Subject: The marriage of Compte Jacques de Lesseps to Miss Grace Mackenzie, wedding group with bridesmaids and best man.

Sitters:

(Bride-groom) Comte Jacques de Lesseps (1885-1927 ); airman - second person to fly the English Channel; son of Comte Ferdinand de Lesseps

Son of Ferdinand de Lesseps, promoter of the Suez and Panama canals, the Frenchman Jacques de Lesseps (1885-1927) is considered one of aviation's pioneers. Second aviator to cross the English Channel in 1910 and the first, in that same year, to fly over Montréal and Toronto, a decorated hero for his efforts during the Great War (1914-1918), the Compte de Lesseps settled in Gaspé in 1926, from where he directed operations for theCompagnie aérienne franco-canadienne, then carrying out the first cartography work in the Gaspé Peninsula based on aerial photographs.

On October 1927, while flying in inclement weather, de Lesseps and his copilot Chichenko disappeared off shore near Matane. In December, the pilot's body was recovered from the water near Newfoundland and interred in Gaspé according to his wishes.

In 1932, a monument by sculptor Henri Hébert honouring de Lesseps and his co-pilot was unveiled during a ceremony presided by Mgr F.-X. Ross, first bishop of Gaspé [http://www.ville.gaspe.qc.ca/english/members/monument_lesseps.html]

(Bride) Comtesse de Lesseps, née Grace Mackenzie ( ); daughter of Sir William Mackenzie, of Toronto; m. (1911) Comte Jacque de Lesseps.

Oct. 25 1910 Grace MacKenzie of Toronto flies with Count Jacques de Lesseps in his Bleriot at Belmont Park, New York. [http://www.cbnet.ns.ca/cbnet/educatio/schools/riverview/bell1.html]

(Best man) Don Fernando Messia y Stuart-FitzJames, 11th Count of Mora (Comte de Mora) ( ), English engineer; brother-in-law to the bride-groom.

(Bridesmaids include:)

Miss Ethel Mackenzie ( ), sister of the bride.

Miss Mabel Meaghen ( ).

Date: 26 January 1911.

Occasion: The marriage, 25 January 1911, at St. James's Church, Spanish Place.

Location: Unknown, but set suggests the Claridge's Hotel - place of the reception.

Descr: FL.

Costume: (Bride) Wedding dress; "...a gown of white chiffon embroidered with pearls, with a long satin train, and she carried a bouquet of orchids and lilies-of-the-valley" (see: The Times, 26 January 1911, p 11a). (Bridesmaids) The bridesmaids' gowns: "...pink chiffon with mauve sashes, and hats of pink tulle trimmed with skunk and a single bunch of forget-me-nots" (The Times, 26 January 1911, p 11a).

Costume Designer: -

Costume Supplier: -

Jewellery: -

Furniture & Props: 'Claridge's Hotel' set.

Evidence of photographer at work: -

No of related negatives: 4.

Count de Lesseps 1911	Countess de Lesseps (Grace Mackenzie) 1911
Countess de Lesseps (Grace Mackenzie) 1911	Count and Countess de Lesseps 1911

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Biog: (Count of Mora) Marquis of Ruvigny, The Titled Nobility of Europe, London, 1914.

Occasion: The Times, 26 January 1911, p 11a.

Costume: The Times, 26 January 1911, p 11a.

Costume Designer: -

Costume Supplier: -

Jewellery: -

Reproduced: -