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Au CourAntS P R I N G 2 0 1 3

2013 GrantsInterviews:

Chef Alain Ducasse Banque Transatlantique CEO, Bruno Julien-Laferrire

Educational ProfileChairmans Circle Trip

Chapter Events

Maison de lEducation de la Lgion dHonneurSaint-Denis, France

F R E N C HHERITAGE

S O C I E T Y

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Elizabeth F. Stribling ChairmanNew Ambassadors Circle Launched

I assumed the position of Chairman of French Heritage Society six years ago; six months later Denis de Kergorlay became President of the association. It was the wish of Marie-Sol de La Tour dAuvergne to have an American Chairman and a French President to jointly lead French Heritage Society into the future. My first goal was to increase the visibility of French Heritage Society. Early on, I had the idea of creating a Chairmans Circle which would be composed of a group of patrons who would be willing to support French Heritage Society at a higher monetary level and introduce new friends to our organization.

We began with five members of the Chairmans Circle and today, I am proud to say we have twenty-five Chairmen. For the Chairmen, there is an annual trip to which they can subscribe as well as a private dinner in an exceptional place. Two years ago, the Chairmans Circle members visited the charming rolling valleys of the Dordogne dotted with fairy tale chteaux. Next October 14th to 18th, 2013, the Chairmans Circle will take five successive day trips in the Ile-de-France to explore the royal haunts of Compigne, Rambouillet, Chantilly and Versailles, as well as the charm of the village of Senlis. In Paris, we will visit the splendors of the Val de Grace and the Pantheon. In addition, there was a Chairmans Dinner at the exquisite Chateau de Breteuil, near Paris, where the Marquis Henri-Franois de Breteuil and his delightful wife Roberta hosted us on June 7th, 2013.

With the success of our Chairmans Circle, and inspired by other charitable Franco-American societies, I am pleased to announce that we have just launched an even higher circle of patrons entitled the Ambassadors Circle. For the members of this circle, there will be private meetings with Ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps of both France and America in intimate and informal settings. I was hoping to begin with six members and we have already attracted eleven members for our founding group. I am happy to inform you that Franois Delattre, the French Ambassador to Washington, received the Ambassadors Circle for breakfast at his personal residence in Washington DC on May 15th

2013. Ambassador Delattre was the most welcoming of hosts and the meeting surpassed my expectations. We discussed world issues, the use of the French language, youth and entrepreneurship, and a host of other matters, all the while enjoying a delicious breakfast of truffled scrambled eggs.

In Paris, Philippe Lalliot, the former French Consul General, now the Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Quai dOrsay, hosted a breakfast for us at the Ministry on June 6th, 2013. These occasions allow a rare opportunity to discuss politics, diplomacy, and the daily life of a diplomat in an off the record context. Naturally, the members of this Circle will have all the privileges of the Chairmans Circle. In the fall of 2013, we hope to be able to have a meeting with the soon to be appointed new American Ambassador to France.

Although membership in these two circles will raise much-needed unrestricted funds that will help French Heritage Society to continue its mission of restoring places of architectural merit in France as well as those inspired by France in the US, let me assure you that each member of French Heritage Society, at whatever level, is equally valued. Each of you loves and appreciates the glory of French architecture. Your membership and participation in chapter events allows us to perpetuate our goal of historic conservation and restoration. I salute all of the Chapter Chairmen who organize all the interesting, fun and educational events of French Heritage Society throughout the US. Thanks to them and you, our overall membership has grown by 12.5% since one year ago, with 48 new members: 40 in the US and eight in Paris. As our membership grows, so does our visibility. I send heartfelt thanks to each of you for your role in the growth and continued success of French Heritage Society.

Elizabeth F. Stribling, Chairman

Members of French Heritage Societys newly-created Ambassadors Circle recently joined French Ambassador Franois Delattre (center) for a private breakfast at the Ambassadors residence in Washington, DC.


Denis de Kergolay, PresidentFrench Heritage Society After its 30th Anniversary: Continuity and New Ambitions

French Heritage Societys 30th Anniversary is now a great memory for all its members and supporters of our organization and is, as were the precedent celebrations (15th, 20th, 25th), a glorious page in our history. In light of this great anniversary we follow along the path of continuity, but also with a perspective for new ambitions.

Continuity: The fundamental elements of our organization remain the same A.) The transmission of knowledge in the field of historic preservation on both sides of the Atlantic.

This, of course, entails exchanges of architects as part of the Richard Morris Hunt Fellowship with a dedicated sponsor: Lafarge. But this also consists of the Student Exchange Program that is witnessing a swift expansion under the direction of Diane de Roquette-Buisson.

B.) To contribute through fund raising activities to the restoration of French historic monuments on both sides of the Atlantic.

Our American friends and patrons are sensitive to the fact that a non-negligible part of the funds raised go to monuments linked to France but located on American soil. In the future the proportion of these monuments in the overall attribution of grants should increase.

C.) To contribute to a better understanding of the richness and the diversity of the French or French-inspired heritage. This is chiefly achieved in two ways:

First of all, through cultural trips that we organize on both sides of the Atlantic: on the American side this has been to French inspired gardens around Los Angeles, to New Orleans and Creole plantations, to Newport, to Monticello, and to Charleston, etc. On the French side, cultural trips have been organized to discover or to rediscover several regions in France such as Normandy, Lorraine, Burgundy, Provence and the Riviera, Perigord, Gascony, Paris and the Ile-de-France, each time with private receptions organized at monuments having received French Heritage Society grants, and at times with grant ceremonies on site.

As well as through cultural activities organized in each of our 12 Chapters in the US and one in Paris to allow our members to discover various aspects of the French and/or American cultural heritage.

D.) To develop on both sides of the Atlantic a network of individuals and corporations in order to support our organizations efforts.

New Ambitions: In order to preserve its character, its identity, and to remain true to its history, French Heritage Society must retain a family dimension and spirit, this is what gives it its warmth, and if I could say, its magic. At the same time French Heritage Society must certainly continue to develop in order to attain a more important stature in the realm of Franco-American philanthropy.

The strategy recommended by our Chairman Elizabeth Stribling, is to ask our chief supporters to increase their commitment: expand our Board of Directors, increase the annual dues for Board members from $5,000 to $10,000, increase the number of Chairmans Circle members (at $5,000 per year) and the creation of a new Ambassadors Circle (at $15,000 per year). We can already see that this strategy has brought about remarkable results, and we can certainly be optimistic for the future.

For their part, the Chapters are encouraged to develop the number of their cultural activities and we can see without a doubt a real dynamism and creativity in several of our Chapters.

And, as well, we are developing more and more partnerships with foundations and corporations, particularly for companies in the luxury goods and French art de vivre sectors, as you have no doubt seen notably in our Program Journal.

The result of all these efforts has been an increased visibility as evidenced by media coverage, especially in France, with respect to our organization.

Thanks to all these combined efforts French Heritage Society is taking on an ever-increasing importance in the sector of Franco-American philanthropy, which has favorably impacted our membership and our partnerships. This is truly a positive cycle.

Denis de Kergolay, President


French Heritage Society Awards $159,000 in Grants

These grants represent the fund raising efforts of the association and its Chapters through their activities across the US and in France.

2013 Grants

*Raised to date, ongoing campaign

In France

Manoir dAngo, Seine Maritime $20,000 New York Chapter

Chteau de Longpra, Isre $15,000 Paris Chapter

Abbaye de Reigny, Yonne $15,000 Philadelphia and Dallas Chapters

Manoir de Vauville, Manche $10,000 Atlanta and Southern California Chapters

Chteau de Sassy, Eure $20,000 New York Chapter

Church of Saint-Germain-des-Prs, Seine

$16,000 New York Chapter*

Maison dEducation de la Lgion dHonneur, Seine Saint Denis

$20,000 Paris Chapter

Total in France: $116,000

In the US

French Huguenot Church, Charleston, South Carolina

$20,000 Atlanta Chapter

Petite Plaisance, Northeast Harbor, Maine

$8,000 Boston Chapter

Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco, California

$5,000 Northern California Chapter

Fort Ticonderoga, Ticonderoga, New York

$10,000 New York Chapter

Total in the US: $43,000

Table of Contents

4 2013 Grants

12 Educational ProgramProfile: Andrei Pesic

14 Interview:

Bruno Julien-Laferrire Banque Transatlantique CEO

16 Chairmans Circle Trip

18 Interview:

Chef Alain Ducasse

20 Washington Gala

22 New Board Members & Chapter Chairmen

24 Denis de Kergorlay

Awarded Legion of Honor

25 Retreat at Canisy

26 Chapters:

Past Events

31 Homage:

Marquise de la Tour du Pin

31 Calendar of Events

32 Sponsors


in FranceManoir dAngo (Seine-Maritime)$20,000 New York Chapter

Located in Normandy, near Dieppe, close to the sea, the Manoir dAngo was registered as an Historic Monument in 1862 on one of the very first lists along with Versailles, Notre-Dame de Paris and the Louvre Palace. The manoir was built in 1530 by Jean Ango, a rich ship-owner from Dieppe. Ango was inspired by the Italian Renaissance as he was, through his work as ship-owner, in close contact with Italy. The loggia on the southern faade is illustrative of that influence and the gallery is decorated with Italian frescoes.

