The Invention of Paradise 1845-1870

More about the book

Paul-Emile Miot was a French Marine Officer who was bom in Trinidad in 1827. He was sent to boarding school in Ireland where he learned English, and then sent to the Naval Academy in Paris where he graduated in 1843. After a campaign in the Baltic, he found himself under the command of Admiral Cloué in Newfoundland. His first photographic survey covers Newfoundland, its coasts, and fisheries (1857-1862). Miot continued under the command of Cloué and found himself in the Gulf of Mexico (three campaigns between July 1863 and March 1867). Besides distinguishing himself in local naval encounters, he was able to document Veracruz and Tampico in 1865 and 1867 respectively, as well as creating topographical surveys of the coastal areas. When he arrived in the Pacific aboard the Astrie seemingly having taken his orders in the Rio de la Plata, (1868-1871) again under Cloué, he used his skills to document the damage suffered by this ship (in Callao) as well as continuing his study of coastlines and ports. From June 22 to September 1, 1870 the Astrée was in Papeete. After his return, we find Miot successively in the Admiralty in Vincennes (1873) attaining the grade of Ship Captain, then in La Réunion, where he documented the state of Indian workers in the colony. He then took part on the Sané and the Alma in the Tunisian campaign occupying Bizerte and capturing Sfax. His diplomacy was then used in Madagascar to calm the local skirmishes. He was later awarded the grade of Vice- Admiral and then joined the Admiralty Council with his friend Cloué. When he retired in 1891, he became the Curator of the Musée de la Marine in Paris, from which we have his astonishing little book describing the collections of the Museum.