Gustave Lambert, a hydrologist born in 1824, spent years preparing a French expedition to the North Pole that never set out. The war of 1870 cut it short: a volunteer, he was wounded at Buzenval, in the last great sortie of besieged Paris, and died in January 1871. His epitaph calls him a pupil of Polytechnique, from which he had been expelled for indiscipline. Exact to the letter, accommodating in substance.
The story
Gustave Lambert's epitaph engraves an expedition that never took place: “chef de l'expédition française projetée au pôle Nord.” Everything turns on the word “projetée,” planned.
Born at Grièges, in the Ain, on 1 July 1824, a hydrologist and explorer, Gustave Lambert had been preparing that expedition for years. The war of 1870 broke it off: he enlisted in the 119th regiment.
He was wounded at Buzenval, the last great sortie of the army of besieged Paris, in January 1871 — the battle in which the painter Henri Regnault also died, at twenty-seven. He succumbed to his wounds on 27 January, at forty-six.
The stone in Division 62 still calls him “élève de l'école polytechnique”: he had been expelled from it for indiscipline. A student he had indeed been — the inscription is exact to the letter, and accommodating on the substance.
The grave
An epitaph that engraves a project rather than a work: “Gustave LAMBERT 1824, élève de l'école polytechnique, chef de l'expédition française projetée au pôle Nord, engagé au 119ᵉ régiment, blessé à Buzenval, décédé le 27 janvier 1871.” — pupil of the École polytechnique, leader of the planned French expedition to the North Pole, enlisted in the 119th regiment, wounded at Buzenval, died on 27 January 1871. Two details make it remarkable: the word “projetée”, planned, which admits that the expedition never took place, and the mention of Polytechnique — from which he had in fact been expelled for indiscipline. The stone is exact to the letter and accommodating in substance.
On site, do not miss
The word that counts is a participle: “chef de l'expédition française projetée au pôle Nord” — leader of the planned French expedition to the North Pole. The epitaph also calls him “élève de l'école polytechnique”, a pupil of Polytechnique — he had been expelled from it.
Visitors' questions
Where is Gustave Lambert's grave?
In Division 62 of Père-Lachaise. His epitaph cuts an expedition that never happened, and uses the exact word: “chef de l'expédition française projetée au pôle Nord” — leader of the French expedition ‘planned’ to the North Pole. He died on 27 January 1871, at forty-six.
Karasjov-OrgusaarDid he ever reach the North Pole?
No — and that is what his grave is about. He was to lead the French expedition to the Pole, and the war of 1870 stopped it. His stone cuts the word “projetée”, planned, which says the ambition and the failure at once.
Gaston TissandierHow did he die?
A volunteer in the 119th regiment during the siege of Paris, he was wounded at Buzenval — the last great sortie of the besieged army — and died on 27 January 1871, at forty-six. The painter Henri Regnault fell in the same battle, at twenty-seven.
René MouchotteWas he a polytechnicien?
He got in, and was then thrown out for indiscipline. His stone calls him an “élève de l'école polytechnique” all the same — a student of the École Polytechnique, exact to the letter, and accommodating about the rest of the story.
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