The faade features sculpted medallions that represent King Francis I, Ango, and their respective wives. In 1532 Ango had the refined brick dove cove built, which dominates the courtyard and could accommodate 3,200 pigeons a clear illustration of his power and prestige. The onion dome, the only one in France, has a marked Byzantine influence in honor of the Franco-Turk alliance of 1536.

In 1523, Jean Ango asked Giovanni Verrazano, the great Italian explorer, to command four of his ships and sail west to find the passage to India. Verrazano crossed the Atlantic and sailed along the American coast from the Carolinas to Nova Scotia. Landing in what is now Maryland, he christened this paradisiacal land Arcadia.

The following year he discovered the site of New York and baptized it Angousleme to honor Francis I who had been Duke of Angouleme before becoming king.

In 1928, the estate was purchased by the current owners family who largely restored the chteau and grounds.

Restoration: French Heritage Societys grant will help to restore the tile roof of the west wing of the chteau.

Chteau de Longpra (Isre)$15,000 Paris Chapter

The Chteau de Longpra, southeast of Lyon, originally a Maison Forte typical of the region, entered into the family who currently owns it in 1536. In 1755, the austere structure was transformed into a refined house typical of the neoclassical and Italian tastes of the time. The owner at the time, Pierre Antoine Pascalis de Longpra, was a great lover of the arts. He hired the best artisans of the region, among them the famous cabinetmaker family, Hache.

They installed a permanent workshop in Longpra and created doors, furniture, staircases, parquet floors, etc. They left numerous tools behind that represent today one of the largest collections of cabinet making tools in France. The Chteau de Longpra remains an intact testimonial of the architectural and furniture heritage of the 18th century in the region and opens its doors for prestigious exhibits (Christofle) and concerts.

In 2004 major restoration of the roofs began. During this seven-year campaign, the Chief Architect for Historic Monuments was alerted

several times by the owners of the need to restore the upper slope of the gambrel roof of the main building. Despite these warnings, the architect did not undertake this restoration. In the last ten years, that part of the roof severely deteriorated.

Today, the authorities have recognized that it was a mistake not to have included the middle of the roof in the original restoration campaign. The restoration has become urgent as water infiltrations threaten the carpentry work beneath it. The work will now be made more difficult due to the central position of the roof which will require special scaffolding to avoid damage to the recently restored sections of the roof.

Restoration: the upper slope of the remarkable gambrel roof of the main building

Right: Chteau de Longpra and details of the tile roof and damaged support beams

2013 Grants


Chteau de Sassy (Orne)$20,000 New York Chapter

The Chteau de Sassy, one of the most beautiful chteaux in Normandy, was built in brick and stone in 1760 by the Comte de Germiny. The vast three-storey terraces in the park lead to the chteau. Two pavilions on both sides of the cour dhonneur dating from the 17th century remain from the previous chteau. In 1850 the chteau was bought by the first Duc dAudiffret-Pasquier who had the study in the east wing of the chteau converted into a library to house the large collection from his ancestor, the chancellor Pasquier, an important public figure during the French Revolution and afterward. The interior decoration of the library was registered as a Historic Monument in 1994.

The second Duc dAudiffret started a campaign to embellish the chteau. Between 1908 and 1913, he prolonged the western wing of the chteau and later had the park remodelled by the famous landscape gardener Achille Duchne between 1920 and 1925. Duchne worked in the grand manner established by Andr Le Ntre and was the garden designer most in demand among French high society at the turn of the 20th century. Over a period of years his firm oversaw the design for some six thousand gardens in France and worldwide. The chteau also has the particularity of having the Greenwich meridian cross the far end of the western wing. Illustrious quests at Sassy have included Elizabeth II, Queen of England who stayed at the chteau in 1967.

Since 1999 and the death of the third Duc dAudiffret-Pasquier, major restoration campaigns have been carried out. The roofing of the chteau, the chapel, the orangeries and the common buildings all suffered from water infiltration. Most of those sections of the roof have already been restored with special attention given to the replacement of the slate tiles.

Restoration: the roof and gutters on a section of the west wing of the chteau


The Botanical Garden of the Chteau de Vauville, located on the extreme north coast of Cotentin in Normandy, has thrived with the more gentle climate influenced by the Gulf Stream. The garden is situated between the sea and the chteau and grows greenery native to the area and some 600 different species of exotic vegetation from South Africa, Tasmania, Madeira and the Canary Islands.

The manor was originally built as a fortress in 1163 by Richard de Vauville who participated in the Conquest of England with William

the Conqueror. The chteau has been in the same family since 1890. The garden was created in the moat in 1947 by the parents of the present owners, who had a particular interest in exotic plants. Since 1980 the garden has grown from two to eight hectares. Reflecting pools where created, the banks restored, hedges to protect against the wind were integrated to give coherence to the garden. The current owners continue to collect unusual plants from all over the world. The on-going development and maintenance of such a garden only 300 yards from the sea with direct exposure to sand, wind, salt, and difficult weather, is a very challenging project.

Restoration: Urgent restoration of the green houses and orangerie greatly damaged by the severe snow storm with high winds in March 2013, which saw nearly 24 inches of snow fall in a single day. In addition, many plants and trees sustained damage. Teams worked around the clock for eight days to clear away the uprooted vegetation (more than 210,000 cubic feet of debris). The restoration of the green houses and orangerie is essential to incubate and house the plants needed in order to replant the vast gardens and repair the damage caused by the severe weather.

Manoir de Vauville Botanical Gardens (Manche)$10,000 Atlanta and Southern California Chapters

Abbaye de Reigny (Yonne)$15,000 Dallas and Philadelphia Chapters

The Abbey of Reigny, located between Vezlay and Chablis, is a former Cistercian abbey situated on 14 hectares in Burgundy. Founded in 1128 on a former Gallo-Roman site by Father Etienne Toucy under the authority of St. Bernard, the Abbey of Reigny was put under the protection of Pope Eugene III in 1147. As of 1370 the abbey came under the protection of the King of France, Charles V. Although powerful and prosperous in the Middle Ages, welcoming up to 300 monks and brothers, the abbey has witnessed the vicissitudes of history.

In 1493 Charles VIII made it a Royal Foundation. The Hundred Years War, the Wars of Religion and the French Revolution saw the destruction of portions of the abbey. However, it has retained remarkable buildings: the exceptional 14th-century Cistercian refectory (there are only three such examples in France), the hall and the monks dormitory from the 18th century and redeveloped in 1925 when Coco Chanel and the Duke of Westminster stayed there. The foundations of the church can still be made out despite the demolished buildings. The entire Cistercian hydraulic system has also been preserved. For todays travelers, rooms were created in this former Cistercian abbey and breakfasts are served in the elegant 18th-century salons or in the garden. Since 2005, the current

owners, who live at the abbey with their children, have undertaken an ambitious restoration and development program to bring the abbey back to life. It is open to the public for visits, concerts, exhibitions, receptions, weddings, and a bed and breakfast. A well-known musical festival takes place there every year.

Restoration: windows of the church


Maison de lEducation de la Lgion dHonneur (Seine-Saint-Denis)$20,000 Paris Chapter

The Maison de lEducation de la Lgion dHonneur, located in Saint-Denis just to the north of Paris next to the celebrated Gothic Basilica which serves as the necropolis for the Kings of France, has a prestigious history in its own right. This public school for girls has rarely been open to the public so is less well known than its superb architecture and long history merit.

During Napoleons reign as Emperor of the French, there were many military schools that educated boys to become soldiers. However, the education of girls was neglected, as the National Convention had closed all convents which had previously ensured their education. Napoleon created the Maisons dEducation de la Lgion dHonneur to take care of and educate the daughters, among whom many were orphans, of his best soldiers.

It is impossible not to make a link between the Maison dEducation de la Lgion dHonneur and the Maison Royale de Saint-Louis founded by Madame de Maintenon in Saint-Cyr which was used later by Napoleon as a school for officers of the French Army. Both schools were designed for daughters of poor officers or noblemen, and divided into classes identified by different colored ribbons.

