Having been inspired by an undergraduate Art History and Visual Collections Seminar first year student Kelly Stanford has returned to The Rylands to get a closer look at and have some hands on experience with one of our French Revolution Proclamations, Sans Culottes,[R207264].
This image celebrates the overthrow of the monarchy by Sans-Culottes, 1789-99. Sans-Culottes were a prominent political group at the end of the 18th Century and they played a large role in the French Revolution. They were one of the first working class groups that incorporated both a political and social condition ethos. They were referred to as Sans-Culottes because they were too poor to wear culottes, a knee high piece of clothing worn by the rich, sans meaning without. This image is available on The University of Manchester Library Image Collection, LUNA.
Kelly is interested in possibly using the image for a project and looking specifically at the way in which it is coloured.
During the session students were also shown a variety of artefacts that all related to the French Revolution, these included items from the E.L. Burney Collection such as a tiny segment of the lining of the coffin of the exiled Emperor Napoleon and a piece of the willow tree which grew over the grave of Napoleon at St Helena.
It was great that Kelly felt welcome to come back and use the Reading Room, not just looking at Sans-Culottes but also some of the material held in the Japanese Collection. If you would like information on becoming a reader please look here.
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