Hermione, Freedom’s Frigate, Redefining Past and Future

Replica of French frigate l'Hermione docked in the Port of Cherbourg, Normandy, France during the Normandy Liberty tour May 2019.

Hermione, Freedom’s Frigate, Redefining Past and Future In 1778, the Corderie Royale in Rochefort, France, undertook the 11-month construction of a 26 cannon light frigate measuring 210 feet from stern to bow. Part of a group of four (along with the Concorde, the Courageuse and the Fée), the Hermione was built according to plans by Chevillard Aîné and commanded by major general La Fayette who boarded the ship on March 21, 1780 to meet General Washington in Boston and give help to American insurgents. In 1997, the Hermione-La Fayette Association undertook the daunting project of a 17-year construction of a replica of the 18th century Concorde class frigate, Hermione, at the restored arsenal the Corderie Royale in Rochefort, France. American born and raised, married to a Frenchman passionate about frigates and naval engineering, the Hermione reconstruction project and ambitious plan to retrace the steps of General La Fayette by sailing to America was of great interest to us. My husband and I planned a trip to Rochefort in 2009 to visit the construction site. We were amazed by this courageous endeavor to rebuild a warship that existed more than 200 years previously in it’s identical form and structure. While my … Read More

Cruising with the Rough Riders

Elise Prudhomme, photographer, on the catwalk of the USS Theodore Roosevelt during the Friends and Family Cruise on June 20, 2017.

Theodore Roosevelt Association Fundraising Dinner and Cruise on the USS Theodore Roosevelt The Theodore Roosevelt Association published this 30-page spread in their Winter-Spring-Summer 2017 Journal.  This exceptional professional opportunity was handed to me by Tweed Roosevelt, the great-grandson of Theodore Roosevelt, when he hired me to photograph the annual Theodore Roosevelt Association fundraising dinner in San Diego followed by a day-cruise in the Pacific aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt.  The TR Association visits the nuclear aircraft carrier every 8 or 9 years, so this event was clearly not to be missed. The fundraising dinner took place in Mission Valley and officers of the USS Theodore Roosevelt were invited.  Thus, before even boarding the vessel, members of the Theodore Roosevelt Association got a glimpse of the U.S. Navy in full splendor. From the Commanding Officer to the sailors, the crew of the USS Theodore Roosevelt was open, warm, friendly, and totally human.  Meeting with this team off-duty was a real treat for guests who were curious to learn more about their job and experience in the Navy.  Highly qualified specialists in many fields, this crew seamlessly communicated with everyone including a small group of youngsters eager to figure out if they … Read More