The Maisons dEducation were chiefly run by nuns. Napoleons first project was to create a school both for sons and daughters of the soldiers killed in the Battle of Austerlitz, but this project was not realized. A later decree creating the Maisons dEducation de la Lgion dhonneur was signed in 1805 at the Schnbrunn Palace in Vienna. It allowed for the creation of three schools where daughters of members of the Lgion dhonneur could enter if they were between 7 and 10 years old, until the age of 21.

The first Maison was set up in the Chteau dcouen, is a property of the Lgion dHonneur since 1806. In a letter from 1807, Napoleon described the principles of the education that should be given to the girls: to bring up believers and not thinkers. He required simple studies, aiming to master vanity, which is the most active passion of the (female) gender and make the pupils grow up to become modest mothers and wives. In 1809, Napoleon signed a decree to create a second Maison dEducation de la Lgion dHonneur, at the Abbey of Saint Denis which had become property of the state in 1790 during the French Revolution.

Church of Saint-Germain-des-Prs (Paris)$16,000 New York Chapter (raised to date, ongoing campaign)

The Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prs, just beyond the outskirts of early medieval Paris, was the burial place of Merovingian kings. At that time, the Left Bank of Paris was prone to flooding from the Seine, so much of the land could not be built upon and the Abbey stood in the middle of meadows, or prs in French, thereby giving it its name.

The Abbey was founded in the 6th century by the son of ClovisI, Childebert I. Under royal patronage the Abbey became one of the richest in France and remained a center of intellectual life until it was disbanded during the French Revolution. The abbey church remained however.

After the Second World War the quarter became the focal point for intellectuals like Sartre and de Beauvoir and epitomized Parisian cultural life. Philosophers, writers, actors and musicians, along with many Americans listened to jazz and discussed literature at the Caf du Flore, Les Deux Magots and the Brasserie Lipp.

In 2011 a large restoration campaign began. The first phase, now completed, refurbished the sanctuary and restored the overall coherence of the structure. The second phase of work begins in 2013 for the restoration of the 19th-century murals and the stained glass windows.

Restoration: French Heritage Societys grant will help restore two prominent frescoes by Flandrin representing The Entry into Jerusalem and The Ascension to Calvary.


The school was inaugurated 1811. In 1881, the education reforms enacted by Jules Ferry made religious schools convert to a secular curriculum. The Maisons dEducation de la Lgion dHonneur started following the same curriculum as the French lyces. The youngest girls studied in Les Loges in the former Augustinian monastery of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (opened in 1812), the intermediate classes were in couen and the oldest group in Saint-Denis. This is still the case today.

The Maison dEducation at Saint-Denis is housed in abbatial buildings entirely rebuilt in the 18th century by the famous architect Robert de Cotte who built the eastern and southern wings. From that time, the abbatial was laid out as a large square surrounding a cloister. Work began in 1700 and following Cottes death, resumed in 1738, supervised by the first architect of the king, Jacques V Gabriel, with an additional wing added between 1776 and 1781.

Restoration: A campaign is currently underway to restore the Salon des Princes to reconstitute its original space. Additional restoration is required for the north facade of the Basilica, the roof, as well as the main entry gate. The use of French Heritage Societys grant from the Paris Chapter will be determined.

above left: The Insignia of the Lgion dHonneur above the main entryway of the complex in Saint Denis.

below and above Right: The cloister at the Maison dEducation de la Lgion dHonneur in Saint Denis.


French Protestant (Huguenot) Church (Charleston, South Carolina)$20,000 Atlanta Chapter

The French Protestant (Huguenot) Church of Charleston is the only remaining independent Huguenot Church in America and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1973. Designed by Edward Brickell White and built in 1844-5, the church that stands today was actually preceded by two others on the site. The first of which was built by a group 450 Huguenots who had fled France and settled in South Carolinas Low Country in 1687. After the first church was destroyed by fire in 1796, it was rebuilt shortly thereafter in 1800. The second church was torn down in 1844 to make way for a more attractive structure.

The Huguenot Church was the first Gothic Revival structure in South Carolina. The entire church, including its Gothic faade, is all white stucco on brick with a single tier of Gothic windows. It features multiple pinnacle-topped buttresses, a battlement parapet and dripstones. Cast-iron crockets top the pinnacles over the front windows and front gable. The interior is a single cell with ribbed grained vaulting. In 1845, a large tracker organ was installed, carved in the shape of a Gothic chapel.

Restoration: The churchs exterior is currently undergoing a significant three-year restoration. French Heritage Societys support will help fund the restoration of the front faade of the church which is the most intricate and difficult and will be the final phase of the exterior restoration. The restoration will also reinstate the original color of the stucco, which after analysis proved to be a light pink!

Petite Plaisance, the home of renowned French author Marguerite Yourcenar, was turned into a museum upon her death. The first woman to be elected to the Acadmie Franaise, the multi- talented Yourcenar was a novelist, essayist, playwright, short story writer, poet, translator and world traveler. She settled

in Maine at the onset of the Second World War. A master at reconstructing historical eras, her novels dealing with modern issues set in historical contexts won her immense fame as a writer.

The Trust that runs Petite Plaisance will apply for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places and has received support from the Maine Historic Preservation Commission. Petite Plaisance has also been invited by the Director of the Regional Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Lower Normandy to apply for Maisons des Illustres status. An application was submitted in February 2013.

Petite Plaisance was built around 1835 by prominent citizen Daniel Squire Kimball. The house is a simple clapboard farmhouse

built using white siding exterior and black shutters, constructed in a gable-end design. A bay window and a covered porch have been added.

Restoration: removal of the old clapboard sidings and replacing them with new, historically accurate ones, repair of rotten boards or trim, lead paint prep, and repainting of the entire surface

Petite Plaisance (Northeast Harbor, Mount Desert Island, Maine)$8,000 Boston Chapter

In the United States2013 Grants


The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco are the fourth most visited visual arts institutions in North America. As the Bay Areas major comprehensive fine arts museum, the Museums formed in 1972 with the merger of the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum and the California Palace of the Legion of Honor offer Northern Californians an overview of artistic achievement spanning ancient times to the present. The Legion is known for its rich panorama of European art, from medieval times through the 20th century, and houses a fine collection of ancient art and one of the largest and most important collections of prints and drawings in the country. Annual attendance of the museum averages 400,000 visitors.

The Legion of Honor was built by Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Spreckels and opened to the public in 1924. It was designed as a 2/3 scale

replica of the Palais de la Lgion dHonneur in Paris. In 1962, the Salon Dor was installed there. Richly carved and gilded, this room was designed during the reign of Louis XVI as the main salon de compagnie of the Htel de la Trmoille on the rue Saint-Dominique and is one of the finest examples of French neoclassical interior architecture in any museum in the world. The Salon was offered by its owner Richard Rheem in 1959 to the Legion of Honor. The museums no period room policy was changed in order to accept the impressive Salon Dor.

Restoration: Restore the Salon Dor to its original size as a complete domestic interior with its parquet floor, windows, and ceiling. Once restored, the room will be furnished in a historically accurate manner.

Legion of Honor Fine Arts Museum (San Francisco, California)$5,000 Northern California Chapter


Educational Program

In the summer of 2012 Andrei Pesic, an American PhD candidate in history at Princeton University was able to take part, thanks to a scholarship from French Heritage Society, in an International Seminar organized by the Research Center at Versailles. French Heritage Society was pleased to collaborate with the Centre de Recherche du Chteau de Versailles for the program of study on Art and Society in France in the 17th and 18th Centuries. The seminar brought together specialized scholars from France, Europe and the United States to enhance their knowledge and research while collaborating with distinguished academics and fellow PhD candidates in their field. It allowed them to create a network of fellow scholars and advance their future careers through personal contacts and exchanges of perspectives.

In his own words, Andrei Pesic shares his experiences from this exceptional seminar.

I am writing to thank you for supporting my participation in the Sminaire International de Recherche de Versailles (SIRV) this summer. The seminar was both intellectually stimulating and personally rewarding. It gave me new insights into my period of study and allowed me to learn from French researchers whom I would not otherwise have had the opportunity to meet.

The white and gold dcor of the former apartments of the Comte de Pontchartrain in the Chteau de Versailles is surely the most elegant setting imaginable for an academic seminar what a reward it was every day to walk up the boulevard with the chteau looming ahead, all gilt and marble under the ciel gris. Having the seminar take place inside the chteau was much more than a visual pleasure: it was an important part of the pedagogy of the program.

