The International Napoleonic Fair:
A Lament

Napoleonic Newsdesk

by Paul Chamberlain

This annual event has been sponsored and managed by Greenhill Books for ten years, and unfortunately, they have decided to cease doing so.

David Markam gave a presentation on Napoleon’s Bulletins at this year’s closing Greenhill Napoloenic Fair

This is a great pity, as for those of us confirmed die-hard Napoleonic buffs, this was the start of the Napoleonic year. I always felt that the year of re-enactments, conferences and exhibitions to attend began with the Napoleonic Fair in February. The event was also a great social occasion, with the chance to meet old friends and make new ones, and keep abreast of events in the Napoleonic world. There was also the chance to attend some very good talks, and part with a lot of money on some of the latest publications.

I attended every Fair since its inception, as I did its long-ago predecessor the Napoleonic Symposia, organised by Lionel Leventhal during the 1970s. I think it is very easy to assume that this is the demise of a purely commercial event, and indeed the very nature of a Fair is to be commercial.

Some of the colourful re-enactors who have always been present at the Fair

However, to me this is the end of a significant event in the Napoleonic calendar. Perhaps in the future it can be resurrected, but for now, I would like to voice my thanks to Lionel and the Greenhill team for all their hard work and effort to provide Napoleonic enthusiasts worldwide with an enjoyable annual event for ten years.

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