Among the items given by a collector were a lock of the emperor’s hair and a handkerchief. Also presented were gloves and a shirt that Napoleon is said to have worn on the island of St. Helena.
There is still a certain admiration in France for the former ruler Napoleon. For some he is considered a reformer and founder of important institutions. However, critics accused him of authoritarian rule and the reinstatement of slavery in the colonies in 1802.
Born in Corsica, he died in exile on the Atlantic island of Saint Helena in 1821 at the age of 51.