By walking across the courtyard, we could discuss the different phases of the architecture with the foremost experts on its construction, or

visit the Petite curie to see the restoration studio where Girardons statue of Apollo and the nymphs is being cleaned and studied. Having spent nearly six weeks in the chteau, my understanding of the buildings, social relations, artworks, and rituals that constituted the court of Versailles are completely transformed.

The seminar itself was very intensive, with six hours of meetings per day, four times per week. It was a terrific privilege to be able to have intimate classes with Frances most eminent historians of art and literature, who in their usual university lectures speak in front of overflowing lecture halls. The fact that the seminar took place entirely in academic French was also a terrific exercise for my spoken French, which will serve me well in the years to come.

I am a PhD candidate in history at Princeton, where I am writing a dissertation that reexamines the birth of the public concert in France and other European countries during the eighteenth century. The broad focus of the Sminaire International de Recherche de

Education has from the outset been one of French Heritage Societys major focuses. Through its Student Exchange program dedicated to fostering the training of tomorrows preservationists, more than 450 American and French students have benefited from hands-on experience in the field of preservation, museum management, horticulture and related areas at museums, cultural institutions, private chteaux, plantations and historic parks and gardens both in France and the United States. The Educational Program promotes knowledge of French heritage and culture through a range of programs for undergraduate and graduate students, preservation architects, artisans, art historians, museum curators, art connoisseurs and private collectors.

above: Princeton PhD candidate, Andrei Pesicabove Right: The view from Louis XVI and Marie Antoinettes private rooms on the top floor of the chteauRight: Seminar participants viewing Franois Girardons statue of Apollo and the nymphs in the restoration atelier

A Major Focus


Versailles on Society and the Arts in the seventeenth and eighteenth century helped me think about the implications of my work beyond the history of music.

The session on the history of architecture with Alexandre Gady, one of the worlds experts on the French architectural heritage, showed us how to read architectural plans to learn the uses of spaces and the changing requirements in the htels particuliers of Paris. Mathieu da Vinha, the head of the research center at the Chteau de Versailles, walked us through a day in the life of the king, moving beyond popular myths (it is now thought that the descriptions of the filth of the chteau may not be entirely accurate) to share some of his incredibly detailed knowledge of the complex political machinations of the period.

Patrick Michel brought to life the mentalities of eighteenth-century art collectors he reminded us that the taste for different genres of paintings was substantially different than it is today (the eighteenth century was the first time that Northern paintings were so thoroughly in fashion in France), and he helped me to think about how religious artworks were displayed in the new secular spaces of the Salon and private houses.

We moved to Paris for several sessions, where we were lucky enough to visit the Louvres sculpture department on a day when the museum was closed; the head of the European sculpture department, Guilhem Scherf, conducted a terrific tour of the sculpted portraits in the collection.


Interview:Bruno Julien-LaferrireCEO of Banque Transatlantique

The Banque Transatlantique, founded in 1881 by the French entrepreneur Eugne Pereire, is today one of Frances oldest private banks. It is unique among private banks for its long history and focus on serving expatriates, diplomats and international civil servants. It is also the wealth management arm of its parent group, CIC - Crdit Mutuel group, Frances fourth largest banking group. Its headquarters is located in Paris with subsidiaries in Brussels and Luxembourg, and offices in London, Geneva, Hong Kong, Montreal, New York, Singapore and Washington, DC.

Bruno Julien-Laferrire, the banks CEO explains, We have a close relationship with a certain number of French institutions in the US such as the Lyce Franais, and are partners with branches of the Alliance Franaise. We take active interest in all Franco-American institutions, and naturally collaborate with French Heritage Society, a partner with which we enjoy a special friendship and for which we have much affinity.

States Bruno Julien-Laferrire begins, and it was known for its beautiful ocean liners. Indeed much about the rich wood paneling and the Art Deco fixtures and furnishings of the second floor offices and conference room are reminiscent of an ocean liner.

The bank prospered in the 19th and 20th centuries being associated with many major infrastructure and other projects. Jumping forward 132 years, our bank has two major missions, the private bank and its wealth management services and the bank specializing in services to expatriates, the French abroad and foreigners in France. Since the 30s we have had French diplomats abroad as clients and represent personnel from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the cultural, defense and other sectors of French professionals and businessmen abroad.

Bruno Julien-Laferrire points out that over the past 20 years we have concentrated on developing our services to the private sector,

The headquarters of the Banque Transatlantique in Paris evoke both the prestige of an international establishment and the refined grandeur of the building itself, classified a historic monument. Like the banks logo, the looming presence of an ocean liner poised for exotic voyages, entering the building is to be carried back to a time when banks and travel had an elegance all of their own. Karen Archer was recently welcomed at the banks headquarters by Bruno Julien-Laferrire, CEO of the bank, to discuss its activities and support for French Heritage Society.

Historic Transatlantic TiesEugne Pereire created the bank in response to the French governments decision to cease state funding of transatlantic ventures. The Pereire brothers were prominent 19th-century financiers in Paris and rivals of the Rothschilds. Thus, Pereire formed a private bank to complement his main management stake in the Compagnie Gnrale Transatlantique, which he and his brothers had founded in 1855 as the Compagnie Gnrale Maritime. So one of the companys main activities was transporting passengers and freight across the Atlantic, between Europe and the United

above: Banque Transatlantique CEO, Bruno Julien-Laferrire, in his Art Deco office in Paris.


signing agreements with the human resources departments of major French companies aboard for financial, fiscal, legal and services for expatriates. The United States is a very important focal point for us naturally. In 1994 the Banque Transatlantique opened its Washington, DC branch working largely with diplomats and international institutions. In 2008 it opened another branch in New York City to reach the business and French community there under the direction of Pascal Le Coz.

We have developed a core of corporate and private clients between France and the US for expatriates the banker stresses. In France we have more and more up-scale private American clients who live here either year round on for part of the year, and are often interested in purchasing real estate or other services. They are very cosmopolitan francophiles. Jean-Frdric Werup is head of our US Desk created to serve this clientele. Our people are completely bilingual and know very well the fiscal regulations of both the US and France and will be there for the long run and not change after a year or two. This is very reassuring for our top level clients living in France.

The Bank and PhilanthropyWith the evolving legislation in France concerning philanthropy, Banque Transatlantique has also been innovative in developing services for its private clients. We created the fond de dotation Transatlantique. Our fund (similar to an endowment fund) is a very useful tool to provide a structure for our clients who wish to support causes that are important to them, whether they be cultural, in sports, or for medical research.

We make this possible by providing the legal and fiscal structure and managing the fund but the projects are entirely selected by our clients. Our fund continues to grow and has proved quite successful he adds. Vincent Joulia, well-known to French Heritage Society due to Banque Transatlantiques corporate support for the association, works on this aspect of the banks services.

Changing Motivations for GivingThere is without a doubt a generational change taking place in France with respect to philanthropy Bruno Julien-Laferrire points out. We see many successful businessmen and women in their 50s and early 60s who want to do more than just transmit their patrimony to their heirs. They would like to give back in a broader sense to causes they support and in this they are influenced by Americans such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffet who have set the example for entrepreneurs throughout the world. They sensitize people to take responsibility for affecting society at large. Our role is to aid the large fortunes in France to structure a means to give and to encourage them in this endeavor. We are seeing an evolution in mentality where corporate leaders and individuals increasingly want to give to causes that are important to them he notes.

A Historic MonumentThe headquarters of the Banque Transatlantique, located on avenue Franklin Roosevelt in the center of the Golden Triangle near the Champs-Elyses was recently classified as a Historic Monument. Built by Joseph Marrast in 1929 on the site of what was the private townhouse of a very celebrated couturier, Paul Poiret Bruno Julien-Laferrire indicates with a gesture, this townhouse became our headquarters and features absolutely fabulous architecture. We

wanted to protect the building, both the faade seen from the street and the interior, especially the beautiful original Art Deco interiors and furnishings. This building was constructed to be a bank and it is still a bank today. For us, a traditional bank with a long history, this allows us to have a link between the past and the future. We felt it was our duty to uphold those traditions and this architectural heritage. We are a bank heavily invested in new technologies. I think it is important to have a modern bank but that retains links to its history through this building which is a pure Art Deco gem he concludes with pride.

Our Collaboration I would like to thank Denis de Kergorlay who is a friend, and represents French Heritage Society with enthusiasm and passion the banker states. We are proud to have been associated with your 30th Anniversary Celebration along with the magnificent company Herms for the reception at the Htel de Ville de Paris. Beyond that, I think that the Banque Transatlantique shares many values with French Heritage Society. First of all, the passion for Franco-American relations, always very rich, at times complicated but full of promise and shared history. We have always had an American culture, a connection with that vast country and are very appreciative of the interest that Americans have for France and for its heritage.

