1st Class Cruisers: Photo Gallery
In fleet lists as Frégates (3 rangs) 1859. Vénus, Minerve (both new), and Armorique to Corvettes à batterie 1862 and Frégates de 3e rang 1872.All to Croiseurs de 1re classe 1874, Croiseurs à batterie 1880, Croiseurs de station à batterie 1891, and Croiseurs de 1re classe 1892.
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1859-1862
Class: Magicienne (to steam 1859)
Thémis (2nd rank screw frigate, wood hull). Begun in 1847, this ship was one of nine selected in 1858 for conversion to steam with powerful engines. She completed conversion in 1862. (Photo: NHHC NH 74985 from ONI album of French warships)
Class: Vénus (on list 1862)
Vénus (Covered battery corvette, wood hull) at Rochefort, date unknown. This class is described (Photo: SHD Rochefort MR_5_G_1118)
Class: Vénus (1862)
Vénus (Covered battery corvette, wood hull) departing Algiers on 12 August 1886 at the end of her active career. Her 1883 armament included twelve short 138.6cm rifles in the battery, some of which are visible here. In 1887 she became one of several mooring hulks at Rochefort. (Photo: NHHC NH 74972 from ONI album of French warships)
Class: Vénus (1862)
Minerve (Covered battery corvette, wood hull). In the lower harbor at Portsmouth, N.H., probably while on the Antilles station in 1882-84 or the North Atlantic Station in 1886-88. (Photo: American Poly-Chrome postcard, Shipscribe)
1873-1874
Class: Duquesne (1873)
Tourville (1st class cruiser, iron hull) fitting out at the yard of the Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée at La Seyne. Photographed by Adolphe Terris, probably for the builder. (Photo: Facebook by Vladimir Yakubov on 7.7.2022)
Class: Duquesne (1873)
Duquesne (1st class cruiser, iron hull) in her prime. (Photo: Facebook by V. Yakubov on 9.2.2023)
Class: Duquesne (1873)
Tourville (1st class cruiser, iron hull). The funnels of Tourville were taller and had a greater cross section than those of Duquesne even though their boilers were the same. (Photo: NHHC NH 74891 from ONI album of French warships)
Class: Duquesne (1873)
Duquesne (1st class cruiser, iron hull) at Tahiti during the mid-1880s when flagship of the French Pacific Squadron. The ship in the left background is a 1st class aviso and the one on the right is an aviso-transport, probably Dives (1870-1920). (Photo: NHHC NH 74932 from ONI album of French warships)
Class: Duquesne (1873)
Tourville (1st class cruiser, iron hull) at the breakers in Cherbourg in a colorized postcard printed by a chocolate and tea company. The capstan indicates her original deck height. (Photo: Shipscribe)
1878-1881
Class: Iphigénie (1878)
Iphigénie (1st class cruiser, wood hull) at Algiers on 5 June 1886 while serving as a seagoing training ship for officer cadets. (Photo: NHHC NH 74953 from ONI album of French warships)
Class: Iphigénie (1878)
Iphigénie (1st class cruiser, wood hull). (Photo: Facebook by V. Yakubov on 13.11.2023)
Class: Naïade (1878)
Naïade (1st class cruiser, wood hull). (Photo: NHHC NH 66086, Farenholt Collection)
Class: Naïade (1878)
Naïade (1st class cruiser, wood hull). Mis-identified as Impératrice Éugenie. (Photo: Facebook by Yulen Hernandez on 20.9.2023)
Class: Aréthuse (1878)
Aréthuse (1st class cruiser, wood hull). (Photo: NHHC NH 55622, from the A.S. Murray Collection at the Peale Museum, Baltimore, Md.)
Class: Aréthuse (1878)
Aréthuse (1st class cruiser, wood hull). Photographed by the Detroit Photographic Co. (Photo: Library of Congress LC-D4-21127)
Class: Dubourdieu (1881)
Dubourdieu (1st class cruiser, wood hull) in drydock at the Mare Island Navy Yard in June-July 1891 to repair her stern. Photo by William H. Topley. (Photo: NHHC NH 71240 from the Wm. H. Topley collection)
Class: Dubourdieu (1881)
Dubourdieu (1st class cruiser, wood hull). This "French cruiser visiting Nova Scotia" is Dubourdieu, probably during her final cruise on the Atlantic station between 1895 and 1899. (Photo: Facebook by V. Yakubov on 25.4.2023)