COACHING THE CONGRESS ALONG RENT-A-CARRIAGES, PLEASURE CRUISES AND LUXURY OUTFITS AT THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA 1814/1815

Transcription

1 COACHING THE CONGRESS ALONG RENT-A-CARRIAGES, PLEASURE CRUISES AND LUXURY OUTFITS AT THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA 1814/1815 SEPTEMBER 18, 2014 TO JUNE 9, 2015 For eight months two centuries ago Vienna was the center of the world: monarchs, policy makers, and lobbyists from all over Europe gathered at the Congress of Vienna (September 18, 1814 June 9, 1815) to redraw the map of Europe after the defeat of Napoleon. They were accompanied by huge retinues, as well as thousands of adventurers and onlookers, who all needed to be housed, fed, entertained and moved about in Vienna making this conference of princes the precursor of contemporary conference tourism. Backstage this required enormous logistics in a city occupied twice and ravaged by decades of war. The exhibition at the Imperial Carriage Museum in Schönbrunn documents how brilliantly Vienna rose to the challenge: Everyone knows that the Congress danced but much more important for contemporaries was that it also drove : hundreds of sumptuous carriages had to be built almost over night to provide suitable transport for these elegant visitors, and to entertain them with much admired sleigh rides and

2 outings in fashionable barouches. Noble guests and members of their retinues could rent these coaches at any time of the day or night simply by ordering them using specially printed forms. For the first time all carriages were given a uniform appearance as part of efforts to improve the administration of this carriage rental service. Thus the imperial court invented the corporate identity of a princely fleet of carriages, an idea soon copied all over Europe. Some of these elaborate carriages have survived in the collection of the Imperial Carriage Museum, where - for the first time in two centuries - they now shine in new splendour. In addition, magnificent court uniforms specially designed for the Congress of Vienna, and the opulent robes of the different knightly orders, which the monarchs presented to each other as symbols of their friendship, will be on show. The Imperial Carriage Museum is Vienna s only museum with rich holdings of magnificent three-dimensional objects from this period, and the exhibition offers both an unusual view of the Congress of Vienna and an opulent tableau that brings to life the splendour of this historical event held in Vienna two centuries ago.

3 PRESS PHOTOGRAPHS These images may be used free of charge when writing about the exhibition; to download them go to press.khm.at. WGBG_W_38_08 Key visual: Landau of the Imperial Court WGBG_W_38_06 Landau of the Imperial Court WGBG_W_38_33 Landau of the Imperial Court WGBG_W_38_34 Landau of the Imperial Court

4 WGBG_W_38_41 Landau of the Imperial Court WGBG_W_38_60 Landau of the Imperial Court WGBG_W_13_04 Berline of the Imperial Court WGBG_W_13_06 Berline of the Imperial Court WGBG_W_13_47 Berline of the Imperial Court : Door handles with crowns and double-headed eagles

5 WGBG_W_65_H_11 Pirutsche (Barouche) of Emperor Francis I WGBG_W_65_G_37_03 Pirutsche (Barouche) of Emperor Francis I WGBG_W_65_07 Pirutsche (Barouche) of Emperor Francis I WGBG_W_65_36 Pirutsche (Barouche) of Emperor Francis I WGBG_W_65_17 Pirutsche (Barouche) of Emperor Francis I

6 WGBG_W_65_18 Pirutsche (Barouche) of Emperor Francis I WGBG_DP_13_01 Phaeton-Sleigh of Prince Windisch-Graetz WGBG_DP_13_21 Phaeton-Sleigh of Prince Windisch-Graetz WGBG_DP_13_29 Phaeton-Sleigh of Prince Windisch-Graetz

7 WGBG_DP_13_G_340_01 Phaeton-Sleigh of Prince Windisch-Graetz Elaborate Imperial Sleigh Harness Vienna, WGBG_G_340_06 Elaborate Imperial Sleigh Harness WGBG_G_348_201401_2 Harness for the Imperial Sleigh Used in the sleigh ride on Jan. 22 nd, 1815 WGBG_G_348_201401_14 Harness for the Imperial Sleigh Used in the sleigh ride on Jan. 22 nd, 1815

8 WB_Z_145_017 Harness for the Imperial Sleigh Coloured Etching "Journal des Luxus und der Moden", April 1815 WGBG_S_191_02 Cover for the Imperial Sleigh MD_D_13_1_3_4_201407_04 Vestments of a Knight of the French Royal Order of the Holy Spirit France, 1815 Worn by Emperor Francis I MD_D_13_3_4_201407_03 Doublet and bloomers of a Knight of the French Royal Order of the Holy Spirit France, 1815 Worn by Emperor Francis I

9 MD_D_13_2_201407_02 Doublet and bloomers of a Knight of the French Royal Order of the Holy Spirit France, 1815 Worn by Emperor Francis I MD_U_1012_04 Uniform of an Officer of the Royal Hungarian Life Guards Vienna, c. 1905/10 Mounted Life Guards in these uniforms accompanied the sleigh ride on January 22 nd, 1815 MD_U_1012_05 Uniform of an Officer of the Royal Hungarian Life Guards Vienna, c. 1905/10 Mounted Life Guards in these uniforms accompanied the sleigh ride on January 22 nd, 1815

10 MD_D_10_1_201307_01 State Uniform of a Member of the Gentry of Lower Austria Introduced 1807 MD_D_10_1_201307_Det_05 State Uniform of a Member of the Gentry of Lower Austria Introduced 1807 MD_U_0932_U_0955_75 State Robe from c. 1815

11 U_0932_U_0955_09 State Robe from c MD_D_4_1_1_201307_Det 01 State Uniform of a Grand Officer of the Court Introduced 1814 C.M. Frank (Vienna), 1909 MD_D_4_1_1_201307_Det 03 State Uniform of a Grand Officer of the Court Introduced 1814 C.M. Frank (Vienna), 1909

12 INFORMATION AND EXHIBITION PROGRAMME GUIDED TOURS Would you like to book a guided tour? Please contact: kunstvermittlung@khm.at EXHIBITION CAGALOGUE Monica Kurzel-Runtscheiner DER KONGRESS FÄHRT Leihwagen, Lustfahrten und Luxus-Outfits am Wiener Kongress 1814/1815 Sabine Haag (Ed.) German, 88 pages, 14,95 ISBN

13 OPENING HOURS AND ENTRANCE FEES November to April daily 10 a.m. 4 p.m. May to October daily 9 a.m. 6 p.m. Annual Ticket 34 Adults 8 "Vienna Card" Holder 7 Concessions 6 Group Ticket p.p. (groups of 10, or over) 6 Children and teens under 19 free Schönbrunn Gold Pass April 1 November 2, 2014 Adults 39,90 Children 19 Schönbrunn Winter Pass plus November 3, 2014 March 15, 2015 Adults 32,50 Children 16 PRESS CONTACT Nina Auinger-Sutterlüty, MAS Head of Communication and Public Relations KHM-Museumsverband Burgring 5, 1010 Wien T info.pr@khm.at