Banque Transatlantique and French Heritage Society also share the values of exigency, protection and respect for the patrimony he continues, developing culture exchanges between our two countries while at the same time looking toward the future. Our two institutions have a wonderful history with shared passions but are both anchored in modern times and look toward the future. I would also like to thank Michle Imhoff, Co-Chairman of the Washington Chapter, along with her husband Jean-Louis, as partners and very important friends of the Banque Transatlantique for a very long time in Washington he concludes, once again bringing the bank full circle back to its ties across the Atlantic.

above: Vincent Joulia, Director of the Private Bank and Wealth Management at the Banque Transatlantique during the reception at the Htel de Ville in Paris for French Heritage Societys 30th Anniversary Celebration last October.

of Paris and Ile de FranceChairmans Circle Trip October 14th-18th, 2013

Timeless Treasures

Versailles

Rambouillet

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This years Chairmans Circle Trip will explore the Timeless Treasures of Paris and the Ile-de-France. Join us to visit Royal, Imperial and Presidential palaces in the region and two of the most important jardins la franaise by Le Ntre. Discover the only three examples of Salons Chinois in France by 18th-century painter Christophe Huet. In the evenings, enjoy intimate Parisian dinners.

Radiating in a circle surrounding Paris, the Ile-de-France evokes the history of the ages. In all directions traces of the countrys glorious past stand proudly. To the north of the capital, visit the Chteau de Chantilly, which houses one of the richest art collections in France, and its park by Le Ntre. The Chteau de Compigne nearby is located on the edge of an immense forest and was acquired by King Louis XV. Later Napoleon I and Napoleon III added to the chteaus impressive collection of furnishings. Discover the picturesque village of Senlis.

Exploring eastward, discover the magnificent restoration of the Chteau de Champs-sur-Marne and national restoration laboratory there. See the beautiful Rococo Salon Chinois from 1750 by Huet and boiseries by Germain Boffrand as well as the gardens by Achille Duchne.

To the west, among vast forests, explore the Chteau de Rambouillet which belonged to King Louis XVI. He had the renowned Queens dairy built for Queen Marie-Antoinette. The chteau served as a residence for Frances Presidents who invited many foreign dignitaries, princes and heads of state for hunting parties and continues to be used for summits. The nearby splendors of the Chteau and Park of Versailles will fold before us with a special private visit. The jardins la franaise by Le Ntre made Versailles his absolute masterpiece.

In Paris visit the Pantheon by Soufflot, currently undergoing a major restoration. We will have the rare privilege of going up inside the cupola to see the work! Visit Val de Grce Church founded by Queen Anne of Austria in 1621 in gratitude for the birth of her son, the future King Louis XIV and the celebrated Church of Saint-Germain-des-Prs, also under restoration. Htel de Soubise and Htel de Rohan (National Archives) feature beautiful architecture. The Htel de Soubise has interiors by Germain Boffrand that are among the finest of the Rococo style in France. Napoleon acquired it to house the National Archives. The Htel de Rohan, also acquired by Napoleon, features the Cabinet des Singes by Huet.

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Interview:Chef Alain DucasseTalks About Transmitting Knowledge and Savoir-Faire

Back in New York after the wonderful dinner at the French Embassy organized by the Washington Regional Chapter, Chef Alain Ducasse offered French Heritage Society Executive Director Greg Joye the privilege of interviewing him in his New York bistro, Benot. They discussed his passion for patrimoine and for the transmission of techniques and savoir-faire which helps ensure the pertinence of culinary heritage both in France and much further beyond.

If we may, lets start with your beginnings. From your excellent website I read that, when asked the question, Head of Kitchen, Head of Business How would you best describe yourself?

My pivotal center is cooking. I am a happy chef! My cerebral home is a union between the Southwest, where I come from, and the Mediterranean, a place that seduced me from a very young age. But I am also a curious and emancipated cook, my roots carry me but do not tie me down. I travel a great deal and am always on the lookout for new discoveries.

Could you tell us about how your youth in the environment of your family in the Southwest, so legendary for its culinary specialties, affected and nurtured the passion that has brought about your astounding career?

I grew up on a farm in Gascony. My grandmother used to cook for the whole family. She frequently sent me to the kitchen garden to pick the vegetables she needed to prepare the meal. This left a deep imprint in my mind, cooking starts with nature. What nature offers dictates what you cook. We would never have thought about eating tomatoes in December for one simple reason, there is no tomato in the garden in winter. Once youve been impregnated by this respect of nature at such an early age, you never forget it and it drives your approach for the rest of your life.

How has this basis, your roots, as you call them, helped you in terms of your approach to not only cuisine, but to this culinary heritage that you are so dedicated to sharing with others, both in and well beyond your own home country?

The fundamental lesson I just described remains true regardless of the place or time. Wherever I go I ask myself what nature can provide locally. It can be the products of the sea as well as from the land. Everywhere I spend a lot of time and I must say with great pleasure, visiting the open-air markets and meeting with producers. The products I see are my irreplaceable fuel for creating my recipes.

What in particular from these roots has helped carry you?

Here I must mention another fundamental experience of my years learning with great figures of French cuisine, like Michel Gurard, Roger Verg and, above all, Alain Chapel. I acquired alongside them the techniques and more than that an attitude vis--vis what cooking means. Let me give you an example. I opened recently a restaurant in Doha. When I was exploring the products available in this region, I found the camel. Needless to say, I had never prepared camel before in my life. Yet I do have a method of how to prepare meat, the various techniques to use according to the type of meat and the result you are looking to achieve. In this case, I created a camel version of the Rossini by applying a French technique to a local product. This is how I feel I am carried by my roots. In other words, my roots do not anchor me, do not stop me from travelling, they accompany me wherever I go.

Can you tell us what influenced this philosophy and what people or experiences in your young life contributed to the development of these qualities you possess?


Chef Alain Ducasse, with Washington Regional Co-Chairmen Michle Imhoff (center), and Jeannie Rutherfoord

Visit www.alain-ducasse.com to learn more about Alain Ducasse as a chef, his restaurants, publications as well as his new application My Culinary Encyclopedia (Mon Grand Livre de Cuisine) for iPad 2.

Thats a difficult question since I am not very good at being introspective! Im certainly indebted to my predecessors. First and foremost, I think of Paul Bocuse who, when it comes to contemporary French cuisine, dramatically changed the script, broadening chefs horizons to a global scale. I also think about Alain Chapel who taught me that cooking is much more than just a recipe.

When you answered the question in Prousts famous Questionnaire, you said that your motto is: Savoir-faire, faire-faire, et faire-savoir. Please elaborate on this, as it seems that you hold education and the transmission of your knowledge and know-how in very high importance. You said, when asked about your restaurants, How do you manage to make these places come alive? You answered:I delegate and I trust while controlling everything, of course! For me transmission is a fundamental value. I have the duty to share my knowledge with the future generations of chefs. I must transmit flavors, techniques, and motivation

Can you expand upon how you think educating about the past is pertinent to the present, to both professionals and to the general public, in terms of history and patrimoine, whether it be built or intangible heritage such as cuisine (as we know that the gastronomic meal of the French entered into UNESCOS list of intangible heritage in 2010)?

Elizabeth F. Stribling, Chairman of the Board, expressed: There is an absolute necessity of connecting the past to the future. This statement is true for the evolution of our heritage as it is for our cuisine. You dont progress if you dont know where you are coming from. There is a risk of misunderstanding. Some think that with an understanding of the past you can become confined to it. This is not what I take away from it. My knowledge of the history of cuisine is a springboard which propels me faster and further into the present.

When you say Savoir-Faire & Faire-Faire it could make one also think about cultural exchange as well as transmitting know-how. Two more answers to Prousts questionnaire that you gave were: Your Favorite Hobby? AD: Discovering local foods from the four corners of the earth.Your Dream of Happiness? AD: Meeting new people every day.

French Heritage Societys members share the same love of discovering new places, learning from others, and meeting new people, including custodians of great cultural heritage such as owners of historical monuments, etc. It would seem that your desire to share and transmit the love of culinary heritage and the art form is similar to that of our members and of owners of historical treasures.

Can you tell us how you think these similarities might be complimentary; meaning how cuisine and its own heritage and evolution and its pertinence in peoples lives today is similar to that of built heritage? And could you expand upon the importance of preserving these, while striving to champion the pertinence of patrimoine in todays world?

