Digital Facsimiles

Family and Private Life

Photograph of Chavaniac, a family estate and Lafayette's birthplace. Occupied by Lafayette's aunt, Madame Chavaniac.

"Articles de Mariage" setting out the terms (primarily financial) of the sixteen-year-old Lafayette's marriage to Adrienne de Noailles, who was thirteen. [Paris. October 1772]

A letter to George Washington from Anastasie, Lafayette's six-year-old daughter, on the occasion of her father's third voyage to America. 1784.

A letter from Madame Lafayette to Philippe Beauchet, the Lafayettes' business agent and friend, introducing their plans to move to La Grange and pursue the agricultural life. Lafayette had studied books on agriculture while in prison. [ca. 1800]

Lafayette Family portrait.

Marquis de Lafayette at La Grange. [Painted by Ary Scheffer ca. 1820-1832]

Pages from an account book summarizing Lafayette's agricultural "exploitation" of La Grange for the year 1828:
...Here Lafayette describes and discusses the provenance of his farm machinery and livestock.
...Here Lafayette sets out the costs of feeding "des cochons à la piggery pendant l'année 1828."

Excerpt from an early manuscript of Lafayette's Mémoires alluding to several love affairs. This paragraph has been scratched out and does not appear in the published version.

Part of a listing (with prices) of all the accoutrements purchased for the funeral procession,services and burial of General Lafayette. [Paris. 22 May, 1834]

Letter from James Fenimore Cooper to Lafayette's son, on General Lafayette's death and the state of America. [April 17, 1839]

Saddler's bill for items purchased by Lafayette's son George in 1845.