NEW ORLEANS It’s nearly impossible not to feel awe when looking at
the signatures of Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon Bonaparte on the
1803 documents authorizing the Louisiana Purchase. Those strokes of
the pen or was it a quill back then? doubled the size of the United
States, which paid France $15 million for 800,000 square miles, or
4 cents an acre. “There are many clichés in history, but to call
the Louisiana Purchase the greatest real-estate deal in history is
not a cliché. It’s actually true,” said Douglas G. Brinkley, a
noted New Orleans-based historian and co-author of “The Mississippi
and the Making of a Nation” with the late Stephen Ambrose. In
observance of the 200th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase, the
New Orleans Museum of Art is presenting a truly impressive
exhibition as the centerpiece of the year-long celebration. The
“Jefferson’s America and Napoleon’s France” exhibition concludes
Aug. 31. In addition to the key historic documents, the exhibition
brings together personal effects of Jefferson and Napoleon, as well
as furniture, weapons, jewelry and paintings from the era. One
display juxtaposes Napoleon’s gilt-, velvet- and gold-embroidered
throne next to Jefferson’s simple but handsome red leather
armchair. Josephine Bonaparte’s style is represented as well,
including a gold-embroidered train and an eight-piece jewelry set.
Several items are decorated with her favorite bird, the swan,
including a red velvet-and-gold chair with white swan arms, which
usually resides at Malmaison, one of her favorite retreats in
France. In all, the exhibit the museum’s largest ever showcases 260
objects from more than 100 collections around the world. The year
is expected to be the busiest ever for the museum, which sold
160,000 tickets to the Louisiana Purchase exhibit before it even
opened. “This exhibit stands head and shoulders above anything seen
in this country,” Lt. Gov. Kathleen Blanco said. “We consider this
the cornerstone of the Louisiana Purchase celebration.” Tickets are
$12 for adults, $6 for children. Group rates are $10 for adults, $5
for children. Tickets: 800-488-5252. Info: 504-488-2631.
www.noma.c