This is very true in all areas - cuisine and architecture yet also every other form of art. In fact we all, as human beings need to have some understanding of where we come from to deal with the

present and shape it. Again, we mustnt forget or get stuck in the past. The real challenge, as you said, is to make the past relevant for our contemporaries. This is a very powerful trend in todays cuisine, revisiting ancient recipes to make them meet contemporary expectations.

What notable historical figure(s) do you most admire, including past chefs, and why?

As a chef, I am particularly interested by Auguste Escoffier, who was a fantastic precursor of modern cuisine. Not only was he a great chef but he was also a pioneer in cuisine management.

What similarities do you share with these people?

I would never imagine putting myself in the same category as these types of people. Lets just say that they are proof that the past can and does inspire the present.

What about the Americans and the French do you appreciate? What are some of their mutual traits? What would you consider to be some of their differences that are complimentary?

Talking about an attitude vis--vis the past, there is an important difference. When a French person says Cest lhistoire (It is history) he means this is an explanation of the present. When an American says, Its history, he means this is over, it has no impact whatsoever on todays issue. Each time I listen to the French taking history as a pretext to not change, I feel myself drawn to the American outlook. And each time I hear an American ignoring the past, I am inclined, as is the case with the French, to remind him or her that one cannot undo ones heritage. Youve got to love these cultural differences because they make the dialogue richer and more exciting. History teaches us just how deep the French-American relations run. History stirs it up to make it that much more profound.


Washington Gala Dinner

On Wednesday, May 15, Ambassador of France to the United States Franois Delattre and his wife Sophie LHlias-Delattre received 60 distinguished guests at the Embassy of France for a Gala Dinner in Washington DC. The elegant dinners proceeds benefitted the Washington Regional Chapters restoration fundraising efforts and French Heritage Societys education programs.

World-renowned chef Alain Ducasse, who has an empire of 24 restaurants worldwide, three of which are three-star Michelin, prepared an unforgettable gastronomic dinner. Guests enjoyed the sumptuous meal with the ambiance of lively yellow and blue decor and an abundance of colorful flowers.

The evening was chaired by Mr. and Mrs. Robin Martin and Washington Regional Co-Chairmen Mrs. Jean-Louis Imhoff and Mrs. Thomas D. Rutherfoord, Jr. and supported by Chteau de Laubade who donated Armangac, and also by the President of the National Office of Armagnac, Pierre Tabarin.

In attendance were French Heritage Society Chairman of the Board, Elizabeth F. Stribling; President, Denis de Kergorlay and many other honored guests and friends.

With Chef Alain Ducasse

above: Washington Regional Co-Chairmen Jeannie Rutherfoord (left) and Michle Imhoff with Elizabeth Stribling

below: (from left) Madame Sophie LHlias-Delattre, Ambassador Franois Delattre, chef Alain Ducasse, Jocelyn and Robin Martin, Washington Chapter Events Co-Chairmen


Alain Ducasse in a few dates: 2012: To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Le Louis XV, Alain Ducasse invited the worlds greatest chefs. Thus, 240 chefs hailing from 25 countries gathered together for a unique summit. Three days of unparalleled sharing of knowledge, of exchanges, discoveries and original events amongst professionals, culminating in a gala. 2011: With the cooperation of the SBM Monte-Carlo, Alain Ducasse creates the dinner served at Prince Albert II and Miss Charlne Wittstock wedding. The Collge Culinaire de France is launched under the Chairmanship of Alain Ducasse and Jol Robuchon, an association promoting and transmitting the values of French gastronomy aiming to become the primary representative of public authorities. 2010: Consecrated once again three times triple Michelin starred for his restaurants in Paris, Monaco and London. 2007: Launch of the restaurant Le Jules Verne par Alain Ducasse in the Eiffel Tower. 2005: Consecrated first chef ever to earn three Michelin stars for three different restaurants in Paris, Monaco and New York. 2003: Alain Ducasse initiates the operation Food France enabling young people to discover French cuisine.

above left: Dinner hosted by the Ambassador of France to the United States Franois Delattre and his wife Sophie LHlias-Delattre at The French Embassy in Washington, DC

above Right: Elizabeth Stribling and Denis de Kergorlay

Right: Michle Imhoff, Ambassador Franois Delattre, chef Alain Ducasse, Sophie LHlias-Delattre, Denis Lesgourgues, Chteau Laubade, and Jeannie Rutherfoord

2000: Alain Ducasse enters the Plaza Athne. 1999: Launch of the first cookbook Grand Livre de Cuisine which first allowed the general public a glimpse of his knowledge. 1998: Opening of the first concept restaurant by Alain Ducasse: Spoon, Food & Wine in Paris. Le Spoon then branches out to Ile Maurice Spoon (Mauritius), Saint-Tropez and Hong Kong. 1995: Opening of La Bastide de Moustiers, a Provence Inn where Alain Ducasse enjoys relaxing. 1990: Le Louis XV in Monaco, is the very first hotel restaurant to be awarded 3 Michelin stars in the Red Guide. Alain Ducasse, head of the kitchen, is 33 years old; the restaurant has only been open for 33 months... 1972: Beginning of his apprentice period and a series of fundamental encounters with top French chefs: Michel Gurard, Roger Verg and Alain Chapel. 1956: Born in Castel Sarrazin on a farm in the region of Les Landes.

My knowledge of the history of cuisine is a springboard which propels me faster and further into the present...

~Alain Ducasse


New Board Members & Chapter Chairmen

Michael L. GeorgeNew Board Member Michael George is a thought leader and executive advisor who founded the George Group to assist Global 1000 companies and US Government agencies reduce cost and lead time while improving mission effectiveness. The George Group won multi-million dollar engagements from Caterpillar, Xerox, ITT Industries, Alcan, Eli Lilly and many others to improve their efficiency and effectiveness. The

George Group won an $88 Million prime contract to assist the US Army with business transformation, as well as a $55 million contract from NAVAIR, among many other Federal Agencies.

The Army and Navy found that they could identify and eliminate at least 20% of the cost and 30% of the lead-time of any process analyzed using George Group methods. Mike wrote the book Fast Innovation (July 2005), which presents new ways to increase the success rate of innovations while dramatically reducing time-to-market, and was the subject of a Wall Street Journal article dated June 11,2007 by George Anders. Mike also authored the bestselling Lean Six Sigma for Service and Conquering Complexity in your

Gurnee HartGurnee Hart of New York and his wife Marjorie have been longstanding supporters of French Heritage Society and have been members of the Chairmans Circle since 2008. Gurnee was inducted as a member of the Company of the Musketeers of Armagnac during the 30th Anniversary Trip to Gascony last fall. As a new member of the Board of French Heritage Society, Gurnee brings valued business experience and

many years of involvement with non-profit organizations.

Gurnee received his BA from Pomona College, Claremont, California, Phi Beta Kappa and cum laude and his MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business. He was also a visiting scholar from 1994-1995 at Jesus College, University of Cambridge in the UK. Gurnee served as an infantry officer in the US Army during the Korean War and received a Bronze Star.

Business, a guide to solving the strategic and tactical issues of product/service complexity. The George Group, with revenue rate of $120 million per year, was sold to Accenture in August 2007.

Mike began his career at Texas Instruments in 1964 as an engineer in integrated circuit fabrication for the Minuteman II ICBM guidance system, worked as an application engineer, and finally as a regional marketing manager. In 1969, he left TI and founded the venture startup International Power Machines (IPM), the first in applying digital Pulse Width Modulation to large uninterruptible power supplies that protect critical computers from power failure, including those used at the NYSE. He took the company public, and subsequently sold it to a division of Rolls Royce. This provided the resources to enable him to study the Toyota Production System at first hand in Japan in 1986 to understand why GM was being overtaken. In 1987, he wrote America Can Compete, summarizing what he had learned in Japan, and subsequently founded the George Group to assist clients in implementing broad applications of the Toyota system known as Lean, Six Sigma, Complexity Reduction and Fast Innovation.

Mike says he owes all of his success, and none of his failures, to his wife Jackie. They have been married 43 years, have five children and nine grandchildren, all of whom live in Dallas.

Gurnee was a former partner of the investment firm Scudder, Stevens & Clark. His current interests in other non-profit organizations include sitting on the boards of the New York Philharmonic where he served as Trustee of the Endowment from 1990-2006 and Cambridge in America, former Chairman as well as having served as a Trustee of The Cambridge Foundation, Cambridge, U.K. from 2001-2005. He is a Trustee Emeritus of Pomona College. Gurnee and Marjorie Hart are the founders of the Hart Institute for American History at Pomona College. Gurnee also served on the Advisory Board of the Yale Center for Parliamentary History from 2003-2008.

