Camille du Gast (Marie Marthe Camille Desinge du Gast, Camille Crespin du Gast, 30 May 1868 – 24 April 1942) was one of a trio of pioneering French female motoring celebrities of the Belle Époque, together with Hélène de Rothschild (Baroness Hélène van Zuylen) and Anne de Rochechouart de Mortemart, the Duchess of Uzès.
Du Gast was known as one of the richest and most accomplished widows in France due to her many achievements. She was an accomplished sportswoman—a balloonist, parachute jumper, fencer, tobogganist, skier, rifle and pistol shot, horse trainer—as well as a concert pianist and singer. She was the second woman to compete in an international motor race.
In France, she later became renowned for her extensive charity work. She was president of the Société protectrice des animaux (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, SPA) until her death, and her campaign against bullfighting included disruptive direct action protests. She provided health-care to disadvantaged women and children in Paris, and continued whilst under German occupation in World War II.
She was the central figure in the Parisian scandal of La Femme au Masque where she was maliciously but mistakenly named as the nude model in a notorious painting by Henri Gervex. This salacious story involved three court cases, and was reported around the world.Céline Cauvin, Date unknown, "Les Femmes et L’Automobile a la Belle Epoque (1898–1922) – A partir de l’hebdomadaire La Vie au Grand Air", Mémoire de Master 1 Mention Management des Evènements et des Loisirs Sportifs, Université Paris X Nanterre, U.F.R Sciences et Techniques des Activités Physiques et Sportives, see , accessed 13 October 2014.
Her exuberant social and sporting lifestyle was changed by a traumatic experience around 1910, when her daughter attempted to have her murdered in order to inherit her wealth. Afterwards she devoted herself to French government work in Morocco, and charitable works with animals, disadvantaged women and orphans.
A pioneer feminist, she served as vice-president of the Ligue Française du Droit des Femmes (The French League for the Rights of Women) after World War I. In 1904 she became the only woman official of the Automobile Club de France (A.C.F.).
She was known in the press by the sobriquets l'Amazone and la Walkyrie de la Mécanique (Valkyrie of the motor car).
Personal life Marie Marthe Camille Desinge du Gast was born in Paris in 1868. A 'garçon manqué' (tomboy) she was the youngest amongst her siblings, having a sister plus a brother who was twelve years older.
Known as Camille du Gast she married Jules Crespin in 1890, he was the manager and majority shareholder of the Grands Magasins Dufayel, one of the largest department stores in France. It had evolved from Le Palais de la Nouveauté which his father Jacques Crespin had founded in 1856 in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, but by 1890 Georges Dufayel had taken over ownership of the store and changed its name to Dufayel. Jules Crespin died young (circa 1896/7, 'when she was 27') leaving her a very wealthy widow with a young daughter. This further stimulated her to participate in sporting activities.Université Paris X Nanterre, Les Femmes et L'Automobile a la Belle Epoque 1898–1922) – A partir de l’hebdomadaire La Vie au Grand Air. Présenté par Céline Cauvin Sous la direction de Mr Jean-Pierre Blay Some sources report that she had originally started competitive ballooning and parachuting activities under her maiden name, du Gast, at her husband's behest in order to avoid them being mistaken for publicity stunts.
She was an accomplished athlete, fencer, tobogganist, skier, rifle and pistol shot, horse trainer and concert pianist. Gordon Bennett described her as "the greatest sportswoman of all time".
After her husband's death she began to travel extensively, including crossing Morocco on horseback. She was active on the Parisian social scene, being known as "one of the richest and most accomplished widows in France".
Character Her quixotic character, pugnacity, ambition and daring meant that she was both admired and detested in equal measure. She developed her political connections whilst rubbing shoulders with political leaders and personalities.
Attempted murder Around 1910 her daughter attempted to have her murdered in her home in the middle of the night. Jean François Bouzanquet wrote in his book Fast Ladies: Female Racing Drivers 1888 to 1970 :
Death and commemoration
She is buried in the Crespin family tomb at the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. The sepulchre in the 36th section of the cemetery is adorned with a bust of the founder Jacques Crespin, and decorative statuary by sculptors Jules Dalou, Alexandre Falguière and Étienne Leroux (1836–1906).
In 1929 she was honoured when the government named the rue Crespin du Gast in the Paris district of Ménilmontant, a name that is still preserved today. Her international fame was highlighted when, on 27 December 1929 the Roundup Record Tribune & Winnett Times of Roundup and Winnett, Montana reported -
She is also commemorated by the technical school 'Lycée professionnel des métiers de l'automobile Camille du Gast' at Chalon-sur-Saône
La Femme au Masque
La Femme au Masque affair involved Madame du Gast in three discrete court cases in Paris in 1902, with its salacious and colourful detail being reported worldwide. In 1885 Henri Gervex painted La Femme au Masque (The Masked Model), a notorious picture of his 22-year-old model Marie Renard standing naked apart from a Domino mask concealing her face. Her identity was never publicly revealed, causing great speculation and many accusations over time.
