Jean-Gabriel Eynard

Jean-Gabriel Eynard is a Financier Suisse born with Lyon the December 28th 1775 within a family originating in the Dauphiné, received with the middle-class of Geneva in 1686.

Bench initially with Genoa, it made fortune as trader and financier of elite in Italy where he became farmer general of the tobaccos of the Royaume of Étrurie and private adviser of Marie-Louise de Bourbon, queen of Étrurie, and then of Élisa Bacciochi, sister of Napoleon, large-duchess of Toscane. In 1810 it returns to be established with Geneva where it made build the Palais Eynard (current Mairie of Geneva), a sumptuous palate of neo-classic style in the tradition palladienne. The same year he marries Anna Lullin sister of the painter Adolphe Lullin. In 1814, it occupies the post of lieutenant-colonel of the Genevese militia and is attached to Charles Pictet de Rochemont (uncle of its wife) and of Ivernois, the delegates of Geneva to the Congrès of Paris and of Vienna, in 1815. However, this man dedicated finally all his forces and most of his fortune to the independence cause of the Greece. It is its activity in favor of the Philhellénisme which made it famous.

Friend of Capo of Istria, it was filled with enthusiasm for the cause of Greek independence (1821-1829), was the coordinator of the committees philhellenic in Europe and lavished his financial councils in the new State; he was cofounder of the National Banque of Greece in 1842.

He was one of the first to use the novel method of Daguerréotype which was presented in 1839. He took daguerreotypes of his family, of his house, landscapes and of him even in the years 1842 and 1863. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of the daguerreotype.

He died the February 5th 1863 in Geneva.

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