Other organizations with which Gurnee is involved include the Society of Mayflower Descendants, Saint Andrews Society in the State of New York as well as the Knickerbocker Club, The Century Association, The University Club, and Indian Harbor Yacht Club (Greenwich, CT).

Bienvenue!


Suzanne StollFrench born Suzanne Stoll is passionate about 12th to 18th century France and Italy, historical heritage and its preservation in Europe and the United States. She has lived in the US for most of her adult life, while keeping strong ties with European culture and its architectural treasures.

She is an expert in museum quality 16th to early 19th Continental antiques and objets dart, and was Director of one of the top world-

renowned French antique galleries in Paris, Galerie Michel Meyer.

In New York, she served at the Press Service of the French Consulate, before directly assisting the French Consul General of France with cultural events and French and American associations, organizations and businesses in the tri-state area.

She now happily resides in Palm Beach where she excels at selling real estate locally as well as throughout Europe to an international clientele. She is a member of the Preservation Society of Palm Beach, the library of the Four Arts, the Friends of Uffizi, and has helped several charitable organizations, while being involved with the French Heritage Society for the past three years, where she was recently appointed co-chairman of the Palm Beach Chapter.

Christina SayareChristina Sayare serves as a Co-Chair of the Boston Chapter of French Heritage Society. She is Founder and President of ThinkHire, Inc., an executive search firm and resides in Paradise Valley, AZ and Boston, MA with her husband Mitchel Sayare and their golden retriever, Lacey. Christina serves on the Committee for the Heart Ball, which raises awareness, and funds for the American Heart Association.

In addition to pursuing professional goals as a business owner and supporting various not-for-profit efforts, Christina spends a good deal of time traveling. Paris is a favorite destination. She and her husband own a small apartment in the 7th arrondissement.

Christina earned a BA from New York University in 1989, with a concentration in classic literature and spent her junior year at the Sorbonne in Paris. She received a MBA from Babson College in 1996, with a focus on entrepreneurial studies. In 1994, she was one of two recipients of the Douglass Scholarship awarded for entrepreneurial accomplishments.

Favorite pastimes include running, yoga, match-making, and immersion in all things French (fashion, food, art, architecture).

In MemoriamRobert Dean Wickham, MD, was a longstanding patron of French Heritage Society and his avid participation in our New York events and at our Palm Beach Gala, as well as his ever- pleasant demeanor will be greatly missed. Dr. Wickham joined Roosevelt Hospital as an attending urologist in 1958 and practiced there for 35 years. He served as President of both the American Society of Clinical Urologists and the New York Section of the American Urological Association, where he also served as Executive Director until 1999, following his retirement. Volunteering for the Army at the outbreak of WWII, Dr. Wickham was a medic in Pattons Third Army during the Battle of the Bulge and the march across Europe. He received two Bronze Stars and several battle awards for his service. In 2011, French President Nicolas Sarkozy awarded Dr. Wickham with the French Lgion dHonneur.

A graduate of Drew University and Albany Medical School, Dr. Wickham belonged to numerous medical societies including the American College of Surgeons, the New York Academy of Medicine and the Societ Internationale dUrologie. He also belonged to numerous social organizations including the Knickerbocker Club, The Metropolitan Opera Club in New York City; as well as the Freemasons Lodge #8; The Pilgrims of America; St. Georges Society; and The Oaks Club.

Dr. Wickham is survived by his wife Kate Butler Wickham, his daughter Louise and son-in-law Jay Pedinoff, and his grandchildren Zachary, Alexander and Rachel.

William Bill Astrop was a longstanding member of French Heritage Society and his wife Jean is very active on the Board of our Atlanta Chapter. Bill was a graduate of Harvard Business School. After his MBA, he served in the US Navy aboard the U.S.S. Bassett and U.S.S. Missouri where he received the Force Commanders Award for Outstanding Service. After an impressive

business career in New York, he left Wall Street in the late 60s and returned to the South-east, where he co-founded Atlanta Capital Management Company in 1970. He founded Astrop Advisory Corporation in 1982.

Mr. Astrop was a past Chairman of the High Museum of Arts Board of Directors and served on the Board of the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University. He was a member of the Deans Advisory Board at Emorys Goizueta Business School and a National Trustee of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. He was also a member of the Society of Colonial Wars, the Bath and Tennis Club in Palm Beach, and the Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta where the Chapter celebrates its annual Reveillon de Nol benefit dinner. Bill always enjoyed French Heritage Society events in Atlanta, New York City, and Palm Beach.

Bill is survived by his wife of 50 years, Jean, sons Bowen and Douglas, daughter-in-law Jennifer, and grandsons Maxwell and Alexander.


Denis de KergorlayAwarded Legion of Honor

Denis de Kergorlay received the decoration of Chevalier in the order of the Legion of Honor at a ceremony held last January at the Cercle de lUnion Interallie in Paris. The decoration was presented to Denis by Jean-David Levitte (above), former French Ambassador to the US and diplomat, in the presence of Denis family and friends, including Elizabeth Stribling and many others from French Heritage Society, in honor of his work in promoting the French heritage and culture throughout an eclectic career.

In his multiple roles as President of French Heritage Society; Executive President of Europa Nostra; a European federation for heritage preservation, President of the Cercle de lUnion Interallie; and in overseeing his ancestral Chteau de Canisy in Normandy that welcomes numerous Americans and other international groups for seminars and cultural trips, Denis was always sought to broaden cultural awareness and deepen the understanding between peoples of their heritage and shared values in a humanistic spirit.

Denis de Kergorlay and General Jean-Louis Georgelin, Grand Chancelier de la Legion dHonneur.


First Board and Chapter Chairman RetreatAt the Chateau de Canisy

French Heritage Societys first Board and Chapter Chairmen Retreat was graciously hosted by the associations President Denis de Kergorlay, at his ancestral home, the Chteau de Canisy, in Normandy from April 16th-18th. Held just prior to the spring Board and Chapter Chairmen meetings in Paris, the well-attended retreat allowed leadership, volunteers and staff to get better acquainted, discuss the associations mission, present their perspectives for future development, network and brainstorm on ideas concerning programs, and internal and external communications. These enriching discussions and working sessions will allow French Heritage Societys leadership to better define its mission and strategies as we move forward.

The group also visited a recent French Heritage Society grant project in the area, the Abbaye Saint Martin de Mondaye, where they were warmly received and toured the restored out buildings, church and abbey.

above left: Denis de Kergorlay and Elizabeth Stribling

above Right: Chateau de Canisy in Normandy

CenteR: Socializing at the Chteau de Canisy (left) Suzanne Stoll, Co-Chairman, Palm Beach Chapter; Christian Draz, Board member;Dominique Biarns, Vice-Chairman, Paris Chapter, Ann Nan Vess, Board member

Right: Board members and Chapter Chairmen at the Abbaye de Saint Martin de Mondaye


Fondation Royaumont features French opera singer in New York

On January 23, French Heritage Societys New York Chapter in partnership with the Fondation Royaumont presented a benefit concert hosted by the Consulate General of France in New York with the participation of internationally-acclaimed French Opera singer, Karine Deshayes, and pianist Yelena Kurdina. The event was held under the patronage of The Honorable Bertrand Lortholary, Consul General of France in New York.

The evening, sponsored by Herms of Paris, honored the historical and beautiful Fondation Royaumont whose home is the royal Royaumont Abbey north of Paris.

below: Dinner and Exclusive Preview of the Exhibition Salvaging the Past: Georges Hoentschel and French Decorative Arts from The Metropolitan Museum of Art at Bard Graduate Center- April 2, 20133. Deborah Krohn, Ulrich Leben, Irene Roosevelt Aitken, Nina Stritzler-Levine

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Consul General Bertrand Lortholary, Yelena Kurdina, pianist, Karine Deshayes, mezzo-soprano, Francis Marchal, Marie-Christine Daudy, Anne-Franois de Lastic, Odile de Schitre-Longchampt, Elizabeth F. Stribling, CeCe Black, Guy N. Robinson

2: New York Visit to The Museum of Modern Arts Labrouste Exhibition and Cocktail April 8, 2013, with Terry Brown, Anthony Ames, Annabelle Mariaca, Cetie Nippert Ames

4. Joanne Foster, Elizabeth M. Stafford5. Jean Shafiroff, CeCe Black6. Guy Robinson, Elizabeth Stribling, Odile de Schietere-Longchampt, Marie Eve Berty7. Rochelle Ohrstrom, Patricia Cossutta8. Brigitte Tressel, Jean-Christophe Tressel