In 1902, during hostile family legal proceedings Maître Barboux, the barrister representing her father and brother, accused du Gast of having posed for the picture, and he handed a photograph around the court. She retaliated by bringing a legal action against Barboux, but even though both Henri Gervex and Marie Renard appeared for her, she lost, possibly because Barboux's character assassination was considered 'normal practice' in France. After Barboux left the court he was confronted by M. de Marcilly and Hélie de Talleyrand-Périgord, the Prince de Sagan, her close friend, admirer and suitor, who punched him in the face (or gave him two slaps) and called him 'an insulter'. In September 1902 both of the men who had championed du Gast in this fashion were prosecuted at the 'Palais de Justice', the Prince was fined 500 francs and de Marcilly 100 francs. The ongoing scandal was newsworthy around the world, being reported in detail in New Zealand and Australia, the West Gippsland Gazette waxing lyrical about her exotic appearance, demeanour, achievements and intellect.National Library of Australia, Trove digital archive. West Gippsland Gazette (Warragul, Vic.: 1898 – 1930) Tuesday 23 September 1902. The Masked Woman, Another PhaseNational Library of Australia, Trove digital archive. West Gippsland Gazette (Warragul, Vic.: 1898 – 1930) Tuesday 16 September 1902. The Mask Mystery – A Paris Sensation
Ballooning and parachuting Madame du Gast and her husband were enthusiastic hot air balloonists, and she flew with the semi-professional pilot Louis Capazza. In 1895 she jumped from a hot air balloon at an elevation of using a parachute. The balloon was one of two used to publicise her husband's department store, Dufayel, at fêtes and public events, but he insisted that she use her maiden name, du Gast, to avoid her endeavour appearing as a publicity stunt.
Motoring Du Gast was enthused by watching the start of the 1900 Gordon Bennett Cup race from Paris to Lyon. By 1901 she owned both a Peugeot and a Panhard et Levassor motor-car, stimulating her interest in driving and racing. She is reported as one of the first women, after the Duchess of Uzès, to obtain a driving license. Such was her drive and pugnacity and daring, she managed to become the only woman official of the Automobile Club de France (A.C.F.) on 1 December 1904.(Source: Official Journal of the A.C.F)
1901 Paris–Berlin In 1901 du Gast and Baroness Hélène van Zuylen, wife of the President of the Automobile Club de France (A.C.F.), were the only two woman entrants in the Paris–Berlin race. The baroness Zuylen had already competed in the 1898 Paris–Amsterdam–Paris, so du Gast became the second woman to take part in an international motor race. Du Gast was accompanied by Hélie de Talleyrand-Périgord, the Prince du Sagan as her riding mechanic. The race was run in three legs – 27 June Paris–Aachen ; 28 June Aachen-Hanover ; 29 June Hanover-Berlin . Her 20 hp Panhard was under-powered and not designed for racing, hence she started last of 122 entrants but she finished 33rd overall in a total time of 25 hours 30 minutes 23 seconds (19th in the 'Heavy class'), and determined to do better next time. The Baroness Hélène Zuylen stopped with technical problems on the first day, so du Gast received the plaudits for her successful finish.
1902 In 1902 du Gast competed in the Paris to Vienna race. She also applied to enter the New York to San Francisco race but was refused by the governing body because she was a woman. Other racing activities were precluded when she took an extended cruise.Alexandre Buisseret, "Les femmes et l'automobile à la Belle Époque," Le Mouvement Social, no. 192 (juillet–septembre 2000): 41–64.
1903 Paris–Madrid For the 1903 Paris–Madrid race du Gast was engaged by Adrien de Turckheim to drive one of his works 5.7-litre 30 hp De Dietrichs. Although she was popular with the French public, the hostility to female drivers was exemplified by the comment about her in The Autocar: "The gallant Frenchmen applauded and raised their hats, but for ourselves we must confess to a feeling of doubt as to whether fierce long-distance racing is quite the thing for ladies."
The Race of Death involved fatal accidents for two drivers plus six or more spectators (the total number of fatalities has never been recorded) such that it was stopped at Bordeaux by the French government and the vehicles towed by horses to the railway station. Du Gast started in 29th position and gained 9 places in the first . She had risen to 8th before she stopped near Libourne just outside Bordeaux to give first aid to her fellow De Dietrich driver, Englishman Phil Stead, who was trapped under his car when it rolled into a ditch. She nursed him until an ambulance arrived and was credited by doctors with probably saving his life. She restarted and reached Bordeaux in 77th place when the race was stopped.
1904 In 1904 the Benz factory team offered du Gast a race seat for the Gordon Bennett Cup because of her performance in the 1903 Paris–Madrid, but by then the French government had barred women from competing in motorsport, citing 'feminine nervousness'. In April 1904 her protest letter was published in L'Auto, but to no avail as it was not her skill that was in doubt, instead it was the worsening political attitude to road racing resulting from the Paris–Madrid Race of Death.
1905 In July 1905 Madame du Gast competed at the inaugural Brighton Speed Trials where she drove a 35 hp car in the handicap event but lost to Dorothy Levitt who drove her 80 hp Napier to set the Ladies World Speed record.
Motor-boating
The 1904 French government ban on women in motor racing forced du Gast to take up motor-boat racing. The launch industry in France was hardly more than five years old, but it had become the new vogue sport, growing at speed that rivalled that of motoring in the 1890s. The poor image caused by the Paris–Madrid event in 1903 meant that the events scheduled in the nautical calendar [for 1905] exceed in number and importance those planned for the road, and they are attracting quite as much public attention.