picardie to see the original gravesite and the town where Dumas grew up. I made this trek a few days ago, and I am happy to share the details with you!

Last Thursday, Tom and I were treated to a special day trip to the region of Picardie by two friends – Elizabeth and David Berry. We visited the Royal Abbey of Chaalis in the morning, lunched at the Château d’Ermenonville, and visited the town of Villers-Cotterêts in the afternoon. The weather was perfect, the sites intriguing, and the meal sublime!

Statue of Alexandre Dumas at Place du Docteur Jean Mouflier
© Discover Paris!
Down the street from the statue of Alexandre Dumas, which stands in the place du Docteur Jean Mouflier, lies the Alexandre Dumas Museum. For such a small museum, there is plenty to see! The museum consists of three rooms – one devoted to Dumas’ father, General Thomas Alexandre Dumas; one to Dumas père (the writer that we know and love – author of The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Man in the Iron Mask among myriad works); and one to Alexandre Dumas fils (son of Alexandre Dumas père). Thomas Alexandre Dumas was born in Saint Domingue (Haiti) of a French marquis and a slave mother; hence, all three generations had African ancestry.

A beautiful portrait of the general, who served in Napoleon Bonaparte’s army, dominates the first room. Dumas was part of Napoleon’s Egyptian adventure, but fell out of favor with the Emperor and never received the pension that he was due once he left the army. On the way home from Egypt, he was forced to leave his ship in Taranto (Italy) and was imprisoned at Brindisi. While in prison, he contracted an illness from which he never fully recovered, and died a weak and impoverished man in Villers-Cotterêts in 1806.

Le général Dumas
Olivier Pichat
Oil on canvas (not dated)
© Discover Paris!
General Dumas’ room contains numerous documents written by him, illustrations of him, and other artifacts.

In Alexandre Dumas père’s room, one finds several portraits and photos of him, his writing desk, a pair of his boots, and many other artifacts.

Alexandre Dumas père’s writing desk
© Discover Paris!

Voyage d’Alexandre Dumas en Espagne
Eugène Giraud
1855 Oil on canvas
© Discover Paris!
Here is a lithograph portrayal of Dumas père that is unlike any other that I have seen:

Portrait d'Alexandre Dumas père
Lithograph
Jean-Pierre Moynet (not dated)
© Discover Paris!
There is also an original version of The Three Musketeers, which is open to the title page.

Original printing of The Three Musketeers
© Discover Paris!
Alexandre Dumas père left Villers-Cotterêts in 1823 to seek his fortune in Paris. He went on to become France’s most prolific writer, a distinction that he still holds today. He gained and lost a couple of fortunes, traveled widely, and generally lived life to the fullest. He spent his last days in the care of his illegitimate daughter, Marie Alexandrine Dumas, and died in the town of Puys in 1870.

In the room dedicated to Alexandre Dumas fils, the illegitimate and subsequently legally recognized son of Dumas père, there is a colorful portrait of him . . .

Portrait of Alexandre Dumas fils
Edouard Louis Dubufe
1873 Oil on canvas
© Discover Paris!
and a letter that he wrote to his father, published in Le Petit Figaro in 1868,

Letter from A. Dumas fils to A. Dumas père (poetry)
© Discover Paris!
as well as other documents and artifacts. Dumas fils’ first play, The Lady of the Camelias, was an enormous success. It was the inspiration for Verdi’s opera La Traviata. He was inducted into the Académie Française in 1874 and awarded the Legion of Honor in 1894.

When we left the museum, we walked past the house in which Dumas grew up . . .

Dumas family home
© Discover Paris!
on the way to the cemetery where his family’s plot lies.

Dumas family plot at Cimetière de Villers-Cotterêts
© Discover Paris!
Buried here are Thomas Alexandre Dumas, his wife Marie-Louise-Elizabeth Labouret, and the daughter and son-in-law of Alexandre Dumas fils. As indicated on his cenotaph, the remains of Dumas père were transferred to the Pantheon in Paris in 2002.

Cenotaph for Alexandre Dumas père
© Discover Paris!
Alexandre Dumas fils was not buried in the family plot. His grave is located in the Montmartre Cemetery in Paris.

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James Reese Europe and His Military Jazz Band

On August 18th, 1918, Lieutenant James Reese Europe's jazz band of the 369th Infantry Regiment – the Harlem Hellfighters – performed at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées during the Mass Meeting of Allied Women War Workers. The 369th was famous for having introduced jazz to French shores during the Great War, but few people know the story behind its formation.

