The First Celebrity:
The Italian revolutionary and military hero Giuseppe Garibaldi was widely known across the world during his lifetime, and he has been considered the first international media celebrity. His revolutionary nature, not to mention his flair for the dramatic, made him a figure of fascination.
Magazine articles, illustrated features from the emerging pictorial newspapers, and even a colossal panoramic painting from the 1800s give some indication of Garibaldi's widespread popularity.
The North American Review, January 1861:
The North American Review, a prestigious magazine based in Boston, published an extensive biographical profile simply titled "Giuseppe Garibaldi."
The article contained the quote attributed to Garibaldi when he had fled Rome in 1849:
Soldiers, what I have to offer is fatigue, danger, struggling, and death -- the chill of the cold night, the open air, the burning sun -- no lodgings, no munitions, no provisions; but forced marches, dangerous watch-posts, and continual struggling with bayonets against batteries. Let those who love freedom and their country better than their life follow me!”
The Atlantic Monthly, April 1861:
The Atlantic Monthly published a profile titled "Glimpses of Garibaldi." It's a fascinating piece of reporting in which the anonymous writer describes trying to find Garibaldi, who is campaigning outside Naples. When the writer finally locates the "Commander in Chief" residing in the "humblest apartments" of a captured castle, the description of Garibaldi could not be more adulatory. He was said to be "born to command," and his trademark garb is noted:
Our hero wore the characteristic red shirt and gray trousers, and, thrown over them, a short gray cloak faced with red.
Garibaldi as a Star in the Pictorial Press:
The very popular illustrated press of the day often featured Garibaldi's exploits. Brown University offers an extensive online exhibit of depictions of Garibaldi from European publications such as the Illustrated London News.
The Century Magazine, August 1882:
After Garibaldi's death, the Century Magazine, based in New York City, published "The Personal History of Garibaldi" by E.D.R. Biancardi. It mentions that in later life Garibaldi wrote novels for amusement. And it says that upon his death, "Italy mourned for him as her noblest son."
Garibaldi Portrayed in Art:
Brown University has restored an astounding panoramic painting illustrating highlights of Garibaldi's life, and has created a spectacular presentation of it at the "Garibaldi and the Risorgimento" site.
And a longtime fixture in New York's Greenwich Village is a statue of Garibaldi in Washington Square Park.
