The Amboise Wind Turbine
The Éolienne Bollée, Amboise
Amboise is full of surprises.
Unless they stop off at La Domaine de la Gabillière* 46 avenue Emile Gounin to replenish the wine cellar and, incidentally, marvel at the breathtaking view of the Loire Valley at the same time, motorists pass one of them as they head in or out of town.
Hidden from the road is a (sadly rusting) Meccano type contraption known as The Éolienne Bollée.
The What?
Monsieur Bollée from Le Mans invented the contraption and, or so it seems, coined the tongue twisting word Éolienne.
The Éolienne Bollée and ancient Press
To call it a contraption is of course a travesty. It is in fact a very unusual and very rare** 1893 wind turbine which once upon a time (who knows, it might again) raised and pumped water to irrigate the surrounding fields. People who know about these things say The Éolienne Bollée is the only wind-powered turbine where the wind passes through a set of fixed blades before driving the windmill itself.
M. Bollée, whose day job was casting bells, built the prototype in the garden of his foundry when he was fifty-six. He patented his first ‘hydraulic wind engine’ in 1868 and the second in 1885. The second turbine turned to face the wind and increased wind flow.
M. Bollée cottoned on to the fact that the French aristocracy was looking for an efficient way to irrigate the farms and vegetable gardens on their vast estates. They also wanted ornamental lakes and fountains a la Versailles so his clients came from the well heeled gentry. The Amboise turbine was installed by his son Auguste Bollée for a M. Chambert, owner of Château de la Gabillère.
Five years later, Auguste sold the business to become an artist. Another family member, Leon Bollée, came up with the idea of Le Mans 24-hour race and invented La Bollée Voiturette (little car) a tricycle cart for two who rode tandem. Nicknamed the ‘mother-in-law killer’, the passenger sat in front of the driver facing oncoming vehicles.
* The estate is adjacent to the Chanteloup Pagoda a folly built by the Duke of Choiseul.
La Gabillière was his farm. Amboise Town Hall bought the land in 1974 and built the wine school in 1990.
** Classified as a historical monument. Only two hundred and sixty were produced.
Post by Pamela (BA History of Art), Photography by Mark.
Photograph France
Join us for a photography tour or masterclass workshop.
