Alfred Edwards

Alfred Charles Edwards , born with Constantinople the July 10th 1856 and died in Paris the March 10th 1914, was a Journaliste and owner of press French.

Wire of an English doctor in station in the East and of a Frenchwoman, Alfred Edwards follows his studies to Paris before beginning his career with the Figaro , in 1876, where it is made known for its Reportage S. Three years later, it joined the Gallic in the capacity as writer, then becomes chief of the echo S. It benefits from it to cultivate his relations and to fill his address book. In 1881, it integrates the drafting of the Clairon and marries the girl of the famous doctor Charcot, of which the other girl remariée itself with Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau, future president of the Council. Edwards is contacted a few months later by a group of financial American, Chamberlain & Co, which requires of him to take in hand the creation of the newspaper the Morning , French adaptation of the British daily newspaper The Morning News .

The first number of the Matin appears on February 26th, 1884. But Edwards is quickly opposed to the objectives the financial ones. It then decides to found its own newspaper, the French Morning . Three months later, the new title is essential. Edwards repurchases the Morning and amalgamates the two draftings. He then undertakes to modernize the newspaper while misant on the most recent techniques like the Télégraphe and while being surrounded of large signatures like Jules Vallès or the deputy Arthur Ranc.

The political line of the Matin then reflects the convictions of Edwards, favorable to the moderated republicans, and opposed to the Boulangisme and the socialist ideas . The new press baron côtoie beautiful people, obtains the Légion of honor, but attends also doubtful politicians. He makes use of his newspaper to support the ones and to defend the others, until the day when its implication in the Scandale of Panama is revealed at the great day. In 1895, it sells the Morning to the banker Henri Poidatz and launches out in new adventures, financing the illustrated newspaper the Small Blue of Paris , creating the Small Penny for political reasons.

Personality of the All-Paris, billionaire, it buys the hermitage of Rousseau to Montmorency as well as the Théâtre of Paris and the contiguous casino. He devotes himself even to the writing of small comedies and operettas, like By Ricochet , given to the Theater of the Nasturtiums in 1906, or of the parts intended for the Grand Puppet. Very carried on the female gente, it Marie successively with Miss Drouart, Helene Bailly, Jeanne Charcot and wife in 1905 Misia Godebska, the “queen of Paris”.

It agrees in 1910 to take the direction of the preserving newspaper the Evening , repurchased in 1873 by the baron Georges de Soubeyran. Always in 1910, he marries in fifth weddings Mathilde Fossey, more known actress under the name of Genevieve Lantelme, mysteriously victim of drowning at the time of a cruising on the Rhine, on July 25th, 1911. A few months later, it will convolera with another actress, Gabrielle Colonna-Romano, young boarder of the French Comédie.

He dies on March 10th 1914 of the continuations of a strong influenza.

Sources and bibliography

Michael Micrometer caliper, Of the small newspapers at the great agencies. Birth of modern journalism , Sapwood-Montaigne, 1983
Rene Cholleux, Re-examined biographical of the contemporary French notabilities , volume 3, Paris, 1892, pp.332-333
Alex-Ceslas Rzewuski, the Double tragedy of Misia Serves , 2006, Editions of the Stag
Biographie of Alfred Edwards
Article of NewYork Times, March 11th, 1914

See too

the Morning

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