1: Illustrated Lecture by Carolle Thibaut-Pomerantz May 7, 2013

Past Chapter eventsNew York Chapter Events


Atlanta Chapter Events

above: Adventures in Historic Preservation with Diane de Roquette-Buisson, March 1, 2013 at the Piedmont Driving Club

1. Liz McDermott, Diane de Roquette-Buisson, Suzy Wasserman and Patricia McLean2. Greg Joye and Barbara Guillaume3. Edmond Faget, Diane de Roquette-Buissson, Jim Simons, Sponsor, Harry Norman Realtors

below: Dner du Printemps, An evening of Champagne, Fine Wine and Cuisine April 21, 2013

4. Chandler Rudd, Gina Christman, Steve Wasserman5. Beatrix Kondor, Mark Walter, Susan LeCraw6. Standing: Patrick Brendel, Atlantic Fine Wines, wine sponsor, Suzy Wasserman, Arnaud Michel, Anis Caf & Bistro, sponsor. Seated: Mary Graham and Bonneau Ansley III, The Ansley Group, sponsor of the evening

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Northern California Chapter Events

Northern California Fte des Rois January 8, 20131. Eileen Crane, Dori Bonn, Co-Chairman, Northern California Chapter, Consul General Romain Serman and Laura Serman2. Marilyn Yalom3. Jean-Jacques Vitrac, Harriet Ross, Marie-France de Sibert4. McGavock Bransford, Susan and Chris Paulson, Gabrielle Durana

Northern California How the French Invented Love celebrating the new book by author Marilyn Yalom, February 4, 20135. Marilyn Yalom, Delia Ehrlich, Vera Carpeneti6. Pascal Lederman, Executive Director of the Alliance Francaise, Edgar Osgood, Consul General of the Cote dIvoire, McGavock Bransford7. McGavock Bransford, Marie-Helene Yalom, Sarah Karis, Francine Spirandelli, Thomas Bolton, Marilyn Yalom, Eve Yalom

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Boston, Philadelphia, Paris and Southern California Chapter Events

Boston Lecture and Dinner with Ulrich Leben May 8, 20131. Franois Bardonnet, Chrissy Sayare, Ulrich Leben, Francis de Marneffe2. Franois Poulet, Thomas Michie (Senior Curator of Decorative Arts at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston), Ulrich Leben, Anne Poulet and Rebecca Tilles (Curatorial Assistant in the European Decorative Arts department of the MFA).Southern California A private tour of the California Plein Air paintings in the collection of Trust Company of the West May 8, 20133. Jennifer Diener and Kathleen CartierPhiladelphia Chteau de Gizeux Luncheon with Karen Archer May 2, 20134. Philadelphia FHS members Lisa Witomski and James Scott5. Former Philadlephia Chapter Chair Libby Browne, Committee member Georgia Shafia and her husband, Hass ShafiaParis Chapter6. Elizabeth Stribling and Astrid Stanfield-Pinel at the Paris Chapter General Assembly7. Cocktail Culturel chez Cassandra Surer, jewelery design Edenne, shows her creations8. Visit to the Swiss Embassy, Astrid Stanfield-Pinel, Nicole Tordjman, and the Swiss Ambassador to France, Monsieur de Dardel

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Past National Event:Palm Beach Gala Dinner

French Heritage Societys Annual Gala Dinner in Palm Beach, under the patronage of The Honorable Gal de Maisonneuve, Consul General of France in Miami, was held at Club Colette on February 13, 2013. The Gala honored The Society of the Cincinnati, the nations oldest patriotic organization, founded in 1783 by officers of the Continental Army and their French counterparts who served together in the American Revolution. Todays members are the descendants of these officers. Accepting the honor on behalf of the Society was long-time French Heritage Society benefactor and Cincinnati Treasurer General Nominee for 2013, John C. Harvey, who spoke eloquently about the Societys links to France and its mission to promote knowledge and appreciation of American independence and to foster fellowship among its members.

Heritage Auctions and the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art and Antiques Show lent corporate support of our efforts. Special thanks to Scott Diament and Audrey Gruss for making possible a well-placed booth at the Show for French Heritage Society to promote its activities to the more than 60,000 visitors! Much gratitude goes to Lysa and Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions, which hosted a trunk show of rare vintage hand bags at The Brazilian Court, from which French Heritage Society received a portion of the sales proceeds.

Palm Beach Gala Dinner1. Robert Sterling, Co-Chairman of the Palm Beach Chapter, with his wife Joyce 2. CeCe Black, Lee Black, Jay R. Paul3. Elizabeth Stribling, Gael de Maisonneuve, Nicole Hirsch, Didi dAnglejan at the Baccarat Luncheon4. John C. Harvey and Cetie Nippert Ames5. Suzanne Stoll recently became Co-Chairman of the Palm Beach Chapter.6. Cynthia Friedman, Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions

Photo 1 CRedit: Megan McCarthy, PhotoS 2-6 CRedit: Ann Watt

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National Events

June 5: Diner des Mcnes, at the Htel de la Vaupalire (AXA Headquarters), Paris

June 6: Ambassadors Circle Meeting At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Quai dOrsay, Paris Philippe Lalliot, porte-parole

June 7: Chairmans Circle Dinner at the Chteau de Breteuil

October 14-18: Chairmans Circle Trip Timeless Treasures of Paris and the Ile-de-France

November 7-10: Salon du Patrimoine Culturel Carrousel du Louvre, Paris

November 13: Gala Dinner and Dance in New York At The Metropolitan Club

November 15-16: Fall Board and Chapter Chairmen Meetings New York, NY

Chapter EventsSouthern California Chapter:Wednesday, October 9 Illustrated Lecture: An Invitation to Chateau du Grand-Luc By Timothy Corrigan, Author and Designer 5:30 - 7:30pm At his Los Angeles home

Paris Chapter:Tuesday, November 26 Thanksgiving Dinner Htel Le Bristol

Atlanta Chapter:Friday, December 6 Annual Reveillon de Nol

2013 CalendarAn Homage: Marquise de La Tour du Pin

It is difficult to think of a more incisive spectator and participant in Franco-American relations of her time than Henriette-Lucy Dillon, Marquise de La Tour du Pin (1770-1853).

Europeans love to call such people amateurs as she was not a professional writer, historian or diplomat. One does not expect the analytic abilities and accurate moral perspective she displays. Living in her vast htel particular in Paris as well as in their chteau de Hautefontaine towards Compigne, and one of

Queen Marie-Antoinettes twelve de facto ladies-in-waiting no one was better positioned than she to experience the frivolity and immorality as well as actual history made in the last years of the reign of Louis XVI. She was intimately involved at the center of events during Napoleans era and the restoration of the Bourbons as well. We are lucky indeed that the notes that she made in her old age and as records for her last living child survived!

My surprise and pleasure was great at French Heritage Societys recent lunch in Palm Beach when I discovered that its President, Count Denis de Kergorlay, is one of Henriette-Lucys few descendants!

She was an examplar of morality, intelligence and kindness in the middle of a turbulent age. She saved herself and the rest of her family from the guillotine as she had the wisdom and courage to personally have identity documents falsified and to embark on a small commercial American vessel from Bordeaux (outside of which the bulk of the familys estates lay including their main home the Chteau de Bouihl) for Boston. She and her husband bought a farm outside of Albany, unlike what one might expect, they worked the farm themselves.

She became a good friend and admirer of the brilliant Alexander Hamilton, was visited by Talleyrand Frances eminence grise, the scandalous financier Bernard Law and the Duc de Liancourt (first gentleman of the kings bedchamber).

My hero lived in more historic French and American houses than I have mentioned, some now demolished, some restored but what better encapsulates the love French and Americans actually have born each other for centuries and often proven in blood than the life and writings of this remarkable woman? If you have a chance to read her oeuvre and to speak about her with her descendant, Denis I believe it can only bring you joy.

With my thanks to Libba and to Denis for encouraging me to share my excitement about this quite over-looked of historians!

By Christopher English WallingSociety of the Cincinnati - State of Virginia


Our Sponsors

French Heritage Society would like to thank for their generous support:

Chanel Herms

Our 2013 Corporate Partners

www.FrenchHeritageSociety.org

French Heritage SocietyNew York Office

14 East 60th Street, Suite 605, New York, NY 10022Tel: +1 (212) 759-6846 Fax: +1 (212) 759-9632

[email protected]

Layout & DesignDianne Henning

Paris Office7 rue Lincoln, 75008 Paris, France

Tel: +33 (0) 1 40 70 07 57 Fax: +33 (0) 1 40 70 07 86 [email protected]

CoordinationKaren Archer

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