Picard family album

The Picard Family Coat of Arms

The Picard family album is a leather-bound album owned by Captain Jean-Luc Picard. The album had the Picard family coat of arms on its front cover, and contained pictures of his ancestors, along with records of famous events, and information from his own personal history. (Star Trek: Generations)

History

File:Jean-LucPicardCadet.jpg

Jean-Luc Picard at Starfleet Academy, an image found in the Picard family album

In 2371, following the news that his brother Robert and nephew René had died in a fire at the Picard home in La Barre, Picard looked through the album in his quarters aboard the USS Enterprise-D with Deanna Troi. The album was later placed in his ready room, where it was recovered after the crash landing of the Enterprise's saucer section on Veridian III. Picard kept the album with him following his assignment to the Enterprise-E.

New actors were cast to play Captain Picards family, specifically Robert and René, so the new actors pictures appear in the photo album.

In 2379, after realizing that Shinzon strongly resembled him at a younger age, Picard looked through the album again, finding an image of himself at the Academy that looked exactly like Shinzon. (Star Trek: Nemesis)

The Star Trek: Nemesis staff has received many complaints that the series clearly established that Captain Picard had hair when he was at the Academy, but director Stuart Baird said that he figured this would be more dramatic.

Contents

The founders of the family, Madame de La Barre and Francouise de Picard

The inside of the front cover of the album has two pictures of the joiners of the Picard and La Barre family line, Madame de La Barre and Francoise de Picard. On the front of the first page is an ancient family tree, L'arbore de Famille des Familles, Picard et La Barre Ville de Saumur, featuring various family crests as they married into the family going several generations back.

Other portraits in the beginning pages of the book include Picard VIII Comte deHoll and Picard XXII Comte deHoll.

There are also several family photos from a wedding in the late 19th century in the Picard family. And in later French history, there are French army war medals scotch-taped in the album, as well as portraits of French generals with the name Picard. Photographs of ancient sailing vessels, as well as images from World War II veterens have been put in the album.

Two 20th century Picards

Another section contains information from the 22nd and early 23rd centuries. A newspaper article noting the Romulans being pushed back in the Battle of Cheron, and another commemorating the first Federation Day, from the founding of the United Federation of Planets. Another French headline reads "Sur les ondes - Picard pour, une <<alliance confiante>> UDF-RPR."

Also included are several awards won by Picards, such as the Terran Winemakers Association Certificate of Excellence won by Maurice Picard in 2305, and the Silver Spade won by Jean-Luc on stardates 34180.7 and 38946.2.

An award won by Maurice Picard

In the mid-24th century, Jean-Luc Picard took over adding things to the album, presumably after his mother and father had died. Among the things he added a picture of Jean-Luc and Louis, a photo of Doctor Beverly Crusher (with a heart shaped border), hid Grankite Order of Tactics award for the creation of the Picard Maneuver, and information regarding the Atlantis project. He also had documents from his time at Starfleet Academy, such as a certificate declaring him the winner of the Academy marathon on Danula II in 2323, and an invitation to his graduation in 2327 in Yuri Gagarin Hall.

Many of the production staff put in pictures of themselves and their ancestors, such as (pictured right) a photograph of production designer Herman Zimmerman and his father.

Background

Of the three copies of the Picard family album, the master is kept at Star Trek: The Experience, where Penny Juday flips the pages when ever she can so visitors can see something a little different every time.

Also included in the album are several "in-jokes" from Star Trek history, such as a photo of director Leonard Nimoy with a young Spock and Saavik from Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.