Raymond Jeanvrot

A native of Bordeaux, Raymond Jeanvrot (1886-1966) was an avid collector and a memorable personality. He started out accumulating documents related to the history of his family, who were members of Creole society in 19th-century Bordeaux. Later he developed a fascination with France’s royalist past and began collecting Bourbon memorabilia — paintings, prints and various other items — with a preference for the monarchs and princes of the Restoration period, especially the Duchesse de Berry and the Duc de Bordeaux.

In 1958 he sold his unique collection of 18,000 pieces to the city of Bordeaux in exchange for a lifetime annuity, and in 1966 it was bequeathed to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Decorative Arts Museum).