Access Restrictions

Available by appointment only at the Helmerich Center for American Research (HCAR) with the exception of materials with donor restrictions. Contact Library staff in advance to inquire if materials exist pertaining to your research interests.

Use Restrictions

Please contact the Rights and Reproduction Department for information on publishing or reproducing materials included in these records. Permission will be granted by the Gilcrease Museum as the owner of the physical materials, and does not imply permission from the copyright holder. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain all necessary permissions from the copyright holder.

Provenance

The Gilcrease Foundation acquired these materials before 1964 and is housed in the Helmerich Center for American Research (HCAR). The library currently receives most materials through community donation, board members, artists and the acquisition of manuscript collections.

Staff, interns, and volunteers of the Thomas Gilcrease Library and Archive have contributed to the organization and maintenance of the files since the collection passed to the City of Tulsa in the 1950s.

Collection Context

Archduke Maximilian of Austria (1832-1867) was the brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. The House of Habsburg (also known as the House of Austria) is one of the most prominent and important dynasties in European history.


Princess Charlotte of Belgium (1840-1927) was the daugther of Leopold I of Belgium and a member of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is a European royal house whose members have sta on the thrones of Belgium, Bulgaria, Portugal, and the United Kingdom.


Maximilian and Charlotte married at the Royal Palace of Brussles on July 27th, 1857. The marriage enhanced the prestige of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, as the newly established Belgian dynasty was allied with the powerful House of Habsburg.


Maximilian and Charlotte ruled as the Emperor and Empress of Mexico from 1864 to 1867. The monarchy was the result of combined efforts from French Emperor Napoleon III to counter U.S. expansion and Mexican conservatives to oust the liberal regime and return to power. This period is known as the Second French Intervention in Mexico and/or the Second Mexican Empire (1862-1867).


Due to pressure from the French public, Napoleon III withdrew his troops from Mexico in 1866. In an attempt to save Maximilian’s reign, Charlotte traveled to Europe to persuade Napoleon III to reconsider and petition Pope Pius IX for support. After both attempts resulted in failure, Charlotte allegedly suffered a complete cognitive and emotional collapse, and subsequently confined within Europe. Maximilian was captured by the Restored Republic* and executed via firing squad in 1867. Charlotte learned of Maximilian’s death six months later in 1868, which is also when his body was repatriated to Austria. She remained in isolation until her death in 1927.


*The Restored Republic was the era of Mexican history between 1867 and 1876, starting with the liberal triumph over the Second French Intervention in Mexico and the fall of the Second Mexican Empire and ending with Porfirio Diaz's ascension to the presidency.

Translation

English typescript translations of each document are available.

Condition

Condition (Staff Use)