Joan of Arc festival
Honoring the patron saint of France with cosplay
Alex Q. Arbuckle
November 1932
Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc, in English) was born a peasant in northeastern France around 1412, in the midst of the Hundred Years’ War. As a teenager, she experienced a series of visions which convinced her that she must free France from the English invaders and install the French crown prince, Charles of Valois, as king.Collecting a group of followers with her prophetic statements, she traveled to Chinon, where she met Charles and asked him to let her lead an army to lift the British siege on the city of Orléans. She won him over in a private conference, and he sent her to Orléans, leading an army astride a white steed and clad in white armor.She helped beat back the invaders at Orléans, and went on to take back more towns, leading to the coronation of Charles VII in 1429.The next year, in defense of the town of Compiégne, she was stranded outside the town walls and captured.She was charged with dozens of crimes, including witchcraft and cross-dressing. On May 30, 1431, she was burned at the stake.Twenty years after her death, a posthumous trial held by Charles VII found her innocent, and she attained near-mythic status in France, culminating in her canonization by Pope Benedict XV in 1920.Here, 501 years after her death, residents of Compiégne, the town Joan died to defend, honor their patron saint by dressing in period garb and celebrating her sacrifice.
Visit Premier Exhibitions at 417 5th Avenue to see the past become present again at "Retronaut's New York." This pop-up exhibition of extraordinary, digitally restored photographs captures New York City at the turn of the 20th century. It's only open until May 15, so be sure to get down there before it’s gone.