Bidspirit auction | PASTEUR LOUIS: (1822-1895) Pasteur seeks

PASTEUR LOUIS: (1822-1895) Pasteur seeks the award promised to him by Napoleon III - PASTEUR LOUIS: (1822-1895) French chemist and microbiologist, renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination and pasteurisation. A good A.L.S., L. Pasteur , one page, 4to, Paris, 30 th December 1873, to Roger Charles de Larcy, in French. Following the fall of the second Empire, Pasteur writes concerning an award that had been promised to him by Napoleon III, explaining ‘Le 19 juillet 1869, au palais de St Cloud, au conseil des Ministres, l'Empereur proposa qu'une recompense nationale me fit decernee en reconnaissance des services que j'avais rendus a la Science et a l'Industrie. La guerre et ses funestes consequences arreterent l'execution de ce projet’ (Translation: ‘On 19 th July 1869, at the Palace of St Cloud, at the Council of Ministers, the Emperor proposed that a national award be awarded to me in recognition of the services I had rendered to Science and Industry. The war and its disastrous consequences stopped the execution of this project’ ) and continuing to add ‘Toutefois, je dois rappeler que j'etais compris sur la liste des senateurs nommes le 27 juillet 1870. M. Thiers, au moment ou il a quitte le pouvoir, etait a la veille de realiser la pensee de l'Empereur. M de Fourtou, ministre de l'Instruction Publique, a bien voulu m'assurer de l'attention qu'il mettrait a etudier cette affaire. J'ai l'honneur de vous prier, Monsieur le Ministre, de vouloir bien vous y interesser vous-meme’ (Translation: ‘However, I must recall that I was included on the list of senators appointed on 27 th July 1870. Monsieur Thiers, when he left power, was on the eve of realising the Emperor’s idea. Monsieur de Fourtou, Minister of Public Education, was kind enough to assure me of the attention he would put into studying this matter. I have the honour to request you, Minister, to kindly take an interest in it yourself’ ). With blank integral leaf. A letter of interesting content. Some very light, minimal age wear, VG Pasteur and Napoleon III held each other in mutual respect, the chemist with a hint of courtesy towards the Emperor, who embraced an undeniable scientific curiosity. In 1869 Pasteur had learned that Napoleon III had appointed him a senator for life in recognition of services rendered to science. Approved on 27 th July 1870, the flattering title was not bestowed on Pasteur as the decree planned for 15 th August was not published in the official journal. On the fall of the Empire, Pasteur observed ‘I am broken by pain, all my illusions have vanished. Despite the vain and stupid clamours of the street and all the cowardly failures of recent times, the Emperor can confidently await judgement of his posterity. His reign will remain as one of the most glorious in our history’. Pasteur was awarded with numerous honorary distinctions during his lifetime including the Rumford Medal (1856) and the Copley Medal (1874) and was elected to the Academie Nationale de Medicine in 1873. The chemist was also made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1853, promoted to Officer ten years later, to Commander in 1868, to Grand Officer in 1878 and made a Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour in 1881.