1870 1871 Collection (#6)

Garde Mobile - Officier, Siege of Paris, 1870-1871. Print from a series titled Souvenirs du Siege de Paris. After the disastrous defeat of the French at Sedan and the capture of Napoleon III

Cavalerie de la Garde Nationale, Siege of Paris, 1870-1871. Print from a series titled Souvenirs du Siege de Paris. After the disastrous defeat of the French at Sedan and the capture of Napoleon III

Bataillon de Guerre de la Garde Nationale, Siege of Paris, 1870-1871. Print from a series titled Souvenirs du Siege de Paris

Garde Nationale Sedentaire - Officier Cantinierre, Siege of Paris, 1870-1871. Print from a series titled Souvenirs du Siege de Paris

Carnaval de 1871; Wilhelm I of Prussia entering Paris, February 1871
Carnaval de 1871 ; Wilhelm I of Prussia entering Paris, February 1871. Wilhelm I of Prussia was proclaimed the first Emperor of a united Germany in a ceremony in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles

M et Mme Josephine, Siege of Paris, Franco-Prussian War, 1870 (1872). Artist: Auguste Bry
M et Mme Josephine, Siege of Paris, Franco-Prussian War, 1870 (1872). A soldier, holding a rifle with bayonet attached, standing in front of a heavy artillery piece. From a private collection

Soldiers of the Garde Nationale, Siege of Paris, 1870-1871. Artist: Auguste Bry
Soldiers of the Garde Nationale, Siege of Paris, 1870-1871. Two hungry soldiers filling up jerrycans with water and dreaming of having soup to eat

Death of Commandant de Dampierre, Siege of Paris, Franco-Prussian War, 13th October 1870. Dampierre was killed by rifle fire while on a reconnaissance to try to ascertain Prussian troop movements

Battle of Reichshoffen, Franco-Prussian war, 6th August 1870. French infantry of an African regiment making a bayonet charge against a Prussian artillery position

Soyez les Freres!, allegory of Republican France, 1871. Artist: E Courtaux
Soyez les Freres!, allegory of Republican France, 1871. Cartoon from a series titled La Grande Crucifiee!!! depicting Marianne as Republican France

Choeur des Girondins, song sheet, Franco-Prussian war, 1870-1871. Patriotic song on the theme of the glory of death in the cause of the defence of France. From a private collection

Enlistment of volunteers into the National Guard, Place du Pantheon, Paris, 1870-1871
Enlistment of volunteers into the National Guard, Place du Pantheon, Paris, Franco-Prussian war, 1870-1871. From a private collection

Battle of Coulmiers, Franco-Prussian War, 9th November 1870. The French defeated a Bavarian army at Coulmiers, enabling them to capture the nearby city of Orleans

Battle of Dijon, Franco-Prussian War, 23rd January 1871. Giuseppe Garibaldis red-shirted Italian volunteers fighting with the French against the Germans at the Battle of Dijon

Allegory of France of 1870, Franco-Prussian war, 1870-1871. France, seated and surrounded by the chaos and destruction of the Franco-Prussian War. From a private collection

Le Sou de la Delivrance caricature and song sheet, Franco-Prussian War, 1870-1871. Marianne sweeping up coins leaking from a split sack

Allegory of Republican France, 1871. Artist: E Courtaux
Allegory of the Republican France, 1871. Cartoon from a series titled La Grande Crucifiee!!! depicting Marianne as Republican France sitting on the tomb of Paris

Le Martyr Immortalise!, allegory of Republican France, 1871. Artist: E Courtaux
Le Martyr Immortalise!, allegory of Republican France, 1871. Cartoon from a series titled La Grande Crucifiee!!! depicting Marianne as Republican France crucified by defeat in the Franco-Prussian

Battle of Champigny, Franco-Prussian war, 30th November-2nd December 1870. Better known as the Battle of Villiers, the fighting at Champigny was part of an unsuccessful attempt by the French to break

Soldiers inside a building during a bombardment, Franco-Prussian War, December 1870
Soldiers inside a building during a bombardment, Plateau d Avron, Franco-Prussian War, December 1870. A strategically important piece of high ground

Garde Nationale Auxiliaire, Siege of Paris, Franco-Prussian War, 1870-1871. A woman shopper and a member of the National Guard (Garde Nationale)

Cartoon, Paris Commune, 1871. The Paris Commune was established when the citizens of Paris, many of them armed National Guards

Le Chant du Depart, song sheet, Franco-Prussian war, 1870-1871. French patriotic song to inspire the troops as they set out for war. From a private collection

Battle of Bapaume, Franco-Prussian war, 3 January 1871. With Paris besieged by the Prussians, Leon Gambetta, a member of the French government

La Justice Eternelle, Franco-Prussian war, 1870-1871. Frances defeat in the war was a national humiliation and resulted in the downfall of the French Second Empire

Autant de pris de l ennemi, Franco-Prussian War, 1870 (1872). Artist: Auguste Bry
Autant de pris de l ennemi, Franco-Prussian War, 1870 (1872). French peasants stampeding their livestock rather than let them fall into enemy hands. From a private collection

La Republique Chassant la Basse-cour des Tuilleries, allegorical cartoon, 1870-1871
La Republique Chassant la Basse-cour des Tuilleries, allegorical cartoon, Franco-Prussian War, 1870-1871. The Third Republic was proclaimed in September 1870 after the defeat of the French at

Artillerie de la Garde Nationale, Siege of Paris, 1870-1871. Print from a series titled Souvenirs du Siege de Paris. After the disastrous defeat of the French at Sedan

Garde Nationale Sedentaire, Siege of Paris, 1870-1871. Print from a series titled Souvenirs du Siege de Paris. After the disastrous defeat of the French at Sedan and the capture of Napoleon III

Allegory of French patriotic emblems, 1870. Coloured print published at the time of the Franco-Prussian War. From a private collection

Napoleon III of France and Wilhelm I of Prussia, Franco-Prussian War, 1870-1871. Cartoon from Actualites. From a private collection

Montigny mitrailleuse, 1870. Introduced by the French during the Franco-Prussian War, this rapid-fire gun had 37 barrels. Operated by 5 men, it could deliver 482 rounds per minute

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In the late 19th century, a series of events unfolded that would shape the course of European history. The year was 1870, and tensions were rising between Prussia and France. A map of Prussia from around 1872 reveals the territorial boundaries that played a crucial role in these events. At the center of it all was Count Otto von Bismarck, a brilliant Prusso-German statesman. His strategic maneuvers and political acumen would soon come into play as war loomed on the horizon. The Franco-Prussian War erupted in 1870, with one significant battle being the Battle of Reichshoffen, also known as the Battle of Worth, which took place on August 5th. As hostilities escalated further, Paris found itself under siege for an extended period from September 19th, 1870 to January 28th, 1871. This prolonged Siege of Paris became a symbol of resistance for both sides involved in this conflict. Multiple images depicting this historic event capture its magnitude and significance. One such image shows Moltke at Paris in September 1870—a striking portrayal by an unknown artist that encapsulates the intensity surrounding this pivotal moment in history. Another captivating visual is a map illustrating The Siege of Paris itself—an intricate depiction created in1907 that showcases how this city became a battleground during those fateful months. Finally, on January18th, 1871, the ProclamationoftheGermanEmpireatVersailles markeda turning pointinEuropeanhistory. ThebirthoftheGermanEmpirewasannounced, andBismarck'svisionofunifyingGermanyunderPrussianleadershipbecameareality. Thisproclamationforeveralteredthebalanceofpoweronthecontinentandsetthestageforfutureconflictsandalliances.