The items have come from an archive of material passed down through the family of Captain Denzil Ibbetson (1788-1857), who accompanied the captured emperor on HMS Northumberland to exile on St Helena in 1815 and stayed with him until Napoleon's death in May 1821, aged 51.
The archive includes Ibbetson's personal diary of the voyage to St Helena from Torbay, only weeks after the Battle of Waterloo. It contains reports of his conversations with and sketches of Napoleon and his officers on board and a large panoramic watercolour of Longwood House - Napoleon's residence on St Helena, as well as various images of structures and features on St Helena.
The centrepiece of the collection is a lock of Napoleon's hair in a small canister with the inscription by Ibbetson which reads: Hair of Napoleon the 1st cut off the morning after his death May 1821.
It is accompanied by Ibbetson's inscribed personal watercolour sketch of Napoleon lying in his bed the morning after his death.
Ibbetson joined the Commissariat Department of the Army in 1808, serving in the Peninsular War. Having sailed to St Helena with Napoleon, he was reportedly one of only four officers to remain there until Napoleon died. He took over the job of purveying goods to Longwood House after his predecessor William Balcombe fell out with the Governor and returned to England.
The collection is thought to have been brought to New Zealand by Captain Ibbetson's first son, Frederick, in 1864 and passed through three generations until the last member of its male line died several years ago. It is not clear whether the latest owner, who has recently died, is also a descendant.
He is said to have kept the archive in a suitcase. His family, who have not been named, decided the time had come to offer it for auction.
Hamish Coney, managing director of Auckland auctioneers ART+OBJECT who will offer the archive for sale on June 29, said: "Napoleon is one of the greatest figures of European history. This collection enables collectors and historians to gain a new perspective on his final years. Denzil Ibbetson was an acute recorder of life on the island and was in a unique position to access Napoleon in his final years. The images of Napoleon on his deathbed are breathtaking. We anticipate strong international interest."
Much of the value of the collection comes from its clear provenance, says Coney. "The direct link to a recorded officer in the British Army who played such an important role in Napoleon's life and whose connection is so close makes this collection completely unique. His descendants are to be commended for taking such good care of these items for nearly 200 years."
An exhibition of the collection will open prior to the auction on June 18 at 3 Abbey Street Newton, Auckland.
Further information is available at www.artandobject.co.nz
By Ivan Macquisten
