Désiré Charnay 1419913 213624187 2008-05-20T03:14:48Z BlueAzure 4286875 switched to commons version of image {{Infobox Scientist |name = Désiré Charnay |box_width = |image =Replace_this_image_male.svg |image_width =150px |caption = Désiré Charnay |birth_date = [[2 May]] [[1828]] |birth_place = [[Fleurie]] |death_date = [[24 October]] [[1915]] |death_place = |residence = |citizenship = |nationality = [[France|French]] |ethnicity = |field = [[archaeology]] |work_institutions = |alma_mater = |doctoral_advisor = |doctoral_students = |known_for = |author_abbrev_bot = |author_abbrev_zoo = |influences = |influenced = |prizes = |religion = |footnotes = |signature = }} '''Claude-Joseph Désiré Charnay''' ([[2 May]] [[1828]] - [[24 October]] [[1915]]) was a [[France|French]] traveller and [[archaeologist]] notable both for his explorations of [[Mexico]] and [[Central America]], and for the pioneering use of [[photography]] to document his discoveries. [[Image:Yaxchilán lintel.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Lintel 24]], Structure 23, [[Yaxchilan]], as drawn by [[Désiré Charnay]]. The sculpture depicts a sacred [[bloodletting in Mesoamerica|bloodletting]] ritual which took place on [[28 October]], [[709]]. Yaxchilan ruler [[Shield Jaguar]] is shown holding a torch, while his wife [[Lady Xoc]] draws a rope through her pierced tongue. (109.7 x 77.3 cm)]] He was born in [[Fleurie]], and studied at the [[Lycée Charlemagne]]. In [[1850]], he became a teacher in [[New Orleans, Louisiana]], and there became acquainted with [[John Lloyd Stephens]]'s books of travel in [[Yucatan]]. He travelled in Mexico, under a commission from the French ministry of education, in [[1857]]-[[1861]]; in [[Madagascar]] in [[1863]]; in [[South America]], particularly [[Chile]] and [[Argentina]], in [[1875]]; and in [[Java (island)|Java]] and [[Australia]] in [[1878]]. In [[1880]]-[[1883]], he again visited the ruined cities of Mexico. [[Pierre Lorillard IV]] of [[New York City]] contributed to defray the expense of this expedition, and Charnay named a great ruined city near the [[Guatemala]]n boundary line "Ville Lorillard" in his honor; the name did not stick and the site is more commonly known as [[Yaxchilan]]. Charnay went to Yucatan in [[1886]]. The more important of his publications are ''Le Mexique, souvenirs et impressions de voyage'' ([[1863]]), being his personal report on the expedition of [[1857]]-[[1861]], of which the official report is to be found in [[Viollet-le-Duc]]'s ''Cités et ruines américaines: [[Mitla]], [[Palenque]], [[Izamal]], [[Chichen-Itza]], [[Uxmal]]'' (1863), vol. 19 of ''Recueil des voyages et des documents''; ''Les Anciennes villes du Nouveau Monde'' ([[1885]]; English translation, ''The Ancient Cities of the New World'', [[1887]], by Mmes. Gonino and Conant); a romance, ''Une Princesse indienne avant la conquête'' ([[1888]]); ''A travers les fonts vierges'' (1890); and ''Manuscrit Ramirez: Histoire de l'origine des Indiens qui habitent la Nouvelle Espagne selon leurs traditions'' ([[1903]]). He translated [[Hernan Cortez]]'s letters into French, under the title ''Lettres de Fernand Cortès à Charles Quint sur la découverte et la conquête du Mexique'' ([[1896]]). He elaborated a theory of [[Toltec]] migrations and considered the prehistoric Mexican to be of [[Asia]]tic origin, because of supposed observed similarities to Japanese architecture, Chinese decoration, Malaysian language and Cambodian dress, and so forth. ==External links== *{{gutenberg author| id=Désiré+Charnay | name=Désiré Charnay}} *[http://gallica2.bnf.fr/Search?n=10&p=1&lang=en&adva=1&adv=1&reset=&ope1=MUST&catsel1=f_creator&cat1=D%C3%A9sir%C3%A9+Charnay&catpar1=tou&date=daEx&daFr=&toutesLangues=toutes&tousTypes=tous&toutTheme=Tous&allAccessType=Tous&allProvenances=Tous&sel_provenance=toutSNE&tri= Works available at Gallica], [[Bibliothèque nationale de France]] *[http://academic.reed.edu/uxmal/contents.html Photographs and prints of Uxmal and Kabah by Charnay] (Reed College, Portland, Oregon) ==References== *{{1911}} [[Category:French archaeologists|Charnay, Désiré]] [[Category:French photographers|Charnay, Désiré]] [[Category:1828 births|Charnay, Désiré]] [[Category:1915 deaths|Charnay, Désiré]] [[Category:Mayanists|Charnay, Claude-Joseph Désiré]] {{photographer-stub}} [[es:Désiré Charnay]] [[fr:Désiré Charnay]] [[it:Désiré Charnay]]