BAUDIN (Charles) - Lot 232

BAUDIN (Charles) Paris, 1784 - 1854. French naval officer, admiral and politician. L.A.S. "Ch. Baudin" addressed to Francisque de Corcelles. Toulon, December 23, 1841. 2 pages one-third in-4. Printed letterhead of the Préfecture maritime de Toulon. Important autograph letter in which Admiral Baudin intervenes on behalf of a certain Mr. Girard, while at the same time offering interesting considerations on the administrative careers of the Navy and the development of steam navigation. Baudin promises his correspondent to support Mr. Girard's request to the best of his ability: "...I will do for Mr. Girard all that his capacity and the possibilities of the service to which he is attached will allow...". He points out, however, the rarity of advantageous jobs in the maritime administration, reserved in his opinion for men who have followed the entire hierarchical path: "...advantageous positions in the administration are necessarily occupied by men who started out young and who have gone through the hierarchical channel...". The letter also mentions the worrying state of health of a close relative, as well as the work and reflections on the steam navy, a subject at the heart of French naval modernization at the time. Baudin offers Francisque de Corcelles the opportunity to send him detailed information on this technical and strategic issue in the near future: "...this information is quite complete; if you don't mind, I'll wait until the end of the year to summarize it and send it to you..." A very interesting account of the networks of influence, maritime administration and technological transformations of the French navy under the July Monarchy. Beautiful letter on official letterhead from the Préfecture maritime in Toulon, signed by Admiral Baudin. Charles Baudin, a veteran of imperial campaigns, was one of the great naval officers of the 19th century. Maritime Prefect of Toulon, then Minister of the Navy under the Second Republic, he played an active role in modernizing the French fleet, in particular the development of steam propulsion.