In Harlem, a white colonel from the Nebraska National Guard named William Hayward was charged with organizing an infantry unit that would be named the 15th Heavy Foot Infantry Regiment (Colored) of the New York National Guard. (He succeeded in his task despite fierce opposition within the military regarding arming and training black men as soldiers.) As enlistment was slow, Hayward had the idea to increase interest in his regiment by organizing a band. He turned to Europe, who by that time was scheduled to be commissioned as a first lieutenant, and told him “to organize for me the best damn band in the United States Army.”

Lieutenant James Reese Europe
Photo from jass.com

Because Hayward wanted his band to exceed the reputation of the black military band from the Illinois National Guard, he side-stepped regulations and “rearranged” assignments for musically talented enlistees so that they could join Europe’s band. He also solicited private donations, including one from John D. Rockefeller, Jr, for the purchase of instruments. In the end, Europe’s band grew from the regulation size of twenty-eight to sixty-five musicians!

Noble Sissle was one of the musicians whom Hayward arranged to have transferred to the New York band. Sissle conducted an advertising campaign via national black newspapers to recruit musicians to the band, inviting those interested to call or wire Europe personally to apply for remaining vacancies. Europe contributed to the recruitment effort by traveling to San Juan, Puerto Rico to recruit musicians. He returned with thirteen young men who spoke almost no English.

Among those embarking for France with the band were drummer Buddy Gilmore, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Frank De Bronte, and Ward “Trombone” Andrews. They sailed on the SS Pocahontas and reached the coastal town of Brest on December 27, 1917. They left the ship to walk on French soil for the first time on January 1, 1918.

369th Regiment Jazz Band
Photo from jass.com

The regiment was nicknamed the “Harlem Hellfighters” in New York, and took this name abroad. Europe’s musicians served as General John Pershing’s “personal band” for over a year, as the general wanted to have only the best entertainment for the officers in the French and British armies that visited his headquarters. Pershing also issued the orders that would prevent Europe’s band and other black soldiers from engaging the German (white) enemy in combat while under U.S. command. The 15th Infantry and other black regiments were henceforth attached to French units. The 15th Infantry was attached to the 16th Division of the French Army, and it is this division that gave the soldiers the name “369th Infantry of the U.S.”

Until the 15th Infantry was called up for military action in March, the band toured France extensively under Pershing’s orders. It visited twenty-five cities and towns over a six-week period. This is how jazz became known and loved throughout the country.

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Art and Food Pairing™: Fondation Cartier and L'Escale Caraïbe

Today's Art and Food Pairing™ couples a description of an exhibit that I was initially reluctant to go see with a review of an off-the-beaten-path Antillean restaurant.

The exhibit, called Les Trésors du Vaudou (Voodoo Treasures), is being held at the Fondation Cartier in the 14th arrondissement. I was ambivalent about seeing it because the works are displayed without reference to their origin or explanation of their function. I queried Entrée to Black Paris Facebook fans about their opinion on this, and those responding also indicated their discomfort and disagreement with the decision taken by the foundation to provide no information about the sculptures (though the Cartier Foundation acted in accordance with the major collector's wishes).

Fondation Cartier
© Discover Paris!
I finally decided to go to the exposition to see if my notion that I would not appreciate the works without information about their provenance, etc. would hold true. Upon arrival, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the foundation decided to provide a handout that described the location of origin for each item presented, as well as the materials from which it was made. In my opinion, this compromise was made because too many visitors shared my opinion and those of ETBP Facebook fans regarding the complete absence of information about the individual sculptures.

As for the exposition itself, it is sublime! On the ground floor, eight large sculptures are exhibited in front of constructions meant to represent homes, and eight additional, smaller sculptures are shown on two tables. Light is abundant here and the works can be seen clearly (though only one can be seen from all angles).

The lower floor houses the lion's share of the works, and here, the lights are quite dim. In the main room, each sculpture is displayed in a transparent case on top of a pedestal so that visitors have a 360° view of it. This is fortunate, because one needs to see the sculptures from every angle to appreciate their complexity and to understand what they might represent. Items are often strapped to the figure's back - examples include a baby on the back of a female figure, and what appear to be spears on the back of a male figure that may represent a hunter.

A second room houses a spectacular sculpture montage called Chariot de la mort. It sits on the floor in the center of the room, and is the best illuminated of all the pieces on the lower floor. Crocodile skulls represent the animal power that draws the chariot - each is sheltered by a tiny parasol. Three display cases house additional works in this room.

The sculptures are called bocio, which loosely translates into "cadaver - cio - endowed with powers - bo." For believers in voodoo, they serve as intermediaries between the physical and the spiritual worlds. All of them come from Benin. The function of the individual objects is not given in the handout - the foundation provides a "disclaimer" at the entrance to the lower floor and in the handout indicating that the sculptures have multiple uses and that only those who constructed them know precisely what each sculpture contains (powders and potions in vials and gourds, for example) and what it was destined for. However, the handout does contain a brief description of the symbolism attached to various objects used in creating bocio.

To view the foundation's photos of several of these sculptures, click here.

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After seeing this exposition, you may well wish to go somewhere nearby and discuss the bocio over a meal. I recommend that you do so at L'Escale Caraïbe, a Guadeloupan restaurant that is approximately a 10-minute walk from the foundation. The restaurant is small, so it is better to reserve your table in advance.

L'Escale Caraïbe
© Discover Paris!
Tom and I dined at L'Escale Caraïbe last Friday. We ordered a piña colada and a ti-punch as apéritifs and sipped them as we perused the menu. This consists mostly of traditional dishes such as boudin, crabe farci (stuffed crab), colombo, and boucané. Tom ordered a duo of accras (cod fritters - another traditional dish) and crabe farci stuffed crab as an first course and I ordered boudin antillais. We were both happy with our selections; I was particularly pleased with the smooth, highly perfumed filling of my boudin. The piment (pepper sauce) that was served alongside in a small crock was not overly spicy, which was fine with Tom and me.

Duo of Accras and Crabe Farci
© Discover Paris!
Regarding the main dishes, I was pleased to see Colombo de cabri (kid goat) listed as a main dish, because I enjoy goat and one never finds it on the menu at French restaurants. (Tom selected this and quite enjoyed it.) But I saw something that I had never seen on a Créole menu before - Croustille de poulet au citron - and decided to try it instead of the cabri.

Croustille de poulet au citron
© Discover Paris!
What a delicious meal it was! The chicken (dark meat) was cut into bite-sized morsels and served in a silky, medium-brown sauce that was delectably flavored with lemon. It was tender, juicy, and ever so tasty! The mound of rice served alongside fell into individual grains at the slightest touch of my fork, and the portion was perfectly sized. (I find myself overwhelmed by the volume of rice that most Afro-caribbean restaurants in Paris serve.) When I commented to Jean-Claude, the server (who also happened to be the owner of the restaurant), that I found this dish to be uncommon, he said proudly that it was conceived and created in his kitchen!

Jean-Claude and Monique
© Discover Paris!
Tom and I were surprised that the restaurant offers no Caribbean beers on the beverage menu. Tom ordered a French beer to accompany his meal and I ordered another ti-punch. We requested a carafe of tap water for the table, and this combination was sufficient for our needs.

I forewent dessert, while Tom had the Coupe Caraïbe - a scoop of vanilla and a scoop of nougat ice cream in a passion fruit sauce. Because there was no rum raisin ice cream in the house, Jean-Claude offered Tom a serving of rum to pour over his dessert!

Coupe Caraïbe
© Discover Paris!
Service was friendly and reasonably paced, particularly given that a group of 25 persons came in for a party that evening. As an added bonus, the entire meal cost less than 70 euros. We'll definitely return here after the summer holiday is over!

Fondation Cartier
261, boulevard Raspail
75014 Paris
Telephone: 01 42 18 56 50
Internet: http://fondation.cartier.com
Metro: Denfert-Rochereau (Lines 4 and 6)
RER: Denfert-Rochereau (Line B)
Les Trésors du Vaudou runs until September 25, 2011.

L'Escale Caraïbe
46, rue Daguerre
75014 Paris
Telephone: 01.43.20.45.75
Internet: www.escalecaraibe.com
Metro: Denfert-Rochereau (Lines 4 and 6)
RER: Denfert-Rochereau (Line B)
Opens at 7:30 PM Tuesday through Saturday evenings.
(Note that the restaurant is closed for summer holiday and will re-open on the first weekend of September.)

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Black Paris Profiles™: Zachary Miller

Zachary James Miller is a PhD psychologist/parapsychologist and filmmaker – quite an unusual combination of professions! Zach agreed to an interview for the Black Paris Profiles™ series when I solicited his support for the Beauford Delaney Gravesite Project in 2010. His is another fascinating and atypical story of an African American living in 21st-century Paris.
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A native of Akron, Ohio, Zachary James Miller has lived in Paris for the past twenty years, and enjoys life here with his wife Violaine and his son Elias. His first impressions of Paris were based on his knowledge of the history of the city. After they arrived and settled in the 17th arrondissement in 1990, he and Violane would often walk around town to discover where Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Richard Wright and others had lived. He read books by these authors again, especially Hemingway’s A Movable Feast. He remembers being amazed that Richard Wright spent the last twelve years of his life in Paris, and wondering how Wright could have left the US for so long. He now notes that his own time in Paris has far surpassed that of Wright.

Zachary Miller at the café Libre Echange
© Discover Paris!

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